The Good Leadership Podcast

Episodios

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  Turn Great Experiences Into Lasting Change: Rethinking How You Create Customer Value with Joe Pine 18.08.2026 32m

  What are your customers really buying?Often, it isn’t the product, service, or even the experience itself. They are buying what they hope it will help them achieve, change, or become.In this episode of The Good Leadership Podcast, Charles Good talks with Joe Pine, bestselling author of The Experience Economy, about the next evolution of value creation: moving beyond memorable experiences to helping customers achieve meaningful, lasting transformation.Joe explains why leaders need to look beyond functional “jobs to be done” to understand the deeper aspirations customers are pursuing. He shares how asking the Five Whys can uncover those aspirations and why the type of change a customer seeks should determine how an organization designs the journey.The conversation also explores one of Joe’s most useful distinctions: time well saved, time well spent, and time well invested. As Joe puts it, “The most precious resource is the time of individual human beings.” Experiences make time worth spending. Transformations make that time an investment in a better future.You’ll also hear why genuine transformation is different from a powerful event or temporary improvement, why lasting change ultimately involves identity, and why Joe believes fostering human flourishing should be the purpose of every business.In this episode:The transformation economy and how it differs from the experience economyCustomer aspirations, Jobs to Be Done, and the Five WhysTime well saved, time well spent, and time well investedHow to distinguish lasting transformation from short-term changeWhy “experience design is the design of time”Identity change as the foundation of genuine transformationHow to diagnose the type of change customers actually seekThe four spheres of human flourishing: health, wealth, knowledge, and purposeWhy purpose and human flourishing belong in business strategyPractical ways leaders can design experiences and organizations for meaningful changeCHAPTERS00:00 Introduction to the transformation economy and its significance01:42 Joe Pine's background and journey into transformation economics03:27 Why customers buy means to an end, not just products04:42 Using the Five Whys to uncover customer aspirations07:01 Moving beyond functional jobs to aspirational jobs08:17 Distinguishing real transformations from events12:40 The importance of time as a core value in experiences16:59 Time well invested and the role of transformation19:53 Fostering human flourishing as the true purpose of business22:34 The four spheres of human flourishing and their overlap26:50 Designing for meaningful change and organizational purpose30:39 Practical steps for leaders to implement transformation strategiesSubscribe to The Good Leadership Podcast: [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠]LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/charlesagood⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack Channel (Outlearn to Outperform): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠charlesgood.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn Newsletter (The Outlearn Advantage): [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Institute for Management Studies
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  Standing Out in the AI Age: How to Stay Visible, Valuable, and Relevant with Sally Helgesen 11.08.2026 29m

  AI can help us work faster, produce more, and automate tasks that once took years to master. But as technology becomes more capable, a more important question emerges:What will continue to make you valuable?In this special 300th episode milestone series of The Good Leadership Podcast, Charles Good sits down with internationally bestselling author, speaker, and leadership expert Sally Helgesen to explore what actually compounds across a career when the tools, expectations, and nature of work keep changing.Sally explains why visibility matters more when great output becomes easier to produce, why leaders must learn to articulate the value they create, and why deeply human capabilities such as listening, adaptability, relationships, presence, and judgment may become more important rather than less.They also examine a growing risk of AI: if technology takes over the early work through which people traditionally developed expertise, where will the next generation learn the judgment required to lead?Sally also shares important lessons from her own career, including why usefulness ultimately matters more than demonstrating how much you know and why becoming a better speaker required her to prepare less, listen more, and become more responsive to the people in the room.The conversation closes with a practical challenge: rather than trying to predict every way AI might transform your career, identify the capability people already value most in you, strengthen it, and learn how to clearly communicate the value it creates.In this episode, you’ll discover:• Why working harder does not necessarily create greater career security• Why visibility and articulating your contribution matter more in the AI age• What we risk when AI removes the apprenticeship work that develops expertise• Why presence, listening, relationships, and adaptability continue to compound• How to identify and strengthen the capability that makes you uniquely valuableChapters02:16 The importance of inclusive leadership and cultures of belonging04:58 The dangers of over-pressuring teams and unrealistic expectations06:32 Visibility strategies for female leaders in the AI era08:38 What compounds for leaders and what is at risk in the AI era09:01 The importance of human recognition and respect10:15 The significance of owning your contributions in the AI age12:04 The apprenticeship problem and the loss of experiential learning14:31 The Pope's encyclical on AI and its implications15:58 The role of dignity and meaningful work in engagement16:54 The human element in teamwork and collaboration17:28 The risks of undervaluing human judgment and relationships18:08 Personal insights from Sally Helgesen's career evolution20:37 Overcoming over-preparation and embracing improvisation23:58 The joy of being present and improvising in work24:19 The importance of a to-don't list for leadership growth25:15 Starting with what truly matters in the face of AI change26:28 Focusing on high-value skills and contributions27:31 Where to find Sally Helgesen and her work28:19 Closing thoughts: Leadership qualities that endure in the AI eraSubscribe to The Good Leadership Podcast: [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠]LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/charlesagood⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack Channel (Outlearn to Outperform): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠charlesgood.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn Newsletter (The Outlearn Advantage): [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Institute for Management Studies
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  Why Leaders Need a Disruptive Growth Strategy in the AI Era with Whitney Johnson 04.08.2026 26m

  AI can help us work faster, produce stronger outputs, and appear more capable. But what happens when technology allows us to skip the slow and uncomfortable stage where real learning takes place?In this episode, Charles Good speaks with Whitney Johnson, one of the world’s leading experts on personal disruption and the S-Curve of Learning.Whitney explains why every period of growth begins with uncertainty and discomfort, accelerates through a productive sweet spot, and eventually reaches mastery. The challenge is recognizing when mastery has become a plateau and finding the courage to become a beginner again.AI may weaken the signals that once pushed people toward a new challenge. Output can remain strong even when learning has slowed. Professionals may look productive while the capability beneath their work stops growing.Charles and Whitney discuss how to recognize restlessness and boredom as signals for change, why learning agility becomes more valuable as technology advances, and how trust, character, and human presence continue to compound.They also explore how professionals can use AI as a mirror for development by reviewing conversations, improving their listening, challenging their assumptions, and identifying one way to become 5 percent better.Key Takeaways• Growth follows an S Curve with launch, acceleration, and mastery phases.• AI can muffle the signal that it’s time to disrupt yourself.• Naming the feelings associated with change can reduce fear and restore your ability to act.• Learning agility is a capability that remains valuable across roles and technological shifts.• Trust, character, and presence become more important as knowledge becomes easier to access.• Small improvements practiced consistently can produce extraordinary long term growth.Chapters00:00 Introduction to the series and the pattern of growth in the AI era02:11 Why leaders feel less confident despite working harder04:43 Unpacking the phases of the S Curve and their feelings06:07 The importance of naming feelings to tame fear07:02 AI’s role in muffling the jump signal and delaying growth07:54 Recognizing restlessness and boredom as growth signals09:00 The importance of wrestling with discomfort for growth09:26 What compounds for leaders and what is at risk10:19 The importance of trust, character, and presence in leadership11:44 The meta skill of learning agility in the AI era12:53 The risk of skipping the slow part of growth with AI13:30 The value of doing things you’re bad at for growth14:18 Signals that indicate you’re on the right growth curve16:31 Whitney Johnson’s personal disruptions and internalized lessons18:56 Signs you’re at the top of your growth curve21:50 Managing multiple S Curves in your career and life22:16 Using AI as a mirror for self development23:28 The importance of human qualities in the AI age24:20 The power of small, consistent improvements over time25:01 How to connect with Whitney Johnson and further resourcesWhitney Johnson is the bestselling author of Disrupt Yourself and Smart Growth. Her S Curve framework helps individuals and organizations understand how growth feels, why people plateau, and what it takes to begin climbing again.This episode is part of The Good Leadership Podcast milestone series, What It Takes to Keep Rising in the AI Era.Subscribe to The Good Leadership Podcast: [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠]LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/charlesagood⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack Channel (Outlearn to Outperform): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠charlesgood.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn Newsletter (The Outlearn Advantage): [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠]⁠⁠⁠⁠The Institute for Management Studies
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  Building Leadership Capability in the AI Age with Dave Ulrich 28.07.2026 33m

  Artificial intelligence can accelerate output, but sustainable performance depends on whether human and organizational capability can keep pace.In this milestone episode of The Good Leadership Podcast, Charles Good speaks with renowned leadership and HR thinker Dr. Dave Ulrich about turning individual talent into organizational capability that creates value for customers, investors, employees, and communities.Dr. Ulrich explains the difference between competence—what an individual knows, does, and embodies—and capability—what an organization consistently does well. He explores how leaders can combine AI with the distinctly human strengths of vision, innovation, emotion, and wisdom while protecting judgment, honest feedback, human connection, and the future leadership pipeline.The conversation also examines the danger of mistaking increased activity for stronger capability, why leaders must become better observers of themselves and others, and how careers and leadership brands must evolve in an AI-driven world.This episode is part of our milestone series, What It Takes to Keep Rising in an AI Era.CHAPTERS00:00 Introduction and Milestone Series Announcement01:23 Dr. Ulrich’s Perspective on Turning Talent Into Value02:09 The Difference Between Competence and Capability03:21 Leadership Challenges in a Volatile World04:16 The Multiplier Effect of Human Ingenuity and AI05:40 Four Pillars of Human Ingenuity: Vision, Innovation, Emotion, and Wisdom07:41 The Risks of Output Racing Ahead of Capability08:37 Creating Value for Stakeholders10:21 Signals of Building Activity Versus Capability12:56 The Power of Honest Feedback in Leadership14:20 Leadership in the AI Age: Human Connection and Feedback16:17 The Risks of Automation and the Future Leadership Pipeline19:05 Redefining Careers and Developing Future Leaders22:28 Self-Interrogation and an Evolving Leadership Mindset27:10 A Critical Leadership Skill: Observation and Reflection32:59 Building a Leadership Brand in the AI Era34:36 Final Reflections and Connecting With Dr. UlrichSubscribe to The Good Leadership Podcast: [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠]LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/charlesagood⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack Channel (Outlearn to Outperform): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠charlesgood.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn Newsletter (The Outlearn Advantage): [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠]⁠⁠⁠The Institute for Management Studies
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  Winning the Long Game With AI: Building Advantage That Compounds | Dorie Clark 21.07.2026 35m

  AI can make your work faster, cleaner, and more impressive. But can it also create an illusion of competence—improving the output while the judgment, expertise, and original thinking underneath it stop developing?In this special episode of The Good Leadership Podcast, Charles Good speaks with bestselling author and globally recognized business thinker Dorie Clark about what it takes to win the long game in an AI-driven world.Dorie explains why the abundance of information is making human attention increasingly scarce and why leaders must differentiate through clarity, a distinctive perspective, and ideas grounded in real experience. She also discusses the lasting value of trusted relationships, reciprocity, personal branding, visibility, and becoming known for something meaningful.The conversation explores why many capable leaders are working harder while feeling less confident about their futures, how short-term wins can conceal long-term capability erosion, and why AI-generated polish should never be confused with genuine expertise.Dorie Clark teaches executive education at Columbia Business School and is the bestselling author of The Long Game, Reinventing You, Stand Out, and Entrepreneurial You. She has been named four times to the Thinkers50 list of the world’s leading business thinkers. This conversation is part of our milestone series, What It Takes to Keep Rising in the AI Era.CHAPTERS02:25 Having a long-term strategy in a speed-driven world03:28 Scarce attention in an age of abundant information04:32 The value of in-person experiences and relationships05:04 Differentiating through clarity and perspective06:30 Why leaders are working harder but less confident07:04 Learning AI skills through deliberate practice08:59 The myth of career stability and reinvention09:59 Personal branding, visibility, and adaptability11:16 Building reciprocal human relationships12:17 Short-term wins versus long-term capability13:11 The artisan mindset and generalist skills14:22 The illusion of competence created by AI16:04 The capabilities most at risk in the AI era16:33 Andrew Ridgeley, likability, and relationships18:32 Trust and the power of a strong network19:19 Building judgment through difficult problems20:08 Using AI as a sparring partner20:52 Investing time in strategic assets and skills23:15 Dorie’s focus on video, content, and AI mastery24:07 Career lessons and the importance of a platform 26:21 Community and accurate information in career growth27:08 Long-term success and the need for patience28:02 Using analytics and feedback to improve29:42 When to stay the course or reposition30:48 Exponential growth and patience32:17 Small actions that create long-term returns33:42 AI, healthcare innovation, and human longevity34:12 One practical step for building long-term capability36:34 Braces and the power of consistent action37:07 Final advice on relationships and deliberate practiceSubscribe to The Good Leadership Podcast: [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠]LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/charlesagood⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack Channel (Outlearn to Outperform): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠charlesgood.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn Newsletter (The Outlearn Advantage): [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠]⁠⁠⁠The Institute for Management Studies
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  Beyond Belief: The Hidden Driver of Behavior Change with Nir Eyal 14.07.2026 46m

  What if your motivation problem is actually a belief problem?We often assume that knowing what to do and understanding why it matters should be enough to change our behavior. Yet knowledge rarely produces lasting action on its own. The missing ingredient is often the belief that our effort will make a difference.In this episode of The Good Leadership Podcast, Charles Good speaks with Nir Eyal, New York Times bestselling author of Hooked, Indistractable, and his new book, Beyond Belief.Nir explains how beliefs function as working models of reality, shaping what we notice, what we expect, how we feel, and what we ultimately do. Rather than treating beliefs as unquestionable truths or relying on empty positive thinking, he offers a science-backed approach to developing beliefs that are useful, empowering, and open to revision when new evidence emerges.This conversation is not about pretending that obstacles do not exist. It is about developing beliefs that help us see reality more clearly, persist through discomfort, and recognize where our actions can meaningfully influence the outcome.NIR EYAL is a globally recognized authority on behavior change and human potential. His frameworks have empowered millions to build better habits, enhance focus, and unlock greater agency in their lives and work. He is the New York Times bestselling author of the international bestsellers Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products and Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life, which have sold over one million copies in more than 30 languages. Hooked was a finalist for the 2014 Goodreads Choice Awards. Indistractable won the 2019 Outstanding Works of Literature (OWL) Award and was named one of the Best Business & Leadership Books of the Year by Amazon, Audible, and The Globe and Mail. His third book, Beyond Belief: The Science-Backed Way to Stop Limiting Yourself and Achieve Breakthrough Results, became an instant New York Times best-seller and reveals how to identify and replace the hidden beliefs that define our limits.His writing has been featured in The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, The Atlantic, and Psychology Today. CHAPTERS00:00 Introduction to Beliefs and Human Performance01:07 Nir Eyal’s Background and Work02:12 From Habits to Behavior Change03:38 Why We Don’t Do What We Know05:03 Beliefs as the Linchpin of Motivation06:55 What Is a Belief? Fact, Faith, or Tool?07:49 The Three Powers of Belief09:16 Beliefs Filter Our Reality11:09 Seeing Through the Lens of Beliefs13:01 Beliefs and the Perception of Opportunities16:34 Anticipation and Experience Loops20:25 The Power of Expectation in Experience25:39 Beliefs and Behavior: Building Hope28:37 The Role of Limiting and Liberating Beliefs30:22 The Impact of Beliefs on Performance34:58 Pain, Discomfort, and Growth36:56 The Problem With Positive Thinking38:24 Mental Contrasting and Preparing for Obstacles40:06 The Dark Side of Labels and Nocebos42:00 The Power of Expectations and Placebos44:08 Changing Limiting Beliefs for Empowerment45:18 Actionable Steps to Re-Engineer BeliefsSubscribe to The Good Leadership Podcast: [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠]LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/charlesagood⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack Channel (Outlearn to Outperform): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠charlesgood.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn Newsletter (The Outlearn Advantage): [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠]⁠⁠The Institute for Management Studies
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  The Human Side of AI Transformation with Alison McCauley 07.07.2026 32m

  AI is not just changing the tools leaders use. It is changing how leaders think, learn, make decisions, and build confidence in their own capabilities.This episode is part of our 300th episode milestone series, “What It Takes to Keep Rising in an AI Era.”In this conversation, Charles Good sits down with Alison McCauley to explore one of the most important leadership questions of this moment: how do we use AI without losing the judgment, curiosity, and human capability that make leadership matter?Alison argues that many organizations are doing AI backward: investing heavily in the technology while underinvesting in the people, workflows, and cultural conditions required to turn AI into real value. Alison shares why curiosity matters, why engagement may be more important than ROI in the early stages, how productivity gaps are forming inside organizations, and why the best AI users treat the technology as a thought partner rather than an answer machine. You’ll also hear why leaders need to keep their own thinking in the lead, what it means to become a “compounded human,” and the simple rule that can help you use AI without outsourcing your judgment.For more than two decades, Alison McCauley has helped organizations turn emerging technology into real human-centered value. She is a bestselling author, social scientist, and AI strategist advancing human potential globally. As a digital transformation strategist focused on human-centered technology adoption, she works at the intersection of AI, behavior, and strategy.Chapters:00:00 Celebrating Milestones in Leadership Conversations03:29 The Role of Curiosity in Thriving with AI06:29 Engagement Over ROI: The New Focus for Organizations09:11 Navigating the Learning Curve of AI11:56 Understanding the Emotional Landscape of Leadership14:30 The Dunning-Kruger Effect and AI Usage17:09 Building Mental Muscles: The Discipline of Thought20:22 Opportunities for New Graduates in the AI Era23:13 Compounding Benefits of AI Engagement25:48 The Human Element in AI-Driven Work28:43 Personal Growth Through Change31:08 Key Behaviors for Effective AI UsageSubscribe to The Good Leadership Podcast: [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠]LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/charlesagood⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack Channel (Outlearn to Outperform): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠charlesgood.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn Newsletter (The Outlearn Advantage): [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠]⁠The Institute for Management Studies
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  The Price of Nice: Why Brave Leaders Choose Clarity Over Comfort 30.06.2026 37m

  Nothing was wrong in that meeting. That's exactly the problem.Everyone was polite. Heads nodding. Full agreement in the room. And then everyone left — and nothing changed. The frustration no one named kept building. The project everyone quietly doubted kept moving. The talented person who never felt heard started updating their resume.Amira Barger calls this the price of nice.In this episode of The Good Leadership Podcast, Charles Good sits down with award-winning executive, author, and professor Amira Barger to unpack the argument every leader needs to sit with: that the "niceness" we mistake for professionalism is often just the avoidance of the conversations that would actually move us forward and that nerve, the willingness to balance honesty with genuine care, is the higher form of respect.This isn't about being harder on people. It's the opposite. It's about offering the most honest thing a leader can give: the truth, delivered with empathy, in service of someone's growth.In this conversation:• Why organizations engineer silence without ever meaning to• The difference between genuine strategy and self-protective avoidance dressed up as strategy• Four diagnostic questions to tell the difference in the moment• What the Challenger disaster still teaches us about the cost of unspoken concerns• How "priming" signals shape whether your team speaks up or stays quiet• Why the same facts, framed differently, create completely different realities• The Three C's — communication, connection, cohesion — and why most teams never climb past the first rungAbout the guest:Amira Barger is an award-winning executive, author, and professor who helps leaders build workplaces where courage matters more than convenience. Her book, The Price of Nice, grounds its argument in communication theory and social science — making the case that comfort, left unchecked, quietly becomes the thing that keeps teams stuck.⏱️ Chapters:00:00 — Introduction to Amira Barger and Her Work02:16 — The Dangers of Avoidance in Leadership05:03 — Understanding Nice vs. Nerve08:36 — Practicing Nerve in Leadership11:59 — Diagnostic Questions for Leaders15:05 — The Cost of Silence in Organizations16:54 — Communication as Infrastructure19:20 — Challenger Moments in Organizations22:16 — Priming and Organizational Culture27:53 — Nice vs. Nerve in Feedback Conversations30:44 — Framing as a Leadership Superpower35:32 — The Three C's of CommunicationSubscribe to The Good Leadership Podcast: [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠]LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/charlesagood⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack Channel (Outlearn to Outperform): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠charlesgood.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn Newsletter (The Outlearn Advantage): [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠]The Institute for Management Studies
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  The Hidden Forces Shaping Leaders in the AI Era with Dan Ariely 23.06.2026 43m

  Your work has never looked better. So why do you feel less sure of yourself than you did five years ago?In this episode of The Good Leadership Podcast, behavioral economist Dan Ariely (author of Predictably Irrational and Misbelief) unpacks a quiet problem facing ambitious leaders right now: AI is polishing your output faster than you're actually growing your capability. The result is an "illusion of competence" — work that looks sharper while the person behind it quietly stalls.We get into:Why effort and outcome have decoupled — and why working harder is making leaders feel less in controlThe hidden forces shaping how you judge yourself: effort discounting, social comparison on speed, and attribution errorWhat still compounds in the AI era (hint: it's the meta-capacities machines can't touch)What "context collapse" does to leaders who lean too hard on their toolsThe simple weekly decision-review habit that will still be paying off in 10 yearsThis is the kind of conversation that changes how you think about your own thinking. If your performance reviews and your nervous system are being trained on different signals, this one's for you.CHAPTERS00:00 The Confidence Gap: Knowledge vs. Perception03:46 The Dangers of False Confidence in the Age of AI04:28 The Learning Process: Embracing the Messy Middle07:35 AI's Role in Knowledge Acquisition: A Double-Edged Sword10:32 The Temptation of AI: Short-Term Gains vs. Long-Term Growth 12:09 Measuring Success: The Risks of Misguided Metrics14:09 Innovation and AI: Who Really Benefits?15:05 The Impact of Measurement on Innovation16:56 Employee Engagement and AI Integration19:39 Balancing AI and Human Capital20:44 The Gap Between Knowing and Doing21:20 The Role of Planning in Change23:31 Defining Boundaries with AI23:51 AI as a Tool for Self-Reflection25:44 The Importance of Impact in Academia29:04 Skills to Protect in an AI World32:53 Fostering a Joy of LearningListen, then ask yourself: What am I doing not just to do more but to become someone whose judgment I trust more, year after year?🎙️ This episode is part of What It Takes to Keep Rising in the AI Era , a series exploring how leaders grow real capability while AI reshapes the work. The combined kickoff episode dropped June 16; this is the first of the solo episodes, with more arriving over the coming weeks.Follow the show so you don't miss the rest of the series.Subscribe to The Good Leadership Podcast: [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠]LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/charlesagood⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack Channel (Outlearn to Outperform): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠charlesgood.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn Newsletter (The Outlearn Advantage): [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠]
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  How to Keep Rising in the AI Era with 6 of Today’s Most Respected Voices 16.06.2026 35m

  For our 300th episode, Charles Good sat down separately with six of the most influential thinkers alive, and asked them all the same question: in an age where AI can produce the work, what's actually happening to us?Dan Ariely. Dorie Clark. Sally Helgesen. Whitney Johnson. Dave Ulrich. Alison McCauley. None of them heard the others' answers. They work in completely different fields. And every one of them landed on the same uncomfortable truth: your output is rising, your capability may be quietly falling behind, and you can't feel it happening, because the work still looks great.This episode weaves all six voices into one conversation about what AI is really doing to human capability and what the sharpest minds in the world say you should do about it. Because in the age of AI, the output is no longer the proof. The output is just the output. You are the proof.Over the coming weeks, we're releasing the full deep-dive conversation with each guest as its own episode. Follow the show so you don't miss them.Subscribe to The Good Leadership Podcast: [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠]LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/charlesagood⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack Channel (Outlearn to Outperform): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠charlesgood.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn Newsletter (The Outlearn Advantage): [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠]
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  How to Build a Team That Keeps Getting Better with Dr. Ron Friedman 09.06.2026 31m

  𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗱𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆?In this episode of 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁, award-winning social psychologist 𝗗𝗿. 𝗥𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗻 joins us to unpack the science behind high-performing teams and the practical habits that turn ordinary groups into superteams.Drawing on the most comprehensive study of elite teams ever conducted, featured in his new book 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀, Dr. Friedman explains why the strongest teams aren't the ones that collaborate the most, work the longest hours, or get along best. What sets them apart is how they manage energy and attention, bring out the best in one another, and keep improving over time.You'll learn how leaders can build stronger team dynamics, cut distractions, and design work environments—physical and digital- that make focus and high performance the path of least resistance.𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘄𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀:  • What separates high-performing teams from average ones  • The core practices that define a superteam  • How to manage time, energy, and attention more deliberately  • Why leaders should speak last in meetings  • How to build shared goals, role clarity, and healthy interdependence  • Why constant communication can quietly undermine productivity  • How your environment shapes the way people work togetherIf you lead a team, work on a team, or want to build a culture of higher performance, this episode delivers research-backed strategies you can put to work immediately.𝗗𝗿. 𝗥𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗻 is an award-winning social psychologist and bestselling author of The Best Place to Work and Superteams. His research on building high-performing teams has been featured in The New York Times, Bloomberg, and Harvard Business Review, where his article “How to Build a Superteam That Keeps Getting Better” is this month’s cover story.Ron’s Website: www.superteamsinc.com⁠Ron’s Social Media Handles:LinkedIn: ⁠@ronfriedmanphd⁠Instagram: ⁠@ronfriedmanphd⁠X: ⁠@ronfriedman⁠Threads: ⁠@ronfriedmanphd⁠YouTube: ⁠@ronfriedmanphd⁠Book: Superteams: The Science and Secrets of High-Performing Teams available on Amazon and all book sellers.𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀00:00 Defining Super Teams03:31 The First Steps to Building a Super Team06:09 The Importance of Team Design07:49 Creating a Team Mentality09:46 Addressing Survivorship Bias in Team Success12:32 The Role of Environment in Team Performance16:33 The Impact of Constant Communication17:48 The Shift from Individual to Team Success19:18 The Surprising Office Amenity for High Performance21:06 Strategies for Minimizing Distractions22:25 Collaborative Focus: A New Approach to Productivity25:26 Concrete Practices for Team Leaders26:40 Embracing Mistakes for Team GrowthSubscribe to The Good Leadership Podcast: [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠]LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/charlesagood⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack Channel (Outlearn to Outperform): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠charlesgood.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn Newsletter (The Outlearn Advantage): [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠]
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  How to Do Great Work When Everything Keeps Changing with Melissa Swift 02.06.2026 33m

  The hours are the same, or maybe fewer, but the work has gotten heavier. More context-switching, more overlapping priorities, more pings fracturing your attention. And a nagging sense that all the effort is producing diminishing returns.Melissa Swift has a name for what's happening and a framework for fixing it.In this episode of The Good Leadership Podcast, Charles Good sits down with Melissa Swift, author of Effective: How to Do Great Work in a Fast-Changing World. As a founder, CEO, and former leader at Mercer, Korn Ferry, and Deloitte, Melissa offers a clearer way to think about what effectiveness truly requires. So if you're tired of running harder for less, listen in to discover what you should stop doing to get it back.What You Will LearnThe Effectiveness Architecture — the four-element "two-story house" (Knowledge and Methods on the ground floor, People and Technology above) and how to quickly diagnose your own dominant strength and blind spotsWhy burnout is really about intensification, not hours — the specific ways organizations unintentionally turn up the intensity dial, and the "stop-doing" moves that bring it back downHow to handle emotion at work — practical behaviors for the moments managers dread: the blow-up, the tears, the team at warWhy complaints are data — how to tell the difference between an early-warning signal worth acting on and noise you can safely let goThe power of strong Methods — how repeatable design creates "optionality" when chaos hits, instead of leaving you dependent on heroic improvisationLeading in a hyper-transparent world — what one leader's awards-ceremony misstep reveals about how intentions get distorted, and how to build trust through visible decision-makingMelissaSwifthttps://www.anthromeinsight.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/swiftmelissa/Order Melissa's latest book on Amazon, 'Effective: How to do Great Work in a Fast Changing WorldChapters00:00 The essence of effectiveness in leadership02:47 Understanding the Effectiveness Architecture10:48 Navigating work intensity and burnout15:53 Managing emotions in the workplace22:04 The power of strong Methods26:47 Thriving in a hyper-transparent world29:31 Navigating data-driven conversations31:38 Closing thoughtsSubscribe to The Good Leadership Podcast: [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠]LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/charlesagood⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack Channel (Outlearn to Outperform): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠charlesgood.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn Newsletter (The Outlearn Advantage): [⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠]
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  The Aging Workforce Crisis Leaders Can’t Afford to Ignore with Dan Pontefract 26.05.2026 37m

  The workforce is aging faster than at any point in human history, and most organizations are responding by quietly writing off the very people who hold their hardest-won knowledge. Dan Pontefract calls the cost of that denial AgeDebt, and he believes it's building toward a crisis as slow-moving and as expensive to ignore as climate change.In this conversation, Dan Pontefract joins Charles Good to make the case that age is an asset, not a liability, and that the organizations willing to act now can convert their Age Debt into what he calls the Experience Dividend.Drawing on his new book The Future of Work Is Grey: The Untapped Value of Age in the Workforce, Dan throws out the tired generational labels (Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z) and replaces them with a more useful lens: Rivers(early-career, curious, fluid), Rocks (mid-career, resilient, the bridge generation), and Rubies (later-career, wisdom polished by time). His argument is both a wake-up call and a blueprint: the future of work is grey if leaders stay stuck in habitual patterns, but it can be gold if they learn to put Rivers,Rocks and Rubies on stage together.Whether you see yourself as a River, a Rock, or a Ruby today, this episode will give you a new language for one of the most overlooked sources of value in any organization, along with the everyday habits to start building it tomorrow.What You'll Learn in This EpisodeWhat "Age Debt" actually is, and why Dan compares it to climate change: a slow-moving crisis leaders have had the data on for decades, where the cost of doing nothing compounds quietly until it's enormous to fixThe Rivers, Rocks, and Rubies framework - three career-stage archetypes that replace birth-year labels, and why Dan says generational branding is actively harmful to good decision-makingWhy ageism is "the last socially acceptable -ism": the comments and assumptions about age that still pass unchallenged when equivalent remarks about race or gender never wouldHow ageism hits all three groups - Rivers dismissed as "not ready," Rocks written off as "stuck," Rubies treated as "expired" and Dan's own experience of being seen as both "too young" and "too old"The grey-to-gold mindset shift - what keeps organizations stuck in habitual patterns, and what changes when leaders stop fighting experience and start designing around itThe Experience Dividend - the measurable value of integrating insight, mentorship, and continuity across every age in your workforceEveryday Age — the small, repeatable habits any leader can start tomorrow to move from age-aware to age-savvy, no corporate program requiredAbout Dan PontefractDan Pontefract is a leadership strategist, keynote speaker, and author of several influential books on work, culture, and leadership, including Lead. Care. Win., Open to Think, The Purpose Effect, and Flat Army. His latest book is The Future of Work Is Grey: The Untapped Value of Age in the Workforce. His work focuses on helping organizations rethink how they create value through their people across every stage of life and career.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Age Debt and the Aging Workforce03:13 Understanding Age Debt and Its Implications05:20 The Demographic Apocalypse and Longevity Issues08:21 The Impact of Ageism in the Workplace11:00 the Gray vs. Gold Metaphor in Work13:54 Rethinking Generational Labels: Rivers, Rocks, and Rubies21:21 Personal Experiences with Ageism30:39 The Ruby Experience: Working Beyond Retirement36:24The Double Loss of Aging WorkforceSubscribe to The Good Leadership Podcast: [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠]LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/charlesagood⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack Channel (Outlearn to Outperform): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠charlesgood.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn Newsletter (The Outlearn Advantage): [⁠⁠⁠Subscribe⁠⁠⁠]
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  The Art of Trust Building: How Leaders Transform Teams & Organizations with Dennis & Michelle Reina | TGLP #297 19.05.2026 55m

  Trust isn't a soft skill. It's a discipline.In this powerful conversation, Charles Good sits down with Dr. Dennis Reina and Dr. Michelle Reina, the pioneers of behavioral trust research and authors of the new masterwork The Art of Trust Building, to break down what trust really is, how it's built, how it breaks, and how leaders can rebuild it stronger than before.For over three decades, the Reinas have shown organizations that trust is not a personality trait or a poster value. It is a set of specific, observable, measurable behaviors and that means it can be coached, scaled, and transformed at every level of leadership.In an era of hybrid work, accelerating AI integration, and constant organizational change, the informal proximity-based trust-building of the past no longer works. Leaders today must build trust intentionally, one behavior at a time. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN✔ Why 90% of trust breaks are subtle, unintentional — and avoidable✔ The Three Dimensions of Trust®: Character, Communication, and Capability✔ How to measure trust in your team — and what shocks leaders when they see the data✔ The everyday habits that quietly erode Trust of Character✔ Why most leaders overestimate their own communication transparency✔ How over-control and "rescuing" signal capability distrust✔ Self-trust: the overlooked foundation of every trustworthy leader✔ The Seven Steps for Healing® — the path from breach to repair✔ How small ripple-effect behaviors cascade through entire organizations✔ Why trust is the currency that powers change — especially in the AI era✔ The role of specific, grounded gratitude as a trust-building practice✔ The one daily question every leader should ask themselves tonightIf you lead people, at any level, this conversation will reframe what leadership actually requires.ABOUT THE GUESTSDr. Dennis Reina & Dr. Michelle ReinaCo-founders of Reina Trust Building® and authors of the foundational Trust and Betrayal in the Workplace (1999) and the newly released The Art of Trust Building. Their research has shaped how Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and global organizations understand and operationalize trust. They are the creators of the Reina Trust and Betrayal Model®, the Three Dimensions of Trust®, the Reina Team Trust Scale®, and the Reina Individual Trust Scale®, the most widely used behavioral trust assessments in the world.MEMORABLE QUOTES"Trust is not soft. It is hard and essential.""Trust is an energy field, you can feel it.""Transparency and honesty are the foundation.""Trust is the currency that powers change."🧭 CHAPTERS00:00 The Foundation of Trust03:42 Personal Journeys and Trust Development07:25 The Evolution of Trust in the Workplace10:23 Measuring Trust: Making the Invisible Visible15:14 The Three Dimensions of Trust19:20 Character: The Core of Trustworthiness25:01 Communication: The Key to Transparency30:17 Capability: Empowering Others Through Trust34:49 Healing Trust After a Breach37:54 The Seven Steps to Rebuilding Trust43:38 Creating Conditions for Trust Conversations48:07 The Role of Gratitude in Trust Building51:25 Common Misconceptions About Trust55:06 Final Insights and TakeawaysSubscribe to The Good Leadership Podcast: [⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠]LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/charlesagood⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack Channel (Outlearn to Outperform): ⁠⁠⁠⁠charlesgood.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn Newsletter (The Outlearn Advantage): [⁠⁠Subscribe⁠⁠]
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  Are You Still Getting Sharper? Why Mid-Career Professionals Plateau 12.05.2026 20m

  Somewhere between year eight and year twelve of a knowledge-work career, something shifts. The title is good. The compensation is good. The reviews are good. The output has never been more polished, especially in the last two years, because AI has put a layer of polish on everything you ship. But the feeling of getting visibly better, the feeling that defined your first decade, has quietly disappeared.Most professionals misdiagnose what's happening. They call it lost motivation, burnout, or hitting their ceiling. None of those is usually the right diagnosis.In this episode, Charles Good breaks down why mid-career professionals plateau and it's not what you think. Drawing on cognitive science research from Anders Ericsson, Robert Bjork, Monique Boekaerts, and the Harvard Business School / BCG / Dell'Acqua study on AI and consultant performance, Charles identifies the four forces quietly dulling your edge: rooms that have become too familiar, the habit of never watching your own tape, the disappearance of reflection time, and the new and accelerating cost of letting AI take your reps.Then, using lessons from three of the greatest performers in their fields, Roger Federer rebuilding his game at thirty-two, Tom Brady studying his own film into his forties, and Michael Jordan returning to six AM workouts after three championships, Charles offers three concrete moves to put growth back inside the work you already do.You'll learn:Why most professionals misdiagnose the plateau as motivation, burnout, or ceiling — and what's actually happening underneathThe cognitive science of deliberate practice and desirable difficulty, and why effort and growth are not the same thingThe four forces dulling your edge — including the AI dynamic that almost no one is talking aboutThe Federer Move: how to find a harder room once a quarterThe Brady Move: the four-question Friday reflection that takes fifteen minutesThe Jordan Move and the First Draft Rule: how to use AI without letting it take the reps that build your judgmentIf you've been delivering well but quietly suspect you've stopped growing, this is the episode for you.Chapters 00:00 Michael Jordan's Breakfast Club: Why Greats Go Back to the Reps02:00 The Mid-Career Plateau Nobody Wants to Name04:30 Why Motivation, Burnout, and Ceiling Are the Wrong Diagnoses06:00 You Stopped Being a Learner — The Real Reframe08:30 Force One: Federer at Thirty-Two and the Familiar Room12:00 Force Two: The Brady Discipline of Watching Your Own Tape13:30 Force Three: The Reflection Loop That Never Gets Closed14:30 Force Four: How AI Is Taking Your Reps17:30 The Federer Move — Find a Harder Room18:30 The Brady Move — The Four-Question Friday19:30 The Jordan Move — The First Draft Rule20:00 Are You Still Getting Sharper?Subscribe to The Good Leadership Podcast: [⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠]LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/charlesagood⁠⁠⁠Substack Channel (Outlearn to Outperform): ⁠⁠⁠charlesgood.substack.com⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn Newsletter (The Outlearn Advantage): [⁠Subscribe⁠]
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  Stop Giving Advice: The Coaching Questions Every Leader Needs with Michael Bungay Stanier 05.05.2026 39m

  Most leaders were promoted because they had answers. But the higher you rise, the more dangerous that habit can become.When every problem runs through you, your team gets slower. When every answer comes from you, your people stop thinking as deeply. And when your identity becomes being the helpful problem-solver, you can quietly become the bottleneck.In this episode of The Good Leadership Podcast, Charles Good sits down with Michael Bungay Stanier, bestselling author of The Coaching Habit, to explore how leaders can stop giving advice too quickly and start building stronger, more independent teams through better coaching questions.Michael shares insights from the 10th anniversary edition of The Coaching Habit, including why being coach-like is not about becoming a full-time coach, why the Advice Monster is so hard to tame, and how seven simple questions can transform everyday leadership conversations.In this conversation, you’ll learn:How to use coaching questions in five-minute conversations, not just formal coaching sessionsWhy “And what else?” may be one of the most powerful leadership questions ever createdHow to move from surface-level problem solving to real development by asking, “What’s the real challenge here for you?”Why the Advice Monster shows up even in smart, well-intentioned leadersHow coaching becomes even more important in an AI age, where fast answers are everywhere but human presence, listening, and encouragement still matter mostThis episode is for any leader, manager, coach, or HR/L&D professional who wants to build ownership, reduce dependency, and help people think better for themselves.Listen now to learn how to stop rescuing, stay curious longer, and start coaching better.Learn more about Michael Bungay Stanier: [https://www.mbs.works/about/]Michael's book: The Coaching Habit 10th anniversary edition [https://a.co/d/0dgG1ww7]Chapters00:00 The Seven Essential Questions of Coaching04:17 Navigating Challenges in Conversations05:58 Understanding the 'What Do You Want?' Question08:58 The Importance of Asking 'What Else?'10:28 Avoiding the Rescuer Role in Leadership15:10 Strategic Decision-Making: Saying No17:27 The Paradox of Confident Humility17:48 Building Coaching Habits Effectively22:31 Redirecting Conversations Back to the Individual24:01 Empowering Employees to Ask Questions25:16 The Role of Illustrations in Learning29:29 The Future of the Coaching Habit Podcast32:31 Key Insights and TakeawaysSubscribe to The Good Leadership Podcast: [⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠]LinkedIn: ⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/charlesagood⁠⁠Substack Channel (Outlearn to Outperform): ⁠⁠charlesgood.substack.com⁠⁠LinkedIn Newsletter (The Outlearn Advantage): [Subscribe]
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  Built to Survive Monday — The Good Leadership Podcast Trailer 05.05.2026 1m

  Most leadership advice sounds brilliant in the moment and disappears by Monday morning.The Good Leadership Podcast is built for leaders, managers, and high achievers who want ideas that hold up when the pressure is on. Hosted by Charles Good, President of the Institute for Management Studies, the show features conversations with bestselling authors, researchers, experts, and recognized thought leaders on how leaders think better, grow faster, and perform under pressure.Across more than 300 conversations with guests like Marshall Goldsmith, Sally Helgesen, Karen Dillon, Michael Bungay Stanier, and many more, Charles goes beyond the buzzwords and into the science of leadership, learning, and human performance.No empty advice. No recycled frameworks. No ideas that sound wise but change nothing.Follow The Good Leadership Podcast wherever you listen.Outlearn what worked yesterday. Outthink what’s coming next. Outperform when it counts.
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  Why Core Values Fail: How to Make Them Real with Dr. Paul Ingram 27.04.2026 1h

  Most leaders underestimate how much their values shape decisions, trust, and performance, especially under pressure.In this episode, Charles Good has a conversation with Dr. Paul Ingram, Columbia Business School professor and author of What Do You Really Stand For?, who explains why values are not soft ideals but practical tools for better leadership. He shows how aligning your choices with your core values can strengthen decision-making, improve relationships, build resilient teams, and shape a healthier organizational culture.You’ll learn why generic value lists often fall flat, how to uncover your real values through simple reflection, and how to turn those values into daily habits, difficult trade-offs, feedback conversations, and moments of pressure.For leaders, executives, entrepreneurs, and anyone who wants to lead with greater clarity, purpose, integrity, and conviction, this conversation offers a practical roadmap for making your values one of your most powerful leadership assets.Connect with Paul Ingram (https://business.columbia.edu/faculty/people/paul-ingram)Get Paul Ingram's new book, 'What Do You Really Stand For?' (https://a.co/d/06gE6ZeM)Chapters00:00 Introduction to Values and Leadership04:14 The Importance of Values in Decision-Making07:04 Practical Tools for Identifying Personal Values09:44 Reflection Exercises for Value Identification12:31 Laddering Technique for Deeper Value Understanding19:21 Embodied Cognition and Values23:22 Structuring Values for Decision-Making25:01 Ranking Values for Better Choices27:25 Value-Based Decision Making: A Case Study30:53 Activating Values in Daily Leadership34:38 Building a Values Affirmation Habit41:09 Understanding Values in Relationships and Conflict47:41 Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation in Leadership54:54 Long-Term Value Alignment vs. Short-Term Gains1:00:21 Key Insights and TakeawaysSubscribe to The Good LeadershipPodcast: [⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠]LinkedIn: ⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/charlesagood⁠⁠Substack Channel (Outlearn toOutperform): ⁠⁠charlesgood.substack.com⁠⁠LinkedIn Newsletter (The Outlearn Advantage): [Subscribe]
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  The Succession Planning Crisis Hiding in Plain Sight 20.04.2026 22m

  Why are so many organizations one departure away from a leadership gap? Why do succession plans often fail when tested? And what leaders do to build real bench strength before it is too late? Drawing on current research, real organizational pain points, and the science of how leaders actually develop, Charles Good unpacks a better way to think about succession planning.In this episode, you will learn:Why naming a successor is not the same as preparing oneHow weak succession planning creates key-person dependencyWhy leadership pipelines are often thinner than they lookWhat stretch assignments, coaching, reinforcement, and deliberate practice have to do with readinessHow to build an organization that gets stronger because of how it develops peopleIf you are a business leader, HR executive, talent leader, or founder trying to build a stronger future, this episode will challenge how you think about succession planning.Chapters00:00 The Cost of Leadership Turnover01:36 Understanding Leadership Bench Strength03:28 Identifying Pain Points in Succession Planning07:32 Generational Challenges in Leadership11:09 Building a Development System17:20 Proving Leadership Development Through Performance20:30 The Path Forward in Succession Planning22:34 Key Insights and TakeawaysSubscribe to The Good LeadershipPodcast: [⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠]LinkedIn: ⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/charlesagood⁠⁠Substack Channel (Outlearn toOutperform): ⁠⁠charlesgood.substack.com⁠⁠LinkedIn Newsletter (The Outlearn Advantage): [Subscribe]
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  How Leaders Cut Through Noise and Make Better Decisions with Matt Carstens 13.04.2026 37m

  How do companies and leaders stay strong when markets shift, headlines intensify, and pressure rises?In this episode of The Good Leadership Podcast, Charles Good talks with Matt Carstens about what leadership looks like when volatility becomes the norm. Drawing from experience across agriculture, sustainability, finance, and turnaround leadership, Matt explains how strong leaders stay steady when markets shift, headlines intensify, and pressure rises. The conversation explores how to focus teams, make better decisions under uncertainty, lead change without panic, and distinguish real strategy from noise.Matt Carstens is a seasoned executive leader with nearly 30 years of experience in the food and agriculture industries. He is known for his strategic vision, transformative leadership, and ability to drive growth in complex, competitive markets. WWith leadership experience at organizations such as Land O’Lakes, United Suppliers, and Landus, Matt brings deep expertise in innovation, sales growth, mergers and acquisitions, and high-performing team building.Connect with Matt Carstens (https://matt-carstens.com/)Chapters00:00 The Essence of Leadership in Uncertainty02:01 Identifying Organizational Pain Points04:23 The Challenge of Change Management09:08 Navigating External Volatility12:57 Maintaining Focus Amidst Chaos15:36 Sustainability: Words vs. Actions18:44 Understanding Customer Needs for Growth19:21 The Importance of Face-to-Face Interaction23:04 Navigating Change in Agriculture24:50 Adoption of Technology and Innovation28:15 Hiring for Cultural Fit30:18 Balancing Change and Pressure35:08 The Future of Agriculture36:56 Key Insights and TakeawaysSubscribe to The Good LeadershipPodcast: [⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠] | [⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠]LinkedIn: ⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/charlesagood⁠⁠Substack Channel (Outlearn toOutperform): ⁠⁠charlesgood.substack.com⁠⁠LinkedIn Newsletter (The Outlearn Advantage): [Subscribe]