A leaders responsibility is to ensure the organization survives and thrives. Drawing on the insights of industry leaders and the TRAITS psychometric assessment tool, this podcast explores the lessons these experts offer on building higher performing organizations.
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Episode 16: Overcoming Leadership Challenges – Scaling Teams Without Over-Promoting with Stephen Smith
Season 1 · Episode 16
Tuesday, January 14, 2025 • Duration 01:00:10
How to build stronger leadership teams by avoiding over-promotion pitfalls and focusing on the right development strategies.
Overcoming Leadership Challenges is one of the most critical priorities for any growing organization—and in this episode, Stephen Smith, President & CEO of Strike Group, shares a wealth of hard-earned wisdom on how to do it right. Drawing on years of leading a large, complex organization, Stephen unpacks the leadership lessons that have shaped his approach and the practical steps leaders can take to build stronger, more resilient teams.
From the start, Stephen emphasizes that leadership isn’t about title or power—it’s about accessibility, clarity, and authenticity. He explains why leading from the front builds trust and inspires teams, and how leaders can make themselves truly approachable without losing authority. His “Reach” philosophy breaks down specific ways leaders can connect with their teams on a personal and professional level.
The episode dives deep into a major pitfall for growing companies: over-promoting employees before they’re ready. Stephen shares how “red boxing”—clearly defining leadership boundaries—prevents setting people up for failure, and instead allows them to grow into roles at a sustainable pace. This ties into one of the episode’s central themes: scaling leadership is not about rushing promotions, but about building the skills, confidence, and decision-making ability leaders need to succeed long-term.
One of Stephen’s most actionable tips is the use of a one-page plan to keep teams aligned. By simplifying strategic vision into a clear, concise format, leaders can ensure everyone—from executives to frontline staff—knows where the organization is headed and how they contribute to its success.
He also talks about the importance of vulnerability in leadership, explaining why showing your human side fosters trust and strengthens relationships. Being open about challenges, and even mistakes, creates a culture where team members feel safe to share their own concerns and ideas—driving innovation and engagement.
The conversation covers how to balance ambition with ability when mentoring employees, including the tough conversations leaders sometimes have when aspirations outpace readiness. Stephen provides strategies for managing these situations in a way that preserves morale while still protecting organizational performance.
Authenticity runs as a thread throughout the discussion. For Stephen, leadership isn’t about adopting a persona—it’s about “being who you are” and staying consistent, even under pressure. That authenticity not only builds credibility, it also makes leadership more sustainable and less exhausting over the long haul.
Listeners will walk away with a toolkit for overcoming leadership challenges that includes:
Setting clear leadership pathways to avoid over-promotion
Making leadership accessible without undermining authority
Using strategic planning tools like a one-page plan for clarity and alignment
Building trust through vulnerability and authenticity
Coaching employees through ambition-versus-readiness gaps
Identifying and developing the traits of great managers
Whether you’re a CEO scaling a large company, an HR leader building a leadership pipeline, or a manager wanting to grow into a more effective role, this episode offers practical, experience-backed advice you can implement immediately.
Show Notes:
0:00 Introduction to this episode
2:00 Who is Stephen Smith and what is Strike Group?
7:15 Leadership styles from an expert
15:20 Advantages of leading from the front
16:45 Reach: How does a leader ACTUALLY become accessible
20:00 Some tips on sharing vision with staff
24:25 Preach: Consensus vs. collaboration
25:15 The strength of a 1-page plan
27:15 Teach: creating a management training program
32:10 Helping your people by being open and vulnerable
35:45 How do you handle someone whose aspirations don’t fit their ability?
39:45 Scaling leadership: Do not over promote and “red boxing”
43:45 Characteristics of great potential managers
46:20 Real authenticity as a leader; Be who you are!
Episode 15: Struggling with Leadership Transitions? Unlock Team Success with Strategic Hiring with Chris DeCock
Season 1 · Episode 15
Thursday, December 12, 2024 • Duration
How leadership transitions and strategic hiring can make or break your team’s success
When leadership changes happen, the ripple effects can make or break an organization. In this episode of the TRAITS Podcast, we dive into the challenges and opportunities of leadership transitions and strategic hiring with guest Chris DeCock, whose career spans the demanding restaurant industry and executive leadership roles.
Chris shares how he navigated the volatile world of hospitality, where COVID-19 hit the talent pool hard, forcing businesses to rethink how they develop people internally. His insights highlight why strategic hiring isn’t just about filling vacancies—it’s about building a leadership team from the ground up, often starting with front-line staff and developing them into long-term assets.
From there, we explore the value of identifying work ethic, character, and values—qualities that often fall outside personality assessments but are essential in leadership. Chris shares real-world examples of spotting leadership potential where others might overlook it.
The conversation then shifts to the human side of leadership transitions—what it means for employees when a leadership change occurs, and why “people leave managers, not organizations” rings true in almost every industry. Chris emphasizes that leadership transitions must be handled with intentionality, empathy, and a clear plan for sustaining culture and performance.
We also dig into the concept of employee-owned businesses, exploring the strengths and weaknesses of this model, and how it impacts leadership stability. Chris offers practical advice for leadership teams that want to “grow old together” while still bringing in fresh talent to sustain momentum.
By the end of the episode, listeners walk away with actionable strategies for:
Identifying and developing leadership talent internally
Understanding the cultural impact of leadership changes
Avoiding common pitfalls during leadership transitions
Leveraging strategic hiring to maintain stability and drive performance
Show Notes:
Episode Resources & Links
Connect with TRAITS:
Episode 14: The Real Job of Every Manager – Accountability and Mentorship Insights with Carmel Macpherson
Season 1 · Episode 14
Tuesday, November 5, 2024 • Duration 01:03:44
Manager Accountability and Mentorship: How Leaders Can Take Responsibility and Empower Teams for Lasting Success
In this episode of our HR and leadership podcast, we dive into the essential but often misunderstood role of manager accountability and mentorship in building thriving, high-performing teams. Our guest, Carmel Macpherson, brings a wealth of leadership experience and offers candid insights on what it truly means for managers to take full responsibility for their direct reports while fostering an environment of trust, openness, and growth.
The conversation opens with Carmel’s personal leadership principles, emphasizing the importance of providing positive feedback, truly knowing your team members, and adapting leadership approaches to individual needs. Drawing from lessons in teaching, parenting, and even Star Trek, Carmel paints a clear picture of why managers must understand who they are working with—not just the work they produce.
We then address a critical organizational challenge: the tendency to “promote to a lower level of competency,” where top performers are elevated without adequate preparation for leadership roles. Carmel explains how this can be avoided by focusing on accountability, mentorship, and a commitment to knowing each team member’s strengths, weaknesses, and motivations.
One key insight is her assertion that the real job of every manager is twofold—ensuring team members have the tools, clarity, and support to succeed, and taking full ownership of both successes and shortcomings. She highlights the dangers of systemic personality-based bias, where certain traits are favoured over others, and explains how leaders can recognize and counteract these biases.
From there, Carmel shares practical strategies for building a safe environment where honesty is welcomed, difficult conversations are encouraged, and mentorship becomes a natural extension of leadership. Her tips for understanding direct reports go beyond surface-level interactions, encouraging leaders to ask better questions, observe behaviours, and follow through consistently.
The conversation also touches on how mentorship can accelerate professional growth—both for the mentee and the mentor—when built on genuine accountability. Carmel offers actionable advice for helping managers shift from a task-based mindset to a people-centered leadership approach that inspires long-term engagement and performance.
Show Notes:
Episode Resources & Links
https://traits.com/podcast/003/
https://traits.com/podcast/006
Connect with TRAITS:
Episode 13: The Value of Remote Teams for (Almost) Every Business with Kayla Baretta
Season 1 · Episode 13
Tuesday, October 22, 2024 • Duration 50:05
Unlocking the Value of Remote Teams: Proven Strategies for Culture, Collaboration, and Performance
In this episode of the [Podcast Name], we dive deep into the value of remote teams with Kayla Baretta, a key leader at Paper-leaf, a company known for building high-performance teams while fully embracing remote work. Kayla shares a candid look at how her organization has harnessed the power of remote teams to drive business success, build strong culture, and keep clients delighted — without relying on physical proximity.
We begin by learning about Kayla’s role at Paper-leaf and how her leadership journey naturally aligned with remote-first operations. She introduces listeners to the transformative moment when Paper-leaf discovered the “magic” of remote teams — not just as a logistical solution, but as a cultural and performance advantage.
One of the central themes discussed is empathy — how it’s not only valuable in client relationships but also a critical driver of internal culture. Kayla explains that empathy in remote teams must be intentional, with leaders creating opportunities for connection that go beyond the transactional nature of virtual meetings.
She introduces practical approaches like “Pods” and “2 Pizza Teams” — smaller, self-contained groups that keep collaboration tight-knit and efficient. Kayla also debunks one of the biggest myths in business today: that connection requires being in the same physical space. In her experience, distributed teams can achieve even deeper connections when they intentionally address “elephants in the room” and work through challenges openly.
We also discuss the challenges unique to remote work, from onboarding new hires to maintaining engagement over time. Kayla highlights that onboarding is not just an HR formality — it’s the foundation for culture, productivity, and retention in remote teams.
Listeners will also hear insights on which scenarios suit remote work best, the measurable benefits to businesses adopting it, and tips for leaders who want to strengthen distributed team dynamics. Whether through virtual events, thoughtful communication strategies, or clear role definitions, Kayla’s approach shows that remote teams can be both high-performing and deeply connected.
Show Notes
Resources & Links
Connect with TRAITS:
Episode 12: Polishing Your Business for Success – Boost Efficiency with Strategic Planning ft Stephen Wallace
Season 1 · Episode 12
Tuesday, October 8, 2024 • Duration 41:04
Strategic Planning for Business Efficiency: Polishing Your Business to Shine and Grow
Strategic planning for business efficiency is a cornerstone of sustainable growth and operational success. In Episode 12 of the TRAITS Podcast, Stephen Wallace shares his journey of transforming a growing engineering firm into a “shiny business” through focused strategic planning, organizational design, and effective job descriptions.
Stephen explains that a “shiny business” is like a well-maintained vintage car—each part polished and working in harmony to present an attractive, high-performing whole. This mindset goes beyond aesthetics; it embodies clarity, coordination, and efficiency in every aspect of a business, from financial systems to employee roles.
The episode delves into the importance of stepping back from day-to-day urgencies to focus on strategic priorities that align the leadership team and provide clear goals. Stephen shares how his ownership group, young and ambitious, moved from informal growth to structured planning, which helped create ownership and accountability across the organization.
One critical focus was developing an organizational structure with clear reporting lines and detailed job descriptions. This clarity eliminated confusion, improved communication, and increased operational efficiency. Job descriptions became tools for individual accountability and performance conversations, contributing to a more engaged and productive workforce.
Stephen also shares his experience with acquisitions and how having a polished, efficient business made his company an attractive platform for growth and acquisition, illustrating the tangible value of strategic planning and organizational discipline.
For leaders and HR professionals, this episode offers practical advice on creating a business that not only looks good from the outside but also runs efficiently inside—setting the stage for sustained growth, better talent attraction, and higher valuation.
Show notes
2:00 Why did Stephen Wallace create a “Shiny” business?
6:10 What is a strat plan? How does it help create a higher performing business?
Strategic Planning Resources & Links
Connect with TRAITS:
Episode 11: The Compare Report – Elevating Your Hiring Decisions with Mike Moreau
Season 1 · Episode 11
Tuesday, September 24, 2024 • Duration 28:14
In this episode, we’re excited to introduce a game-changing feature that will transform the way you hire. The new Compare Report combines our job modeling expertise with the TRAITS survey to provide deeper insights into candidate-job fit. Discover how this feature helps managers identify key differences, gaps, and opportunities, making the hiring process more accurate and efficient.
Whether you’re recruiting, promoting, or simply ensuring the right fit in your team, this tool offers actionable insights to make smarter decisions. Tune in to learn how this innovative feature can elevate your hiring strategy.
Episode 10: The Unicorn Leader – Transforming Government with Business Strategies with Darren Elder
Season 1 · Episode 10
Tuesday, September 10, 2024 • Duration 31:45
Transforming Government: How Business Strategies Create Unicorn Leadership
Transforming government by applying innovative business strategies is no easy feat—but Darren Elder is a true unicorn leader making it happen. In this episode, Darren, the Chief Administrative Officer of a Saskatchewan municipality, shares his unique approach to running government like a business, supplementing tax dollars through creative ventures, and leading with a high-performance mindset.
Darren’s journey begins with his farm upbringing, where resourcefulness and problem-solving were essential. This practical mindset shaped his leadership philosophy in government—focusing on cash flow, strategic growth, and operational efficiency, typically seen in the private sector.
He discusses the creation and rapid growth of Swift Net, a municipally owned internet provider that expanded from 500 to 5,000 customers in just 30 days. This venture exemplifies how government can innovate and serve its community in new ways, providing essential services while reducing taxpayer burden.
The conversation covers the challenges of managing growth and scaling high performance within a government context. Darren shares how understanding employee capacity and leveraging talent optimization through TRAITS assessments helped him build a productive, motivated workforce.
He also emphasizes the importance of placing people in roles suited to their strengths, avoiding wasted potential—illustrated by his story of transitioning a Fire Chief into a different role better aligned with his skills.
Listeners will gain insight into the traits Darren values in high performers across various organizational levels—from assertiveness and flexibility in management to sociability in frontline roles.
Darren’s approach highlights the blend of entrepreneurial spirit and public service dedication needed to create lasting positive impact in government.
For leaders, HR professionals, and public sector innovators, this episode offers practical strategies for transforming government by adopting business-minded leadership and talent management.
Transforming Government with Business Strategies Show Notes :
Resources & Links
Connect with TRAITS:
Episode 9: The Right Fit – Using TRAITS to Match Personalities with Roles with Mike Moreau
Season 1 · Episode 9
Tuesday, August 27, 2024 • Duration 37:10
The Right Fit: How Using TRAITS Matches Personalities to Roles for Optimal Performance
The right fit between a person’s personality and their role is critical to driving individual and organizational success. In this episode, Mike Moreau explores how the TRAITS psychometric tool provides a nuanced and scalable way to match employees with roles that best suit their natural characteristics.
Mike starts by highlighting how TRAITS measures personality traits on a continuous scale, offering far more specificity than traditional categorical assessments. This precision helps organizations understand the complex interplay between assertiveness, sociability, and other traits to predict job fit.
Listeners learn what happens when highly social individuals are hired and placed in roles that require assertiveness or leadership. Mike contrasts the outcomes of assertive versus sociable personalities in different organizational positions, using real examples such as two salespeople with contrasting traits to illustrate how fit impacts performance.
The episode also dives into when a highly assertive person might not be the best fit for certain roles and explores strategies for identifying the ideal fit using TRAITS. Mike shares practical advice for HR professionals and leaders on leveraging these insights to reduce turnover, enhance team dynamics, and build stronger cultures.
This conversation is essential for anyone involved in hiring, leadership development, or organizational design who wants to understand how to find and nurture the right fit for every role.
Show Notes:
0:00 – Summary of our last interview together (with a focus on how the TRAITS tool is very specific because of it’s ability to provide a scale for each trait)
2:50 – What happens when you hire some who is really social?
6:40 – What happens when you have a director who is more assertive than sociable?
13:40 – Where is a good fit for assertive people in an organization?
15:15 – When is a very assertive person not an ideal fit for a specific role?
Resources & Links
Connect with TRAITS:
Episode 8: Impact of Personality – How We Affect Others at Work with Fraser Engel
Season 1 · Episode 8
Tuesday, August 13, 2024 • Duration 36:10
Impact of Personality: Understanding How We Affect Others to Boost Workplace Success
The impact of personality in the workplace goes far beyond individual behavior—it shapes team dynamics, communication, motivation, and ultimately business success. In Episode 8 of the TRAITS Podcast, Fraser Engel shares his extensive experience helping leaders and employees understand how their personalities affect those around them and how self-awareness can become a catalyst for positive change.
Fraser begins by discussing how people often have an innate sense of who they are, yet may lack full self-awareness of how their actions and communication styles impact others. He highlights the value of objective personality assessments in holding up a mirror that shows individuals how they truly come across in the workplace.
A key insight Fraser shares is the balance between self-awareness and curiosity. While people may recognize their traits, the willingness to explore and adapt those traits is essential to meaningful growth and better interpersonal relationships. Fraser emphasizes that motivation to change often comes from within, and managers can facilitate this by asking questions that engage employees’ internal drive rather than imposing directives.
Throughout the episode, Fraser illustrates how understanding personality impact helps leaders communicate more effectively, manage diverse teams, and reduce conflicts. He shares real-life examples, including a remarkable story of a leader who transformed from being a “bad fit” to the CEO of a company by leveraging self-awareness and coaching.
Fraser also touches on the importance of mastering assessment tools and the need for proper training to realize their full benefits. He warns that without skilled facilitation, even the best tools may fail to deliver their potential impact.
For HR professionals, managers, and business leaders, this episode offers practical guidance on how to use personality insights to improve communication, foster motivation, and create healthier organizational cultures. It’s a compelling reminder that the human side of business—understanding people and their impact—is the foundation for lasting success.
Show Notes
Learn more about the Impact of Personality
Episode 7: Accelerating Success – The Power of Personality Assessment for Hiring with Sean Lavin
Season 1 · Episode 7
Tuesday, July 30, 2024 • Duration 38:19
Personality Assessment for Hiring: Accelerate Success by Unlocking True Employee Fit
Personality assessment for hiring is a powerful tool for building successful teams and accelerating business growth. In this episode, Sean Lavin, President of Aircom Instrumentation, shares firsthand insights on how using personality assessments dramatically reduces turnover, improves communication, and strengthens company culture.
Sean discusses the challenges of rapid growth and the impact of hiring the right people for the right role, highlighting how traditional hiring methods can miss critical insights. He explains how personality assessments like TRAITS provide managers and leaders with objective data that helps them see beyond resumes and interviews to the real person.
A compelling story illustrates how an initially poor fit became a fantastic employee once placed in the right role, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness and aligning roles with natural tendencies.
Sean also compares hiring to dating, pointing out the difficulty of truly “seeing” someone on a first encounter, which is why objective assessments are invaluable. He explains how these tools speed team integration, improve communication, and foster stronger leader-employee relationships.
This episode offers practical advice for leaders and HR professionals to leverage personality assessments for hiring, reduce costly turnover, nurture leadership, and build a thriving organizational culture.
Whether you’re scaling your team or refining hiring practices, this episode provides essential knowledge on how personality assessment for hiring accelerates success and creates lasting impact.
Show Notes – Accelerating Success
1:25 – Introduction to Sean Lavin, president of Aircom Instrumentation
3:00 – Is it valuable to know ourselves better as managers and leaders?
6:15 – Failure leads to insight in business
9:15 – How can better hiring affect turnover?
Links
Related Shows Based on Content Similarities
Discover shows related to TRAITS podcast: Building Higher Performing Organizations, based on actual content similarities. Explore podcasts with similar topics, themes, and formats, backed by real data.
Whether you’re a CEO, HR leader, or small business owner, this conversation provides a clear roadmap for making leadership changes without losing your best people or derailing your strategy.
Part 1 of interview
2:25 The restaurant industry? This is terrifying! Who is Chris DeCock?
5:10 Covid killed talent… How to develop within an organization
8:00 Building an executive team from front line staff
12:40 Developing potential long term employees
16:40 Work ethic, character, and values fall outside of personality!
Part 2 of interview
19:10 Employee owned businesses; strengths and weaknesses
24:40 Handling transition: bring value to employees
27:10 Growing old together as a leadership team
32:40 The strategic advantage of having the right people
By the end of this episode, listeners will have a deeper understanding of:
Why manager accountability and mentorship is the foundation of great leadership
How to create a safe environment that encourages honesty and openness
Practical ways to better understand and develop team members
How to recognize and address systemic bias in leadership decisions
The mentorship habits that lead to stronger, more resilient teams
Whether you’re a seasoned leader or stepping into your first management role, this conversation offers valuable lessons to help you take full ownership of your team’s success while building a culture of trust, growth, and high performance.
0:00 Introduction to the episode
3:00 Carmel’s personal set of rules with people; positive feedback with people
6:25 An essential lesson from star trek
8:20 Taking lessons from teaching and parenting into management: Know who you’re working with!
14:45 A way to reduce ‘promoting to a lower level of competency’
15:35 The real job of every manager
16:05 Systemic discrimination in terms of personality
20:05 The importance of having managers take full responsibility for their direct reports
23:30 How can managers better understand their direct reports… Some simple tips
26:55 Creating a safe environment for honesty and openness
31:45 How to help managers take full responsibility in their role
42:10 Tips for getting the most out of mentorship
48:48 What most people want more than comfort…
Related Episodes: More on the 7 Essential Work Traits
Here are additional episodes where Mike dives deeper into the concept of the 7 Essential Work Traits:
The episode closes with a look inside Paper-leaf’s strategic planning process, which ensures that even as a fully remote company, they operate with clarity, alignment, and performance focus. Kayla also shares an unusual but memorable interview experience that underscores the importance of authenticity in hiring.
If you’ve ever wondered how to maximize the value of remote teams in your business, this episode offers both inspiration and practical tools to help you get there.
-0:00 Intro to this week’s episode
-1:40 Who is Kayla Baretta and what does Paper-leaf do for clients?
-4:45 The birth and magic of remote teams for Paper-leaf
-7:20 Empathy and its value with culture and clients
-9:50 Some interesting tips: “Pods”, “2 pizza teams”, and building community
-13:40 Debunking a massive myth… connection doesn’t mean being in the same space
-16:10 Addressing elephants tends to lead to deeper connections quickly
-18:40 Other hurdles for going ‘remote’ (onboarding is key)
-20:40 Greatest benefits to growing remote teams
-22:40 Which situations work better or worse for remote workspaces?
-24:10 Some tricks of the trade for bringing people together
-27:50 Strat planning and higher performance within Paper-leaf
-31:10 Some higher performance communication in an organization (it’s so much more than ‘active listening’
-40:25 An unusual interviewing experience and how to connect with Paper-Leaf and Kayla
✅ Hiring the right people starts with better communication! Join our Intro to Communication Styles training and learn how to improve workplace interactions: Sign Up Here
14:30 Why think through a ‘selling’ exit from your business?
16:00 The greatest benefit to preparing a business for sale
18:20 The value of great job descriptions
21:00 The end result of investing in strategy
25:25 Getting a higher multiple than expected (you’ve gotta do the work!)
29:20 How Stephen helps other businesses
We can help develop your Strategic Planning process to improve your organization’s performance and achieve long-term success. Contact us today or markf@concordconsulting.com.
