Explore every episode of the podcast Management Muse
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ep 130 - Reddit’s AI Dilemma: When a Smart Business Decision Later Backfires | 13 Oct 2026 | 00:32:33 | |
Reddit saw an opportunity to turn years of human conversation into valuable AI data. But the answers people once visited Reddit to find could now reach them without a visit, and now Reddit is trying to figure out how to undo the decision and bring people back to its platform. In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin use Reddit’s AI dilemma as a case study to explore how leaders make business decisions under uncertainty. A decision can make sense at the time and still create problems as circumstances change. The challenge is knowing when to revise your strategy, and how to leave yourself room to do so without walking away from a worthwhile opportunity. From cybersecurity staffing and travel planning to a graduate program’s approach to AI, Cindi and Geoff examine the consequences of acting on assumptions, why human discretion is actually becoming more important, and the difference between planning for disruption and overreacting to it. For founders, executives, and managers weighing their next AI decision, this conversation offers a useful question: Are you responding to what is happening…or to what you fear might happen? You’ll learn:
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/qRQtiBCEkpE The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World: → Get your copy here. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get a FREE chapter of The Uncertainty Playbook. Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
Join Our Community & Follow Us: Q&A: 1. Can a good business decision become a problem later? Yes. In this Management Muse episode, Cindi Baldi argues that a decision can be reasonable when made and still create problems as circumstances change. She uses Reddit’s AI data opportunity to distinguish the logic of the original decision from its later consequences. Her point is that leaders need to revisit decisions as new information emerges, rather than assume a difficult outcome proves the original choice was a mistake. Discussed at 07:20. 2. How should leaders structure commitments when AI’s impact is uncertain? Cindi Baldi suggests that high uncertainty is a reason to be cautious about long contracts. In the discussion on Management Muse, she argues that shorter commitments can leave businesses more room to adapt when they do not yet know how a technology will be used. While she doesn’t claim to know the specific length of Reddit’s agreements, the takeaway is a general principle about strategic flexibility. Discussed at 07:42. 3. How can leaders prepare for AI disruption without overreacting? Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin distinguish planning for a possible threat from making decisions as though that threat has already arrived. Cindi recommends scenario planning: thinking through how your company would respond to different scenarios and setting “trigger points” for when to act. She emphasizes the importance of recognizing that a threat may be distant or may not materialize and not overreacting in anticipation. Geoff emphasizes taking time to understand what is happening and seeking second opinions before reacting. Together, their advice is to prepare a response, preserve flexibility, and avoid costly decisions based solely on a feared outcome. Discussed at 21:38. 4. What does real community offer beyond an AI-generated answer? Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin describe Reddit’s value as more than retrieving information. Comments, ongoing exchanges, shared interests, and a sense of belonging can make participation valuable in its own right. Their distinction is between receiving an answer and connecting with people who understand your interests. They discuss how human connection is a potential advantage for communities whose information is also accessible through AI. Discussed at 05:43 and 19:02. | |||
| Ep 129 - How to Build a Business That Outlasts You | Succession Planning with Elizabeth Ledoux | 06 Oct 2026 | 00:51:44 | |
Being the person everyone turns to can feel like the ultimate sign of success. But what happens when you’re no longer there? Cindi Baldi and Elizabeth Ledoux pose a tougher test of leadership: building a business that can thrive without you. Elizabeth, founder and CEO of The Transition Strategists, joins Cindi to explore what it takes to build a business that outlasts its founder. What makes a founder ready to let go…and a successor ready to lead? How do you start that conversation if one or both parties don’t feel ready? And could the best person to take over be someone very different from you? Drawing on more than 30 years of experience and her own business transition, Elizabeth explores the identity, trust, and uncertainty behind good succession planning. Whether you’re preparing to step back or hoping to step up, this conversation challenges how you think about leadership, legacy, and what comes next. *Elizabeth has her own podcast! Tune in to the Business Transition Roadmap here. Episode Highlights:
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/yJw_WFEx95E About Elizabeth Ledoux: Elizabeth started her career as a petroleum engineer before founding several businesses and moving into strategy consulting. She's a sought-after speaker on business succession and family business dynamics, host of the Business Transition Roadmap podcast, and co-author of three books, including the award-winning It's A Journey, The MUST-HAVE Roadmap to Successful Succession Planning. She's also part of Tiger 21, bringing her expertise to a network of high-net-worth entrepreneurs and investors. Currently, Elizabeth is living what she teaches—navigating her own family's ranch transition with her brother while also planning the long-term transition of her own consulting firm. She leads a team of trained Guides who help business owners build the strategic foundation for transition, making sure the people side is solid before bringing in lawyers and accountants. Connect with Elizabeth: The Business Transition Roadmap Podcast | Website | Book: It’s A Journey | Linkedin | Sister Podcast: Your Next Gen Friend The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World: → Get your copy here. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get a FREE chapter of The Uncertainty Playbook. Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 128 - A Company With No Managers? Morning Star’s Self-Management Model | 29 Sep 2026 | 00:31:57 | |
No bosses. Organizational utopia, or a recipe for chaos? This week on Management Muse, Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin weigh in on the topic using the case study of Morning Star, a California tomato processor that has never had traditional managers. It sounds like freedom. It also raises some questions: when the work needs coordinating, or someone isn’t pulling their weight, who steps in? Cindi and Geoff explore how Morning Star uses agreements between colleagues to keep work moving, and why that same system could be much harder to manage in an organization where people’s work is more tightly intertwined. Drawing on their decades of management consulting, Cindi and Geoff examine what peers can see that a boss might miss, the biases they bring, and the difficult decisions that come with shared accountability. If you’re considering more autonomy for a team, Cindi and Geoff discuss how to test the idea on a small scale and learn from the results. Episode Highlights:
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/O-wHN587Jgw The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World: → Get your copy here. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get a FREE chapter of The Uncertainty Playbook. Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 127 - The Real Secret to Being Awesome at Your Job with Pete Mockaitis | 22 Sep 2026 | 00:48:57 | |
After interviewing hundreds of workplace experts, Pete Mockaitis—host of How to be Awesome at Your Job—has distilled what makes someone exceptional at work down to one word: care. That does not mean loving every part of your job or turning your profession into your life’s passion. It means connecting the work to a group or outcome that makes it feel important. And when talented employees lose that connection, disengagement is not always a sign of laziness or a bad attitude. Sometimes, it is a rational response to the workplace around them. This week on Management Muse, Pete and host Cindi Baldi explore how organizations unintentionally train good employees to stop trying, and how managers can reconnect effort to impact. Pete also takes the 80/20 rule further, explaining why your most important initiative may be the one no one is requesting and why a handful of activities can be 16 times more valuable than everything else competing for your attention. Plus, he shares the $1,500 mistake that taught him to ask two deceptively simple questions before making an important decision. Episode Highlights:
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/OyC9G0jVolY About Pete Mockaitis: Pete Mockaitis [Muh KITE iss] is an award-winning trainer and coach who helps professionals perform their best at work. Pete has delivered 1-on-1 coaching to over 700 leaders hailing from world-class organizations (such as LinkedIn, Google, FedEx, Amazon, Apple, Anheuser-Busch, and the United Nations), 50 countries, and every Ivy League university. He began his career at Bain & Company and currently hosts the How to be Awesome at Your Job podcast. The show has been downloaded over 25,000,000 times and regularly ranks as a top business show in Apple Podcasts. Connect with Pete: The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World: → Get your copy here. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get a FREE chapter of The Uncertainty Playbook. Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 126 - The Strategy Mistake That Makes Every Company Look the Same | 15 Sep 2026 | 00:38:16 | |
Looking at your competitors can feel like a smart strategy. But it can also make your organization think exactly like everyone else. This week on Management Muse, Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin use POM Wonderful as a case study in thinking beyond the obvious. They explore how the company turned an overlooked agricultural byproduct into a premium category, and reinforced that decision on every step along the way. They also look at Southwest Airlines and the other side of differentiation: what happens when competitors catch up and a once-distinctive company starts to look more like everyone else. Along the way, they unpack why managers tend to stop at the first plausible solution, how analogy can help leaders think beyond their own industry, and why competitive advantage has to be continually defended. Episode Highlights:
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/VirzVP2Ew5A Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here. → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get a FREE chapter of The Uncertainty Playbook. Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 125 - Why Demoting an Employee Is Worse Than Firing Them (And What Leaders Should Do Instead) | 08 Sep 2026 | 00:36:42 | |
Most leaders don't want to fire someone. So when an employee can no longer succeed in their role, demotion can feel like the humane compromise: keep the person, lower their responsibilities, and give someone else the job. But that “compromise” can create a much bigger problem. Before you move someone down the ladder, Cindi Baldi and Geoff Tumlin argue that you need to understand what a demotion actually does to performance, motivation, fairness, and the rest of the organization. In this episode, they unpack why involuntary demotions so often backfire, what fairness research tells us about how people respond to losing pay or status, and why moving someone out of a role does not necessarily solve the underlying problem. In this episode of Management Muse, we explain why we’ve almost never recommended a leader-driven demotion, when moving someone into a different role can work, and what leaders should consider before choosing the “middle ground.” Episode Highlights:
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1l8Jyqd4SPg Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here. → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get a FREE chapter of The Uncertainty Playbook. Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 124 - Working Hard Won’t Get You Promoted: How to Move Your Career Forward w/ Maya Grossman | 01 Sep 2026 | 01:01:22 | |
Work hard, follow the rules, hope to be promoted. It sounds straightforward, but it’s rarely the reality. Organizations have limited roles, competing priorities, and complicated promotion systems that don’t always reflect merit. If you want to grow, you may have to do more than perform well. You also have to understand where you can create value and sometimes build the opportunity you want instead of waiting for it to appear. Maya Grossman learned this the hard way. From creating her own entry into marketing, to reshaping her role at Microsoft, to leaving to reach the VP level faster, and eventually walking away from the title she had spent nearly 20 years pursuing, Maya knows what it looks like to intentionally design your career. In this episode, she joins Cindi Baldi to discuss how to create opportunities that don't officially exist, when to stay versus when you've stayed too long, and how identity can hold you back from career advancement, and how to think several moves ahead instead of simply chasing the next promotion. Episode Highlights:
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/jhAbcLuq4Ms About Maya Grossman: Maya Grossman is an executive career coach, two-time VP of Marketing, LinkedIn Top Voice, and author of the best-selling book Invaluable. She built her career at global companies like Microsoft and Google—but it wasn’t a straight climb. After 17 rejections in a row, she cracked the code to breaking into senior leadership, landing two VP roles in her 30s. Now, she helps ambitious professionals in tech do the same - getting unstuck, stepping into bigger roles, and building the influence that gets them noticed and promoted. *Get Maya’s free masterclass to becoming a VP. Connect with Maya: Linkedin | Website | Instagram Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here. → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get a FREE chapter of The Uncertainty Playbook. Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 123 - The Problem With Volunteering: When Unpaid Labor Goes Too Far | 25 Aug 2026 | 00:27:45 | |
We have a controversial opinion: we don’t believe in volunteering. At least, not the kind that allows organizations to avoid paying people for work they genuinely depend on. In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin challenge the assumption that volunteer labor is always a win-win. We discuss how underpaying mission-driven employees can create long-term staffing problems, why critical work is difficult to build around people who aren’t formally accountable for it, and how organizations can unintentionally take advantage of the very people most committed to the mission. If your organization depends on people giving more than they’re formally paid or accountable for, don’t miss this episode. It’s a useful challenge to the idea that goodwill can substitute for compensation, structure, and accountability. Episode Highlights:
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/pPCD3iggEgI Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here. → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get a FREE chapter of The Uncertainty Playbook. Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 122 - Why Organizations Break at the Intersections: The Problem of 2 Right Answers (w/ Dr. Timothy Tiryaki) | 18 Aug 2026 | 00:51:08 | |
Most leadership problems are framed too narrowly. A culture problem gets handed to HR. AI becomes a technology initiative. Operations get optimized in a vacuum of spreadsheets. But organizations don’t experience strategy, culture, technology, or people separately…and that may be exactly why so many well-intended transformations fail. This week, Cindi Baldi talks with Dr. Timothy Tiryaki, systems leadership expert and author of Leading with Strategy, about what changes when leaders stop treating organizational challenges as isolated problems and start leading the tensions between them. They explore why the hardest leadership challenges are often dilemmas rather than problems, why organizations need stability management alongside change management, and why AI adoption becomes dangerous when it is treated as a headcount exercise. If you’re trying to lead through disruption without destabilizing your team, culture, or strategy in the process, this episode is for you. Episode Highlights:
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/B7v8oKoX_kk About Timothy Tiryaki: Dr. Timothy Tiryaki is a venture-building entrepreneur, author, and executive advisor helping leaders think strategically about AI, culture, and transformation. As founder of Maslow Research Center and co-founder of Strategy.Inc, he developed research-backed frameworks including the Big 5 of Strategy assessment to elevate strategic clarity across organizations. He is the author of Leading with Strategy and Leading with Culture, bridging rigorous research with practical leadership tools. Drawing on experience across Fortune 500 companies, government institutions, and entrepreneurial ventures, Dr. Tim equips executive teams to align strategy, culture, and technology, moving from complexity to clarity in the AI era. Connect with Dr. Tim: Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here. → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get a FREE chapter of The Uncertainty Playbook. Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 121 - Can a Team Be Too Close? The Risk of Too Much Harmony at Work | 11 Aug 2026 | 00:39:39 | |
A team finally clicks. People trust each other. Communication flows. Performance increases. So why can that same team eventually start getting worse? In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin unpack the surprising downside of team stability. One mechanism behind this is group polarization: the tendency for a group's distinctive characteristics and beliefs to become more extreme over time. What begins as a constructive team identity can eventually become an "us versus them" worldview that makes newcomers harder to integrate, collaboration harder to sustain, and contrary information easier to dismiss. Drawing on examples from fire departments, elite military units, office design, and consulting engagements, Cindi and Geoff illustrate why longevity doesn’t automatically produce better teamwork. Tune in to learn how organizational silos form, and what leaders should do to stop separate teams from becoming separate realities. Episode Highlights:
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/h2EPEVPBlTA Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here. → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get a FREE chapter of The Uncertainty Playbook. Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 120 - How to Sound as Smart as You Are and Build Confidence on Stage w/ Nausheen Chen | 04 Aug 2026 | 00:51:23 | |
You can be excellent at your job and still be overlooked if you cannot communicate your ideas when it matters. Speaking skills affect far more than stages and TED Talks. They shape who gets heard in meetings, trusted with responsibility, remembered by decision-makers, and considered for the next opportunity. In this episode, former Procter & Gamble communications trainer and filmmaker turned public speaking coach Nausheen Chen joins Cindi Baldi to explore what helps people communicate clearly and confidently under pressure. Together, they break powerful communication into three separate skills: confidence, messaging, and delivery, and discuss why learning to communicate under pressure can change the trajectory of a career. Nausheen shares the speaking techniques she uses with overthinkers and perfectionists, how to pull a distracted audience back, and the Stanford research that explains why some people build confidence faster than others after the exact same experience. Whether you are leading a meeting, presenting to executives, appearing on camera, or stepping onto a stage, this episode offers practical tools to help you sound as capable and credible as you already are. Episode Highlights:
About Nausheen Chen: Nausheen I. Chen is a 3-time TEDx speaker, a Public Speaking instructor for the Executive MBA program at Central European University and Wesleyan and a content creator with 500,000+ followers across LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok. Nausheen coaches leaders at Google, Amazon, NASA and the UN as well as startup founders to speak fearlessly. Her clients have raised more than $115 million through winning investor pitches and successful exits. Connect with Nausheen: Website | Linkedin Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/gK7racEvoW0 Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here. → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get a FREE chapter of The Uncertainty Playbook. Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 119 - Why Motivational Speakers Are a Warning Sign (Your Team Needs Strategy, Not Hype) | 28 Jul 2026 | 00:46:25 | |
Leaders often confuse three different things: a goal, a strategy, and motivation. A goal describes the result. A strategy explains how the organization will achieve it. Motivation may help people execute the plan…but it cannot replace one. In this episode, Cindi and Geoff examine why ambitious targets, pep talks, and motivational speakers can backfire when employees are not given a credible path forward. They discuss how leaders can connect strategy to employees’ daily decisions, reduce uncertainty, and create genuine motivation through clarity and useful ideas. They then turn to individual career strategy and the limitations of the advice to “follow your passion.” Passion can support persistence, but competitive dreams also require a real advantage and a parallel plan. The conversation offers a practical test for organizations and individuals alike: Do you have an advantage and a plan, or are you hoping enthusiasm will carry you? Episode Highlights:
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1cFY9iwIiPA Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here. → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get a FREE chapter of The Uncertainty Playbook. Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 118 - The Skills That Make You a Great Founder Can Make You a Bad Boss (w/ Steve Strauss) | 21 Jul 2026 | 00:43:00 | |
Why do great entrepreneurs sometimes struggle to become great leaders? Entrepreneurs tend to be comfortable with risk. They chase ideas, trust their instincts, and see opportunities other people miss. That is often exactly what it takes to get a company off the ground. But once employees, customers, systems, and growth enter the picture, the job changes. In this episode, Cindi Baldi talks with best-selling author and small-business expert Steve Strauss about one of the hardest transitions in entrepreneurship: going from founder to leader. They explore what separates great entrepreneurs from great managers, how a founder’s personality can shape company culture for years, why some startups become unnecessarily chaotic, and why successful founders need people around them who complement their weaknesses. Steve shares stories from entrepreneurs including Tommy Hilfiger, Martha Stewart, and Walt Disney to show how risk, partnerships, and management decisions can determine whether a business grows or stalls. They discuss what good bosses do differently, what leaders should be careful about outsourcing to AI, and why uncertainty may actually make this one of the most exciting times to build something new. Episode Highlights:
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/NJiNn3MKCo4 About Steve Strauss: Steve Strauss is the country's leading small business expert. A non-practicing attorney and author of 18 books, including the bestselling Small Business Bible, Steve is also an in-demand speaker and brand ambassador. Connect with Steve: Website | Newsletter: Notes to An Entrepreneur | Latest book *Bonus resource: Find a free mentor: https://www.score.org/ Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here. → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get a FREE chapter of The Uncertainty Playbook. Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 117 - Why Your Best Employees Are Often the Biggest Complainers | 14 Jul 2026 | 00:42:12 | |
Employee complaints are often a sign of organizational health. The more dangerous signal may be when people stop complaining altogether. Complaints often come from people who care deeply about the organization and want it to improve. The challenge for leaders is distinguishing those committed truth-tellers from the person who will remain unhappy no matter what. In this episode, Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin introduce two types of complainers: the “heartbroken lover,” who speaks up because they care, and the chronic scrooge who is never satisfied. They explore how a small number of negative employees can disproportionately influence a team, how leaders can respond without promising to fix everything, and a simple management tactic that turns complaints into ownership. Whether you manage people or you’re the employee who keeps raising an issue and hearing nothing back, this episode will change how you think about the next complaint that lands on your desk. Episode Highlights:
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/VjZTIo4RpiA Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here. → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get a FREE chapter of The Uncertainty Playbook. Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 116 - The Pricing Mistake: What New Entrepreneurs Learn the Hard Way (w/ Kelly Kennedy) | 07 Jul 2026 | 00:28:59 | |
Being good at the work is not the same as knowing how to run the business. In part two of Cindi Baldi’s conversation with Kelly Kennedy, founder of Capital Business Development and host of The Business Development Podcast, the discussion moves from podcasting as business development to the realities of entrepreneurship. They talk through the pricing mistake that sinks most new businesses, the mental gymnastics of going from employee to business owner, and the role of community and generosity in building a business that lasts. Kelly's rule for service-based businesses is simple: figure out how to be profitable on day one, and start by pricing yourself at what the market charges, not below it. If you are building a business around your expertise or thinking about leaving employment to start your own company, this episode brings key lessons on making entrepreneurship feasible. Episode Highlights
Watch Part 1 here About Kelly Kennedy: Kelly Kennedy is a Canadian business development strategist, founder of Capital Business Development, and host of The Business Development Podcast, a globally recognized show with over 300 episodes and listeners in more than 150 countries. He is also the creator of The Catalyst Club, a private community for leaders focused on connection and results, and the host of I Used To Work There podcast. With nearly two decades in sales and business development, Kelly helps entrepreneurs, executives, and sales professionals turn strategy into consistent revenue through proven business development systems. Connect with Kelly: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellykennedyofficial/, https://www.instagram.com/thebusinessdevelopmentpodcast The Catalyst Club Community: www.kellykennedyofficial.com/thecatalystclub The Business Development Podcast: www.businessdevelopmentpodcast.ca I Used To Work There: www.iusedtoworkthere.com Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Rvc0cXRvizM Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here. → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get a FREE chapter of The Uncertainty Playbook. Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 115 - Why Podcasting Might Be Your Best Business Development Tool and How to Get Started (w/ Kelly Kennedy) | 30 Jun 2026 | 00:31:13 | |
What if the smartest business development move you could make isn't a sales call, but a microphone? In this episode, Cindi Baldi talks with Kelly Kennedy, founder of Capital Business Development and host of The Business Development Podcast, about the role podcasting can play in building trust, authority, and business relationships. From parking cars to building a 300+ episode show that's become required listening in his industry, Kelly shares how a business podcast can create authority, clarify expertise, and gives potential clinets a sense of how you think before they decide to work with you. As two business podcasters, Cindi and Kelly compare notes on what they've learned building shows in the business sector, from the awkward early episodes to the value of clear positioning, and why reputation is becoming more valuable, not less, as AI floods the internet with generic content. If you've ever wondered whether starting a podcast is worth it for your business, this is the conversation to listen to before you decide. Episode Highlights:
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Rvc0cXRvizM About Kelly Kennedy: Kelly Kennedy is a Canadian business development strategist, founder of Capital Business Development, and host of The Business Development Podcast, a globally recognized show with over 300 episodes and listeners in more than 150 countries. He is also the creator of The Catalyst Club, a private community for leaders focused on connection and results, and the host of I Used To Work There podcast. With nearly two decades in sales and business development, Kelly helps entrepreneurs, executives, and sales professionals turn strategy into consistent revenue through proven business development systems. Connect with Kelly: Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here. → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get a FREE chapter of The Uncertainty Playbook. Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 114 - Don’t Chase Happiness. Chase This Instead. (The Science of a Good Life) | 23 Jun 2026 | 00:37:36 | |
Chasing happiness directly might be one of the worst ways to find it. In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin unpack why happiness is better understood as a byproduct than a destination. A lot of what shapes our happiness is either built into our baseline or fades faster than we expect. The part we can influence has less to do with perfect circumstances and more to do with how we think, what we protect, and where we put our attention. From Disney World meltdowns to late-life reinvention, Cindi and Geoff make the case for three things worth chasing instead: meaningful relationships, a sense of purpose, and a little novelty. If you’ve ever caught yourself thinking, “I’ll be happy when…,” this conversation offers a helpful reset: what are you building that happiness can come from? Episode Highlights:
Watch This Episode on YouTube: Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here. → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get a FREE chapter of The Uncertainty Playbook. Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 113 - How to Reduce Employee Turnover by Fixing Work, Not Blaming Workers (w/ Clark Ingram) | 16 Jun 2026 | 00:45:58 | |
What is more important: people or profits? This week’s guest thinks that question is part of the problem. In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi Baldi sits down with longtime HR executive and author Clark Ingram to unpack the HR myths he's spent decades dismantling. From the false binary of "people vs. profits" to the idea that zero turnover is impossible (spoiler alert: it isn't), Clark makes the case that HR has been asking the wrong questions, chasing the wrong metrics, and settling for the wrong goals. Drawing from his experience in manufacturing, healthcare, and hard-to-fill roles, Clark explains why employee turnover, compensation, recruiting, and workplace culture are all connected. He shares stories about fixing the real reasons people leave, designing pay systems employees can understand, and building an employer brand that reflects why people actually want to work there. This conversation is a practical look at what happens when HR focuses less on activity and more on results. Episode Highlights:
About Clark Ingram: Clark A. Ingram, is the Founder and President of People Profits, LLC - a financially focused Human Capital management consulting firm. We focus on Employee Turnover, Chronically Open Positions and Skills Gap. Over the next 30+ years he was the Chief Human Resources Officer for four companies, in four different industries from publicly to privately held. Connect with Clark: Churn: Proven Strategies to Achieve Zero Turnover | Linkedin Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/75EtkifhfyY Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here. → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get a FREE chapter of The Uncertainty Playbook. Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 112- How to Spend Money So It Actually Makes You Happier (The New Science of Money and Happiness) | 09 Jun 2026 | 00:34:59 | |
Money can buy happiness. There, we said it. But before you sprint toward a yacht, a five-star hotel, or a deeply unnecessary espresso machine, there’s some fine print. For years, the popular story was that money buys happiness only up to about $75,000. After that, more income supposedly stopped moving the happiness needle. But updated research on money, happiness, income, and well-being suggests the relationship is more nuanced. In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin unpack the newer findings and explore why the real question is not just, “Does money buy happiness?” but “How do you spend money in ways that actually improve your life?” It’s a smart, funny, science-backed guide to getting more happiness per dollar, with practical takeaways for anyone trying to spend better, stress less, and understand what money means for employee well-being. Episode Highlights
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/UHo5MdYok2A Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here. → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get a FREE chapter of The Uncertainty Playbook. Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 111- Fairness at Work: 5 Trust Breakers Every Manager Needs to Know w/ Hanna Hasl-Kelchner | 02 Jun 2026 | 00:39:59 | |
A lot of managers want employees to go the extra mile, yet they treat the relationship like a transaction. That mismatch is where trust starts to crack. In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi Baldi talks with award-winning author Hanna Hasl-Kelchner about the workplace social contract: the unwritten agreement that determines whether employees lean in, pull back, or start polishing their résumés. Hanna breaks down the five “speed bumps” that can block trust: approachability, recognition, bias, workload management, and conflict management. From overlooked ideas to overloaded high performers, this conversation gives managers a practical way to spot where trust may be getting stuck, and a roadmap to get the relationship back on track. Episode Highlights
About Hanna Hasl-Kelchner: Hanna's a no-nonsense workplace fairness strategist and the award-winning author of 'Seeking Fairness at Work - Cracking the New Code of Greater Employee Engagement, Retention & Satisfaction.' Her straight talk and practical tools have helped organizations from startups to S&P 500 companies tackle the messy realities beneath the surface of employee engagement and retention. Connect with Hanna: Linkedin | Facebook | Blue Sky | Youtube Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/09HooWAQ7vM Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here. → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get a FREE chapter of The Uncertainty Playbook. Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 110 - Narcissism at Work: Why Your Boss Probably Isn’t a Narcissist | 26 May 2026 | 00:32:53 | |
Your coworker probably isn’t a narcissist. They may be stubborn. They may be self-important. But “narcissist” is a big word—and Cindi and Geoff think we’re throwing it around way too easily. In this episode of Management Muse, they challenge the way we talk about narcissism at work. Cindi and Geoff separate the clinical meaning of narcissism from the management research on narcissistic traits, where confidence, visibility, and bold action can sometimes help leaders rise. But the upside has a shadow. The same self-belief that helps a leader make a hard call can also make them resistant to feedback, blind to risk, and exhausting to follow. They explore the line between leadership confidence and dangerous certainty, why high-level leadership often requires tolerating loneliness, and why calling someone a narcissist can flatten a complicated workplace problem into a dead-end diagnosis. This episode is a smarter way to think about ego, power, conflict. Episode Highlights:
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/R5OTDD-QuPg Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here. → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get a FREE chapter of The Uncertainty Playbook: https://managementmuse.com/newsletter/ Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 109 - How to Let Employees Go Without Destroying Trust (w/ Collette Revere and Kim White) | 19 May 2026 | 00:56:43 | |
Nothing reveals a company’s culture faster than how it lets people go. In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi Baldi talks with Collette Revere and Kim White about the importance of empathetic exits: a more intentional, humane approach to layoffs, terminations, and voluntary departures. Too often, companies invest heavily in employee engagement while people are useful to the organization, then sever the relationship abruptly when the employment arrangement ends. That sends a clear message not only to the person leaving, but to everyone who stays. Collette and Kim explain why exits should be treated as part of the employee lifecycle, not an awkward administrative task to rush through. They discuss the hidden costs of cold layoffs, the importance of planning before a crisis, and why departing employees can remain valuable members of an organization’s broader network. If you want to preserve trust, protect culture, and handle employee exits in a way that reflects your actual values, don’t miss this episode. Episode Highlights:
**EXCLUSIVE Offering for Muse Listeners: The Empathetic Exits Consultation A 30-minute diagnostic to help organizations find relief before, during, or after employee exits and workforce transitions. This brief diagnostic is for leaders who want a more thoughtful, human, and effective approach to exits, offboarding, layoffs, or workforce transitions. In 30 minutes, we’ll help you identify where your current process may be creating unnecessary pressure, risk, confusion, or loss and uncover the next right step. Available exclusively in May 2026 to the first 10 Management Muse listeners who claim it. About Collette Revere: Collette Revere is the Founder and CEO of Open360™, a psychology-based leadership and development company helping organizations strengthen trust, alignment, and performance through feedback and communication. A mental health professional, certified change management practitioner, and organizational development consultant, she has spent nearly two decades helping leaders improve performance management, navigate change, and build healthier workplace culture using practical approaches grounded in behavioral science. Connect with Collette: About Kim White: With a background in I-O psychology, product leadership, and AI-driven learning, Kim White helps teams and leaders bring their WOW—Work on What Matters—into view—when they’re at pivotal moments of growth and decision-making. Together we map bold new paths, co-create what fits, and turn crossroads into pathways. Connect with Kim: Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zTG3tHa11Ns Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here. → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get a FREE chapter of The Uncertainty Playbook. Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 108 - The Motivation Trap (Why Rewards Are Trickier Than You Think) | 12 May 2026 | 00:48:09 | |
If you only read one book on motivation, you might be missing half the story. In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin dig into the messy, controversial, and often misunderstood science of motivation. They explore intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation, how reward systems are easy to mess up, and why popular advice often oversimplifies what actually drives people at work. From sales targets to healthcare metrics, Cindi and Geoff explore where well-intentioned rewards changes create frustration instead of motivation, and what to do instead. Before you change compensation, bonuses, performance metrics, or incentives, listen to this one. Motivation is not simple — and your people will feel it if you treat it like it is. Episode Highlights:
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ACzmEnAqjxI Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here. → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get a FREE chapter of The Uncertainty Playbook: https://managementmuse.com/newsletter/ Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 107 - How to Prevent Digital Disaster: The Digital Continuity Checklist Every Leader Needs with Paige Wiese | 05 May 2026 | 00:32:27 | |
Your company might be one expired domain, missing admin login, or messy vendor contract away from a digital disaster. In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi Baldi talks with Paige Wiese, founder and CEO of Tree Ring Digital, about the hidden digital weak spots that can turn into expensive chaos. From wiped computers and missing website documentation to personal email accounts and AI tools, this conversation explores the everyday ways organizations accidentally build fragility into their digital ecosystem. You’ll learn why leaders need to document who has access to what, why offboarding should include more than collecting a laptop, and how to avoid becoming the company that discovers its entire digital operation was held together by one person’s browser history. This episode is for managers, executives, founders, and anyone who has ever asked, “Wait… who has the login for that?” Episode Highlights:
About Paige Wiese: Paige Wiese, Founder & CEO of Tree Ring Digital, has been involved in over 75 digital due diligence and post-acquisition projects, reviewing more than 300 digital data points per business. Through her proprietary Digital Asset Protection™ system and Ownership Mapping Framework™, Paige helps advisors and business owners prevent costly deal delays and protect valuation by ensuring full control of every digital asset before a sale. Connect with Paige: Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/QB3zXLdOXck Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here. → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get our FREE guide to the 6 Habits You NEED to Level Up Your Management Skills in 2026! Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 106 - The Pay Transparency Problem: How Much Should Employees Really Know? | 28 Apr 2026 | 00:23:53 | |
Should people at work know what everyone else makes? In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin tackle the messy science and management reality of pay transparency. Too little transparency sends employees into the rumor mill. Too much transparency can make people obsess over small differences, narrow salary bands, and reduce room for negotiation. The sweet spot? A Goldilocks approach: enough transparency to build trust and reduce speculation, but not so much that compensation becomes the only thing people can see. Cindi and Geoff explore why salary satisfaction is often driven less by the absolute number on a paycheck and more by who employees compare themselves to. They discuss why job markets provide a reality check, how to leverage this information to get paid what you’re worth, and what managers should do when employees believe they are underpaid. This episode gives leaders a practical way to think about compensation clarity without turning the workplace into a salary cage match. Episode Highlights:
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/vHhnHLQHpMk Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here. → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get our FREE guide to the 6 Habits You NEED to Level Up Your Management Skills in 2026! Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 105 - Why Performance Management Is Broken (And 3 Tips to Fix It) with Collette Revere | 21 Apr 2026 | 00:56:34 | |
Performance reviews eat up time, frustrate employees, and often fail to improve performance. So why are so many organizations still clinging to them? In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi Baldi talks with Collette Revere, CEO of Open 360, about why traditional performance management is overdue for the trash heap. Collette explains how the model many organizations still use dates back to World War I. It made sense in a more rigid, hierarchical era, but work has changed. Cindi and Collette unpack why performance reviews are often backward-looking, demotivating, and better at catching low performers than helping good people get better. Collette brings three simple shifts leaders can implement to improve performance management right now, even if their organization is not ready for a full system overhaul. If you’ve ever sat through a review and thought, “What exactly is this helping?” this one’s for you. Episode Highlights:
About Collette Revere: Collette Revere is the Founder and CEO of Open360™, a psychology-based leadership and development company helping organizations strengthen trust, alignment, and performance through feedback and communication. A mental health professional, certified change management practitioner, and organizational development consultant, she has spent nearly two decades helping leaders improve performance management, navigate change, and build healthier workplace culture using practical approaches grounded in behavioral science. Connect with Collette: Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/QL4q6cHDWB0 Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here. → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get our FREE guide to the 6 Habits You NEED to Level Up Your Management Skills in 2026! Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 104 - Can the Consultants Be Stumped? [Real Workplace Problems Solved Live] | 14 Apr 2026 | 00:32:06 | |
Real workplace problems. No prep. No easy answers. Can the consultants be stumped? In this special episode of Management Muse, Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin put their management consulting instincts to the test with real workplace problems pulled from years of coaching leaders, managers, and organizations. One presents the dilemma, the other has to solve it on the spot before finding out what actually happened. The dilemmas are messy yet highly relatable: a top performer aging out, a boss who refuses to respect work-life boundaries, and interpersonal drama that threatens operations. Cindi and Geoff reveal how executive coaches and organizational consultants think through leadership challenges in real time. Along the way, they explore one of the hardest truths in consulting: many workplace problems can be solved, but only if people are willing to have the tough conversations. Fast-paced, funny, and packed with practical leadership advice, this episode is full of insights for managers, executives, HR leaders, and anyone navigating difficult people problems at work. Listen in and see whether the consultants crack the case—or get stumped. Episode Highlights:
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/lu7ImQV5feY Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here. → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get our FREE guide to the 6 Habits You NEED to Level Up Your Management Skills in 2026! Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 103 - Why Change Management Is Failing in Today’s Disruptive World [And How Leaders Can Fix It] with Leslie Ellis | 08 Apr 2026 | 00:48:33 | |
Your team agrees with you. They nod in meetings. And yet… nothing changes. In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi Baldi sits down with Leslie Ellis, CEO of Meaningful Change Consulting, to unpack one of the most frustrating leadership challenges: when alignment in the room doesn’t translate into action. The problem isn’t as simple as individual resistance, it’s also how organizations fundamentally think about change. Most companies still treat change as a one-time event: something to roll out, push through, and move past. But in today’s environment, disruption is constant, and that model is breaking down. Leslie introduces a more effective approach: shifting from “change” to continuous reinvention. More importantly, she argues that reinvention can’t just be an initiative, it has to be embedded into the culture. When reinvention becomes part of how an organization operates, teams become more resilient, and organizations stay on the cutting edge amidst ongoing disruption. Together, they explore why evolution beats revolution, how to build reinvention into your organization’s rhythm, and why leaders must model this shift before expecting it from anyone else. If your change efforts aren’t sticking, this conversation will help you understand why, and how to build an organization that can actually keep up. Episode Highlights:
About Leslie Ellis: Leslie Ellis is an executive change advisor and CEO of Meaningful Change Consulting, helping leaders succeed in complex, high-stakes transformation. She works with senior teams navigating enterprise change, culture shifts, and reinvention. She focuses on what most organizations miss: leadership alignment, decision-making, and setting the right conditions before execution. With 20+ years of experience, Leslie has supported 55+ organizations across 42 countries, impacting over 900,000 stakeholders. She’s often brought in when change is stalled or at risk—or to prevent those outcomes entirely. Leslie is a Forbes Business Council member, Certified Change Management Professional, and Certified Reinvention Practitioner. Connect with Leslie: Website | Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/J4ZZNBntXGE Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here. → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get our FREE guide to the 6 Habits You NEED to Level Up Your Management Skills in 2026! Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 102 - How Demographic Shifts Are Changing Business Strategy [Why Your Customers Are Disappearing] | 31 Mar 2026 | 00:30:11 | |
What happens when your customers don’t just change… they disappear? In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin unpack how demographic shifts are rewriting business strategy, often long before leaders realize what is happening. From aging populations and labor shortages to dropping birth rates and school closures, they explore how changes in population, behavior, and generational preferences can disrupt entire industries right under your nose. And here’s the catch: too often, brands don’t realize the shift until it hits them over the head. Using examples from healthcare, education, hospitality, and live events, Cindi and Geoff show why strategy cannot stay static when the people you serve are evolving. They tackle a key leadership challenge: how to adapt to new markets without abandoning the customers you already have. If you lead people, serve customers, or build strategy, this is a shift you can’t afford to ignore. Episode Highlights:
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/s14j_fp9N5Q Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here. → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get our FREE guide to the 6 Habits You NEED to Level Up Your Management Skills in 2026! Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 101 - Reinventing Yourself: When It’s Time to Walk Away from What You Built | 24 Mar 2026 | 00:47:03 | |
Walking away from a decade of training and a prestigious title? Most people would call that reckless. Dr. Seema Desai calls it survival. In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi Baldi sits down with former dentist turned keynote speaker and author Seema Desai to explore one of leadership's most difficult questions: When do you walk away from what you built? Seema unpacks her journey from wielding the "Dr." title as armor to discovering that ego-driven success was costing her everything: her peace, her parenting, and her sense of self. She reveals how the sunk cost fallacy keeps high achievers trapped in misery, why privilege isn't the same as entitlement, and how small, intentional experiments can lead to transformative change without blowing up your life overnight. This conversation is for anyone who's ever thought, "I should be grateful for this... so why am I so unhappy?" If you've been waiting for permission to reimagine your path, this is it. Episode Highlights:
About Dr. Seema Desai: Dr. Seema Desai is a keynote speaker, author, certified coach, and creator of The Joy First Method™. She works with high-performing leaders and teams who seek sustainable, meaningful, and aligned results, moving beyond pressure-driven success models. Dr. Desai teaches leaders to use joy as a strategy—not a reward—for high performance. Her work reframes joy as a competitive advantage that strengthens decision-making, resilience, innovation, and long-term results. She is the author of Connected and co-host of the award-winning podcast Happy and Human. A wife, mom, and trained general dentist, she offers a grounded perspective on high-performance leadership. Connect with Seema: Website | Instagram | Linkedin Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/VyNGC5-Nb5E Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here. → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get our FREE guide to the 6 Habits You NEED to Level Up Your Management Skills in 2026! Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Memes to Management Lessons: Our 100th Episode Special | 17 Mar 2026 | 00:42:27 | |
What can workplace memes teach us about leadership? More than you might think. To celebrate 100 episodes of Management Muse, we have a special episode for you. The team pulled together a collection of workplace reels—from unlimited PTO policies to the trials of middle management—and challenged Cindi and Geoff to react to them live. Some are hilarious. Some are painfully accurate. And almost all of them contain a kernel of insight into how organizations function. Along the way, Cindi and Geoff unpack what these viral clips reveal about workplace culture, leadership myths, and the dynamics shaping modern organizations. Why do meetings multiply so quickly and how can they be reigned back in? Why can holiday bonuses spark frustration instead of gratitude? And what role do friendships, incentives, and workplace norms actually play in performance? Come for the laughs. Stay for the science-backed insights that might just change how you think about work. Episode Highlights:
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/dtUwst_HnhM Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here. → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get our FREE guide to the 6 Habits You NEED to Level Up Your Management Skills in 2026! Join Our Community & Follow Us: | |||
| Ep 99 - The Hidden Risk of AI: A World Without Friction | 10 Mar 2026 | 00:35:43 | |
The biggest risk of AI isn't that it will replace us; it's that it will stunt our growth. In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi Baldi and Geoff Tumlin explore the rapidly growing belief that artificial intelligence will transform, or even replace, large parts of work and leadership. They argue that this narrative misses something fundamental about how organizations actually function. From decision-making and strategy to coaching and customer service, they unpack where AI actually adds value and where human judgment, relationships, and real-world experience will have true staying power. The conversation challenges the assumption that more efficiency always leads to better outcomes. In many cases, the moments that feel inefficient—difficult conversations, feedback, mentorship, and trust-building—are exactly what make teams stronger and organizations more resilient. If you want to understand how to use AI without losing the human edge that makes leadership effective, don’t miss this episode. Episode Highlights:
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/KeEoSALhvlk Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here. → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get our FREE guide to the 6 Habits You NEED to Level Up Your Management Skills in 2026!
Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 98 - Accountability That Actually Works (Part 2) | 03 Mar 2026 | 00:26:44 | |
Accountability sounds straightforward…until you try to enforce it. In Part 2 of this series on Management Muse, Cindi and Geoff move from defining the boundaries of micromanagement to confronting the real challenge: what real accountability requires. They explore how leaders over-control when they’re anxious and under-coach when roles evolve. They turn to the real engine of accountability: feedback. Why public reminders don’t work. Why sugarcoating dilutes the message. Why deadlines change behavior. And why leaders with high emotional intelligence may be the most tempted to avoid the very conversations that drive performance. If you want accountability without resentment, this is where the work actually begins. Listen to Part 1 here. Episode Highlights:
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/WAYLyFHXSJI Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here. → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: Sign up for our newsletter and get our FREE guide to the 6 Habits You NEED to Level Up Your Management Skills in 2026!
Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 97 - Holding Employees Accountable Without Being the Bad Guy | 24 Feb 2026 | 00:28:28 | |
There are far fewer micromanagers than you might think. In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi and Geoff challenge one of the most persistent myths in leadership: that holding people accountable makes you controlling. Drawing on classic leadership and expertise research, they share a simple framework that explains why most managers pull back long before they should. Using their own pizza-making adventures as a running example, Cindi and Geoff explore how people develop competence in a role, and how managers should behave at each stage to support them. They discuss the hidden danger of ‘aloof’ management, and why generational complaints often miss the real issue. Part 1 of a two-part series on how holding people accountable without being the villain. → Listen to Part 2 here. Episode Highlights:
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/KHdhHi0Rw00 *Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here. → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. *Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: Sign up for our newsletter and our FREE guide to the 6 Habits You NEED to Level Up Your Management Skills in 2026! Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 96 - Uncertainty Is Not the Problem. Your Response Is. | 17 Feb 2026 | 00:37:03 | |
When the future gets blurry, people start making bad decisions. In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin explore uncertainty from every angle: not just how leaders respond to it, but how they create it, how organizations amplify it, and how individuals shrink themselves because of it. From miscalibrated risk assessments to communication breakdowns, they unpack how ambiguity distorts decision making at every level. You will hear why leaders often overreact to potential threats, how silence can unintentionally signal danger, and why high performers sometimes hold themselves back when outcomes feel unclear. Cindi and Geoff share practical ways managers can stabilize teams, communicate more effectively, and think more clearly when the future feels unsettled. If you lead people, manage change, or simply want to stop playing small when things feel unclear, this episode will help you learn how to make uncertainty work for you. Episode Highlights:
Want to Go Deeper? Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here. → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/wwHYN3edVqk Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: Sign up for our newsletter and our FREE guide to the 6 Habits You NEED to Level Up Your Management Skills in 2026! Join Our Community & Follow Us: | |||
| Ep 95 - Why 60% of Employees Would Fire Their Boss (and What Great Leaders Do Instead) | 10 Feb 2026 | 00:43:56 | |
If your employees could fire you… would they? This week Cindi is joined by author and CEO Dr. Keith Levick to discuss research that reveals 60% of employees would fire their boss if they could—and even more disturbingly, many would sacrifice salary, vacation, or promotions to make it happen. Why? Because too many workplaces lack psychological safety, flexibility, and real ownership. The good news? Keith lays out how leaders can reverse this pattern by developing social and emotional intelligence. He breaks down the difference between the two, and offers a clear roadmap for reading the room, building trust, and leading with more awareness and empathy. This episode is a must-listen for any manager brave enough to ask: Would my team keep me if they had the choice? Episode Highlights:
About Dr. Keith Levick: Keith Levick, PhD, or “Dr. Keith,” as many of his clients refer to him, holds a Master of Social Work and a Doctorate in Counseling from Detroit’s Wayne State University and has worked with large, medium, and small companies and corporations. Dr. Keith is the CEO of Goren and Associates, a professional development, executive coaching, and consulting firm in Farmington Hills, Michigan. He has spent many years in clinical practice as a psychologist and has since transitioned his clinical expertise into organizational psychology and business. Keith is an adjunct professor at Wayne State University and Lawrence Technological University. * Purchase Keith’s book, The Insightful Leader: Discover Your Blind Spots Through the Eyes of Employees * Connect with Keith: Linkedin | Insightful Leaders | Goren & Associates Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6HvROyp9h6E *Purchase your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook here *Sign up for our newsletter and our FREE guide to the 6 science-backed habits you NEED to level up your management skills in 2026! Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 94 - Take Command of Your Habits in 2026 | 03 Feb 2026 | 00:30:07 | |
Habits aren’t just about willpower. In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi and Geoff uncover a radical insight from behavioral science: most habits are powered by underlying anxiety. Willpower alone isn’t enough, because habits aren’t just actions, they’re emotional coping strategies. From sleep routines to workplace distractions, Cindi and Geoff break down the surprising psychology of habits and offer practical ways to make real change stick. You’ll learn why starting small creates large payoffs, how to time your habit launches for success, and what it means to replace—not just remove—habitual behaviors. Whether you're trying to lead better, live healthier, or stop doomscrolling before bed, this episode gives you a fresh framework for transforming habits with more clarity and control. Episode Highlights:
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/3xjk1xc55Ds *Purchase your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook here *Sign up for our newsletter and our FREE guide to the 6 science-backed habits you NEED to level up your management skills in 2026! Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 93 - The New Rules of Customer Service: Making Work Better for Customers and Frontline Teams | 26 Jan 2026 | 00:49:40 | |
Endless hold music. Clunky bots. Repeating your story five times. We’ve all been there. But what if customer service didn’t have to feel like a test of patience? In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi Baldi talks with Rick DeLisi, author and lead research analyst at Glia, about the new frontline of support: AI-enhanced service that puts results over sympathies. Rick shares how smart systems now handle simple requests, route complex issues with full context, and tee up human reps to actually solve problems instead of just soothing frustration. Not only is the experience better for customers, it also makes frontline jobs more interesting, more humane, and a whole lot less stressful. Whether you're designing customer experiences or just tired of bad ones, this episode offers a look into a more efficient, effortless future. Episode Highlights:
About Rick DeLisi: Rick DeLisi is a leading voice in customer experience strategy and the co-author of two influential books: The Effortless Experience and Digital Customer Service. As Lead Research Analyst at Glia, Rick brings over two decades of expertise in the psychology of customer interactions and their impact on loyalty. A former Gartner VP and award-winning journalist, his insights have shaped how companies worldwide train service teams, measure success, and adapt to the digital-first landscape. His work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, and he’s delivered keynotes in more than 25 countries. Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XKIMyY4G8Ho *Purchase your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook here *Sign up for our newsletter and our FREE guide to the 6 science-backed habits you NEED to level up your management skills in 2026! Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 92 - Burnout Red Flags in Your Best People | 20 Jan 2026 | 00:40:52 | |
They never complained. They always delivered. And then one day, they were just… gone. Burnout rarely announces itself, but there are early warning signs. In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin explain the three stages of burnout and why your most committed, high-performing employees are the most at risk. Instead of asking, “Are you burned out?” leaders need sharper tools and a better understanding of what burnout really looks like. Cindi and Geoff unpack the subtle signs and explore the cultural practices that cause them. They dig into the dangers of being perpetually “on,” the harm of poorly designed PTO policies, and the myth that key players can’t step away without everything falling apart. If you manage high performers, this episode’s essential. Episode Highlights:
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/e9a1vLG0CIQ *Purchase your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook here *Sign up for our newsletter and our FREE guide to the 6 science-backed habits you NEED to level up your management skills in 2026! Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 91 - Delegation Without Detonation: How to Preserve Your Sanity AND Develop Your Team | 13 Jan 2026 | 00:50:32 | |
What if delegation wasn’t just a way to get work off your plate, but a strategy to grow your people, your impact, and your sanity? This week, Cindi welcomes Mamie Kanfer Stewart, host of The Modern Manager, for a masterclass in smart delegation. Whether you’re struggling to let go, tired of redoing half-done tasks, or just don’t know what to hand off, Mamie offers a path forward. She shares a practical framework for tailoring delegation to the situation, aligning handoffs with career growth, and creating feedback loops that build trust, not stress. If you’ve ever thought “it’s easier to just do it myself,” this one’s for you… and don’t miss Cindi’s guest appearance on The Modern Manager this week either! Episode Highlights:
About Mamie: Mamie Kanfer Stewart is passionate about helping people thrive at work. She is the host of The Modern Manager podcast, author of Momentum: Creating Effective, Engaging and Enjoyable Meetings and Founder of Meeteor, a training firm focused on productive meetings and team collaboration. In addition, Mamie is an executive coach and trainer who works with entrepreneurs and managers to build the mindset, skills and habits they need to successfully manage themselves and their teams so everyone can be their best selves and do their best work. Connect with Mamie: Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/i_7yv0wYmhI *Purchase your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook here *Sign up for our newsletter and our FREE guide to the 6 science-backed habits you NEED to level up your management skills in 2026! Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 90 - The Founder Effect: How Leaders Leave a Cultural Mark | 06 Jan 2026 | 00:34:24 | |
What happens when the founder’s personality becomes the company’s culture? In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin explore the phenomenon of founder imprint: the lasting, often invisible fingerprints that founders leave on an organization’s values, behaviors, and decisions. This episode complements our recent discussion on weak organizational cultures by diving into the special case of start-ups, which often have strong, founder-driven cultures. From Chick-fil-A’s Sundays off to Herb Kelleher’s wild-but-warm ethos at Southwest, Cindi and Geoff walk through iconic examples of founder imprint, and contrast them with stories from their own experience building a small business together. You’ll learn how early team choices, value signaling, and founder preferences can shape a company’s identity long after the original leader has left the building. Tune in to hear how founder-led cultures can be both a strength and a stumbling block as organizations scale. Episode Highlights:
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/xIcIyDg_rK0 *Purchase your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook here *Get a Comprehensive Organizational Assessment with CulSure *Sign up for our newsletter and let us know what topic you’d like to hear next! Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 89 - Three Mistakes That Stall Managers | 30 Dec 2025 | 00:35:28 | |
You might be doing everything right as a manager on paper and still holding yourself back. In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi Baldi sits down with management coach Mel Cidado to unpack three common mistakes that derail manager growth. Through client stories, they explore how great employees can falter in leadership roles when they try to do it all themselves, when they get stuck in expert mode, or when they assume results speak louder than actions. Each pattern looks like success from the outside but creates blind spots that limit advancement. This conversation is for new managers, seasoned leaders, and the organizations that support them. Cindi and Mel share what it takes to course-correct early and why the path to growth starts with clarity, connection, and communication. Episode Highlights:
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/VG8GAchWIsE About Mel Cidado: Melissa (Mel) Cidado is an executive coach, leadership advisor, and former Fortune 100 Talent VP, who helps senior leaders grow into new, bigger, and more visible roles with clarity, confidence, and sustainability. With 25 years of experience advising and coaching hundreds of executives through disruptive change, Mel brings a unique blend of real-world executive insight and deeply human, no-fluff guidance. Today, she helps executive leaders design careers that fuel them, so success feels sustainable and aligned from the inside out. She’s the founder of Breakthrough Coaching and a contributor to Forbes Coaches Council, where she writes about energy leadership, performative resilience, and how to thrive through disruption. *Connect with Mel: Linkedin | Breakthrough Coaching _____________ *Purchase your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook here *Want to understand your people better? Get a comprehensive organizational assessment at CULSURE *Sign up for our newsletter and let us know what topic you’d like to hear next! Join Our Community & Follow Us: | |||
| Starting a Successful Side Hustle - From the Archives | 23 Dec 2025 | 00:37:54 | |
Thinking about starting a side hustle? In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin unpack why now might be the best time to build something of your own. Whether you're dreaming of a creative outlet or a full-on escape hatch from your day job, side hustles offer more than just financial upside. Done right, they’re a smart way to test-drive new ideas, stay engaged, and future-proof your career (without blowing up your life in the process). Cindi and Geoff share the science and strategy behind side gigs that energize, not exhaust. They break down how to avoid common traps like overinvesting or partnering with the wrong person. Tune in to learn how your side hustle can be your lab, your launchpad, and your life raft, all at once. Episode Highlights:
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Xuf9iSghVLs *Purchase your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook here *Sign up for our newsletter and let us know what topic you’d like to hear next! Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 88 - Bet on Your People: The Power of Internal Promotions | 16 Dec 2025 | 00:37:23 | |
A single promotion can shift the energy of an entire organization. In this episode, Cindi and Geoff sit down with Leticia Rodriguez, CEO of Ward Memorial Hospital, to talk about why internal promotions build stronger organizations and how to take smart chances on people who are still growing. Leticia shares how someone once saw potential in her, and how she now pays that forward by developing talent from the inside. From intentional one-on-ones to strategic learning investments, she shows how internal hires create a culture where people stay, grow, and deliver. This episode offers a framework for betting on your people, without setting them up to fail. Tune in for a fresh take on increasing retention, performance, and shared purpose. Episode Highlights:
About Leticia Rodriguez: Leticia Rodriguez is the CEO for Ward Memorial Hospital, Monahans, TX and has held that role for the last 12 years. Professionally, Rodriguez serves on the board for The Texas Health Services Authority. Locally, she serves as the Vice President for the Monahans Economic Development and Board Member of the Chamber of Commerce. She is also a member of the Chamber of Commerce Women’s Division, Rotary and Ambassador’s Club. Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/b0Px8zLApjU *Purchase your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook here *Want to understand your people better? Get a comprehensive organizational assessment at CULSURE *Sign up for our newsletter and let us know what topic you’d like to hear next! Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 87 - The Truth About Strong Workplace Culture: What Every Leader Needs to Know | 09 Dec 2025 | 00:21:12 | |
Most companies say they have a culture. Very few actually do. In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin break down what workplace culture really means and why most organizations fall short. Cindi and Geoff explain how culture acts like choreography. When people know the steps, they move in sync. When they don’t, departments end up dancing to different music which breeds confusion, inefficiency, and sometimes outright conflict. Without shared values, leaders are stuck micromanaging because there is no built-in guidance for decision-making. This episode is for executives and team leads who want clarity on the framework of building a culture that drives performance. You’ll learn the two key drivers to unify your organization, and why culture, when done right, becomes your best tool for performance and coordination. Episode Highlights:
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ju7rgp9wVb0 *Take your executive team to the next level with On-Demand Leadership *Purchase your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook here *Sign up for our newsletter and let us know what topic you’d like to hear next! Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 86 - The Overlooked Power of Work Relationships | 02 Dec 2025 | 00:32:55 | |
We often treat work as a necessary evil, but it might be doing more for your happiness than you think. In this episode, Cindi and Geoff dig into the power of workplace relationships, and how easily they’re overlooked. They challenge assumptions about loneliness, connection, and meaning, unpacking why the daily rhythms of work life can be so hard to lose. From first jobs to the so-called freedom of retirement, Cindi and Geoff reconsider what work actually gives us, and why it matters. If you're looking for ways to build stronger bonds and shared purpose on your team, this podcast is worth a listen. Episode Highlights:
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/VFR9dGExIBU *Purchase your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook here *Ready to take your organization to the next level? Call On-Demand Leadership *Sign up for our newsletter and let us know what topic you’d like to hear next! Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Why Failure Might Be Your Best Strategy with Spencer Fraseur - From the Archives | 25 Nov 2025 | 00:50:32 | |
This Thanksgiving, we’re serving up a second helping of one of our favorite episodes featuring Cindi’s nephew, academic and author Spencer Fraseur. In a world chasing perfectionism, Spencer makes a provocative case: failure is actually a competitive advantage. Drawing from his research and book Failing Upward, he lays out how resilience, reflection, and smarter pivots fuel success. Packed with practical tools for turning missteps into momentum, this episode will change how you think about failure–and why embracing it can put you ahead. About Spencer: Spencer Fraseur is an academic and author of Failing Upward, a book that challenges the traditional views of failure and offers a new framework for embracing it as part of the journey toward success. Spencer recently received his Ph.D. in Strategic Management from the University of Texas at Arlington and currently serves as an Assistant Professor at Texas Woman’s University, where he continues to explore themes of resilience, learning, and personal development. His first book, The Irrational Mind, won the Royal Dragonfly Book Award in 2020. *Connect with Spencer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerfraseur/ Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/tnmdVVgyCug *Purchase your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook here *Ready to take your organization to the next level? Call On-Demand Leadership *Sign up for our newsletter and let us know what topic you’d like to hear next! Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 85 - How AI Is Stretching Managers Too Thin—and What It’s Costing Organizations | 18 Nov 2025 | 00:35:58 | |
As AI and automation reshape the workplace, companies everywhere are trimming management layers in the name of efficiency. But how lean is too lean? In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi and Geoff examine what happens when managers take on too many direct reports, what AI can (and can’t) replace, and the long-term costs of organizational flattening. Discover the key dynamics that predict performance and retention, and the simple managerial practice that could safeguard them both. If you’re evaluating how to restructure around AI, this episode will help you strike the balance between efficiency, results, and the people who make both possible. Episode Highlights:
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/5hkqOAMQdFA *Purchase your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook here *Want to understand your people better? Call CULSURE *Sign up for our newsletter and let us know what topic you’d like to hear next! Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 84 - Developing Your Team Starts with the Right Narrative | 11 Nov 2025 | 00:36:03 | |
To be a better manager, start telling a better story. In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi and Geoff dig into the science behind oscillating narratives and how honest, full-spectrum storytelling builds resilience and helps employees develop. Leaders who acknowledge both setbacks and successes don’t just help their teams handle adversity better, they actually appear more credible. You’ll learn why always-upward or always-downward narratives distort reality, how to model reflection without losing authority, and why the stories you share shape identity and culture. If you want a smarter approach to leadership narratives that trades perfection for endurance and connection, start here. Episode Highlights:
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/fon1hWUXYcA *Purchase your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook here *Sign up for our newsletter and let us know what topic you’d like to hear next! Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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| Ep 83 - Wellness That Works: Leading with Calm in High-Pressure Jobs | 04 Nov 2025 | 00:37:01 | |
What if the key to workplace wellness isn’t what you do, but how you respond? In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi Baldi talks with management coach Belinda Block about embedding well-being into high-performing work. From collapse to clarity, Belinda shares how nervous system regulation, small behavioral shifts, and smarter boundaries can help managers lead with more presence and less pressure. This episode spotlights the invisible skills that steady a team: emotional regulation, responsive leadership, and staying present under pressure. Whether you’re quietly burning out or guiding a team through a heavy lift, you'll get accessible tools you can apply right away; no sweeping initiative required. Episode Highlights:
Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ITHGHw-ZgRs About Belinda Block: Belinda Block is a management coach with a Ph.D. in industrial psychology who helps high-performing leaders lead more effectively without burning out. Drawing on experience across industries like pharma, finance, and media, she focuses on executive presence, time management, and team leadership. Her coaching blends behavioral science with real-world strategy to help managers stay focused, grounded, and impactful. *Learn more about Belinda here! *Purchase your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook here. *Sign up for our newsletter and let us know what topic you’d like to hear next! Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading:
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