Disruption Lab

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  Disrupting Leadership Across Cultures with Victoria Roos Olsson 15.09.2026 40分

  Most of us learned to lead in one place. One organization, one country, one set of unwritten rules about how people are supposed to talk to each other, disagree, and get things done. Then somebody puts us in a different room — and half of what we knew stops working.Victoria Roos Olsson has spent her entire career in those rooms.In this episode, Patrick sits down with Victoria, his coauthor on the new book Expect a Lot, Care a Lot: How Six Critical Practices Create High-Performing Teams. Born and raised in Sweden, educated in the Netherlands, she ran learning and development for Hilton and for Jumeirah across Europe and the Middle East before landing in Atlanta. Today she coaches executives around the world as a Senior Consultant at FranklinCovey.Victoria shares what more than twenty years of building leaders across cultures has taught her: what actually travels, what turns out to be nothing more than local custom, and why the leaders who adapt fastest aren't the ones who abandon their principles. She also shares the origin story of the six critical practices, which she helped introduce as a coauthor of the Wall Street Journal bestseller Everyone Deserves a Great Manager.And she and Patrick get into the heart of the new book — why so many leaders treat high expectations and genuine care as a trade-off, and what changes when you stop choosing between them.This episode is the second in our series of conversations with the coauthors of Expect a Lot, Care a Lot — each one bringing a different vantage point to the same six practices.Learn more about VictoriaWebsite - https://www.franklincovey.com/consulting/victoria-roos-olsson/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-roos-olsson-2497612/Latest book - https://www.amazon.com/Expect-Lot-Care-Practices-High-Performing/dp/1668264064/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0Learn more about PatrickWebsite - https://patrickleddin.comSpeaking - https://patrickleddin.com/speaking/Newsletter - https://patrickleddin.kit.com/disruptSocials: https://linktr.ee/disruptiveinsightsllcIf you liked this week's episode, consider leaving us a 5-star review below!
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  Disrupt the Playbook with CEO Ron Johnson 08.09.2026 41分

  Ron Johnson has lived on both sides of the scoreboard.At Apple, he was the Senior Vice President of Retail Operations who worked shoulder-to-shoulder with Steve Jobs to build the Apple Store from a blank sheet of paper — inventing the Genius Bar along the way and creating what became the most profitable retail square footage on earth. Before that, he was the merchandising leader at Target who brought Michael Graves to the masses. After Apple, he took the top job at J.C. Penney and things became real tough, real quick, becoming one of the most scrutinized CEO exits in modern retail.In this conversation, Ron is remarkably candid about all of it. We talk about what success actually teaches you (less than you'd think), what failure teaches you (more than you want it to), and how to tell the difference between a bad idea and a good idea people weren't ready for. He shares what it was really like to earn Steve Jobs' trust, why he still believes the vision at Penney was right, and what he'd tell a leader standing at the edge of a big, risky bet right now.Ron's new book, Shop Different: How Retail Revealed Apple's Genius (Harper Business, September 22, 2026), co-written with Zander Nethercutt, goes deeper — and he says it's less a retail book than a guide for anyone leading through technological change, and a reminder of what it means to be human in the age of AI.If you're building something, scaling something, or rebuilding after something didn't work — this one's for you. Listen or watch now.Learn more about RonLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shopdifferentLatest book - https://www.harpercollins.com/products/shop-different-ron-johnsonzander-nethercutt?variant=44771032498210Learn more about PatrickWebsite - https://patrickleddin.comSpeaking - https://patrickleddin.com/speaking/Newsletter - https://patrickleddin.kit.com/disruptSocials: https://linktr.ee/disruptiveinsightsllcIf you liked this week's episode, consider leaving us a 5-star review below!
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  Disrupting the False Tradeoff with Author and Former CEO Doug Faber 01.09.2026 40分

  Doug Faber started his career on a loading dock at eighteen. He finished it in the CEO's office.In this episode, Patrick sits down with Doug — his friend, colleague, and coauthor — to walk that climb, and to unpack what those years in operations taught him about leading real people under real pressure. Doug shares what changed in him between the dock and the corner office, what he got wrong along the way, and what he learned over twenty years at FranklinCovey working alongside executive teams at some of the world's best-known organizations.Patrick and Doug get into what actually separates high-performing teams from average ones, why so many leaders treat high expectations and genuine care as a trade-off, and what happens when you stop choosing between them.This episode is one of three with the coauthors of Expect a Lot, Care a Lot: How Six Critical Practices Create High-Performing Teams — each one bringing a different vantage point to the same six practices.Learn more about DougWebsite - https://www.franklincovey.com/consulting/doug-faber/Latest book - https://www.franklincovey.com/books/expect-a-lot-care-a-lot/Learn more about PatrickWebsite - https://patrickleddin.comSpeaking - https://patrickleddin.com/speaking/Newsletter - https://patrickleddin.kit.com/disruptSocials: https://linktr.ee/disruptiveinsightsllcIf you liked this week's episode, consider leaving us a 5-star review below!
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  Disrupting a Nearly 60-Year-Old Company with Ragan CEO Diane Schwartz 25.08.2026 33分

  Consider the position: you run the company that teaches everyone else how to communicate, and then the ground shifts so fast that nobody knows what to say anymore. Not your customers. Not the executives paying your customers to find the words. Not you.That's roughly the seat Diane Schwartz took in 2019 as the new leader of Ragan Communications. What followed was a pandemic, an industry rewrite, an AI wave still cresting, and seven straight years of growth anyway.But this episode of The Disruption Lab isn't really about communications. It's about what you do when you inherit something that already works. Every new leader faces the same fork: break the wrong thing and you destroy the reason people showed up; protect the wrong thing and you end up curating a museum. Diane had to decide, fast, and she'll tell you what she chose to blow up and what she refused to touch.We get into the launch that scared her most, why she calls AI "a career accelerant for communicators, but only if the right levers are pulled," and where she watches teams freeze instead of pull them. We also get into the part nobody puts in the press release: what seven years of continuous change costs the people living through it, and how a leader knows when they've pushed too far. Whether you run a company, a function, or a team of three, there's something here for you.And she started as a journalist, which means she answers questions the way she used to ask them. When I asked what belief about leadership she's had to throw out, she didn't reach for something flattering. See if you'd have the nerve to give her an answer about your own career.You'll leave knowing what to protect, what to break, and one move to make this week if disruption feels like it's happening to you instead of for you. The mic is on.____________________________________________Learn more about Diane atWebsite - www.ragan.comSocials - Diane Schwartz | LinkedInPatrick Leddin PhDWebsite - https://patrickleddin.comSpeaking - https://patrickleddin.com/speaking/Newsletter - https://patrickleddin.kit.com/disruptSocials: https://linktr.ee/disruptiveinsightsllcIf you liked this week's episode, consider leaving us a 5-star review!
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  Disrupting Scarcity with Chris Whitney of One Generation Away 18.08.2026 36分

  Chris Whitney doesn’t believe America has a food shortage. As he puts it, it’s a logistics problem, not a supply problem — and he’s spent the last decade proving it.In this episode of Disruption Lab, Patrick Leddin sits down with Chris Whitney, founder and CEO of One Generation Away. After spending six months in a food line himself, Chris started rescuing surplus food from grocers, farms, and restaurants and moving it onto tables across Tennessee, Alabama, and Florida. It began in the back of an SUV. Today it’s a $33 million operation, with semi-trucks unloading 20,000+ pounds of food into parking lots on Saturday mornings — no paperwork, no questions asked.Chris’s story is one of the real-life accounts featured in Disrupt Everything—and Win, the New York Times bestseller by James Patterson and Patrick Leddin.You’ll come away with a sharper eye for the difference between a scarcity problem and a distribution problem, a sense of why designing for dignity changes who actually shows up, and a real look at what it costs to scale 30x — and go all-in — without losing the thing that made you work in the first place.Learn more about ChrisWebsite - OneGenAway.comFacebook - OnegenawayofficialInstagram - @onegenawayLinkedIn - @onegenerationawayLearn more about PatrickWebsite - https://patrickleddin.comSpeaking - https://patrickleddin.com/speaking/Newsletter - https://patrickleddin.kit.com/disruptSocials: https://linktr.ee/disruptiveinsightsllcIf you liked this week's episode, consider leaving us a 5-star review!
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  Disrupting Your Comeback with Celina Sattelkau, Professional Golfer, Ladies European Tour 11.08.2026 38分

  We all have setbacks. Times when we fall short, lose our footing, or watch the plan we built come apart. Those moments are inevitable. What you do next isn't.This week on the Disruption Lab, Patrick is joined by professional golfer Celina Sattelkau, a former Vanderbilt All-American who went from being unable to hold a golf club to winning two professional tournaments in ten days.Celina grew up in Hambach, Germany, picked up the game at seven, and became one of Europe's most decorated young amateurs before arriving at Vanderbilt in 2019. Then COVID brought neuropathy in her hands and feet, serious mental-health challenges, and the loss of the one thing that had defined her. Her way back required patience, a renewed love for the game, and something harder than either: asking for help.In this conversation, Celina shares what carried her through, and what you can use the next time your own plan gets disrupted:    •    How to take the lesson from a setback without carrying the disappointment into the next moment    •    Why asking for help felt impossible, and what changed the moment she did    •    The fundamentals that hold up under pressure, whether you're on live television or facing a hard week at work    •    What she would tell the version of herself who couldn't grip a club and didn't know what came nextWhether or not you've ever swung a club, this episode is about the thing golf teaches better than almost anything else: you don't control every bounce, but you always control your next shot.Disruption may change the conditions. You still get to choose your next move.Learn more about CelinaInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/celinasattelkau/?hl=en Patrick Leddin PhDWebsite - https://patrickleddin.comSpeaking - https://patrickleddin.com/speaking/Newsletter - https://patrickleddin.kit.com/disruptSocials: https://linktr.ee/disruptiveinsightsllcIf you liked this week's episode, consider leaving us a 5-star review below!
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  Disrupting Belief with Psychologist and Author Owen Fitzpatrick 04.08.2026 45分

  Content Warning: Discussion of depression and suicide ideationOwen Fitzpatrick has studied propaganda where it does its worst work. North Korea. Afghanistan. Rwanda. Iran. More than 100 countries in all. And after all of it, he landed on an uncomfortable conclusion: the most effective propagandist in your life isn't a government, a company, or an algorithm. It's the voice in your own head.But this episode of The Disruption Lab isn't really about propaganda. It's about why intelligent people hold onto things that aren't true, and why handing someone better facts almost never changes their mind. If good information were enough, every strategy you've ever rolled out would have landed on the first try. So what actually moves a belief?Owen, psychologist, speaker, and author of Inner Propaganda: Leading Hearts and Minds Through Turbulent Times, joins me to unpack the three forces that make a belief stick: Feels Right, Fits In, and Makes Sense. We get into belief leadership during disruption, what a leader does when people don't trust the strategy or the person delivering it, and the thin line between shaping beliefs and manipulating people. Whether you lead an organization, sit on a team, or you're simply tired of arguing with someone who won't budge, there's something here for you.It also gets personal. Owen shares the story he was telling himself at fourteen and the single question that interrupted it. That moment reframes everything that follows.You'll leave able to spot the narrative that's quietly keeping you stuck, and with one question worth asking the next time disruption knocks you sideways. The war is in your head. Go win it.____________________________________________________Learn more about Owen atWebsite - owenfitzpatrick.com Latest book - https://innerpropaganda.com/ Patrick Leddin PhDWebsite - https://patrickleddin.com Speaking - https://patrickleddin.com/speaking/ Newsletter - https://patrickleddin.kit.com/disrupt Socials: https://linktr.ee/disruptiveinsightsllc
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  Disrupting Gaming with Ethan Zoubek, President of Atari 28.07.2026 43分

  In 1972, a company called Atari did something almost no one does: it created an industry from nothing. Pong, the 2600, the joystick in your hand — Atari didn't just join the video game business, it invented the culture around it. But this episode of The Disruption Lab isn't really about video games. It's about what happens after you win. How do you keep a legendary brand relevant across five decades of technology, rival empires, booms, busts, and a world that looks nothing like the one you were born into?Ethan Zoubek, President of Atari, joins me to talk about leading one of the most recognizable names on the planet as it approaches 55 years in business — and quietly reinvents itself again. It's a conversation about legacy without nostalgia-worship, about the discipline of disrupting yourself before someone else does it for you, and about the difference between protecting a brand and trapping it. Whether you run a company, build a team, or just wonder how anything lasts this long, there's something here for you.And yes, we have fun with it. I let slip my favorite game from when I was a kid — see if you can guess it before Ethan does. You'll leave a little nostalgic, a little smarter about reinvention, and probably wanting to dig your old console out of the closet.You don't have to love video games to love this one. Press start.Learn more about Atari at https://atari.com/Learn more about Patrick Leddin PhDhttps://patrickleddin.comBestsellers - https://patrickleddin.com/bestsellers/Speaking - https://patrickleddin.com/speaking/Newsletter - https://patrickleddin.kit.com/disruptLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickleddin
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  That's a Wrap on Season Two 30.06.2026 2分

  Thank you for your support! We will see you next month for season three of Disruption Lab.
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  Disrupt Invisible Rules with Former World #1 Female Poker Player and Author Cate Hall 23.06.2026 40分

  Who decided the rules you live by are actually the rules?Patrick sits down with Cate Hall, author of the forthcoming book You Can Just Do Things: How High-Agency People Get What They Want Out of Life, for a conversation about agency, reinvention, resilience, and challenging invisible limits.Cate’s story is anything but conventional. She went from attorney to world-class poker player to battling addiction and rebuilding her life from the ground up. Along the way, she became a leader in the world of pandemic medicine and now serves as CEO of one of the world’s largest private foundations.Together, they explore what separates people who wait from people who act, why so many limitations are self-imposed, and how individuals can reclaim ownership over their future in a rapidly changing world.This episode is a powerful reminder that disruption often begins the moment you realize you are allowed to do things differently.Take the quiz mentioned in today's episode at https://www.catehall.com/cringe-minefield-quiz
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  Disrupt Your Life by Design with Craig Ballantyne 16.06.2026 41分

  What if the life you want isn't built through hustle, but through intentional design?In this episode of Disrupt Everything, Patrick sits down with entrepreneur, bestselling author, and performance coach Craig Ballantyne to explore why discipline isn't about restriction. It's about freedom. Known by many as "The World's Most Disciplined Man," Craig has helped hundreds of business leaders and entrepreneurs grow successful businesses while reclaiming their time, protecting their priorities, and building lives they actually want to live.Together, they unpack the principles behind Craig's Perfect Day and Perfect Week frameworks, the surprising power of subtraction, and why so many high achievers become trapped by the very success they worked so hard to create.If you've ever felt overwhelmed, overcommitted, or stuck reacting to everyone else's agenda, this conversation offers a different path forward. Because the goal isn't simply to be more productive. The goal is to build a life of meaning, impact, and freedom—on purpose.It's time to disrupt the default and start living by design.
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  Disrupt Your Big Idea with Innovator Tommy Pennington 09.06.2026 35分

  What would happen if you stopped waiting for permission and simply started tackling big problems?Patrick talks with Tommy Pennington, a Vanderbilt graduate and rising innovator, about what it means to think boldly at any age. Tommy has explored everything from fusion-powered technology to traffic flow systems to helping nonprofits gain access to large-scale donated goods through his work at SIMPLI.What makes Tommy stand out is not just the size of the problems he takes on. It’s his willingness to move toward complexity instead of away from it.This conversation explores curiosity, initiative, innovation, and the mindset required to pursue ideas that most people would never even attempt.
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  Disrupt the Spotlight with Opera Singer and Leader Keri Alkema 02.06.2026 33分

  What happens when you step away from the spotlight and choose to lead in an entirely new way?Patrick sits down with internationally acclaimed opera performer Keri Alkema to discuss reinvention, leadership, creativity, and the future of the arts. After a celebrated career performing on some of the world’s biggest stages, Keri is stepping into a new role as the future director of the Nashville Opera.Together, they explore the transition from performer to leader, what it means to carry forward an art form while challenging the status quo, and how disruption often requires the courage to leave behind an identity that once defined you.Keri brings energy, honesty, and vision to a conversation about purpose, leadership, and building something bigger than yourself.
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  Disrupt the Stories We Tell with Fox Business Reporter Lydia Hu 26.05.2026 35分

  How do you find your voice and stay steady when the world feels chaotic?Patrick sits down with Lydia Hu, attorney turned journalist and familiar face on Fox Business, for a conversation about career pivots, high-pressure moments, and navigating disruption in real time. The two first connected while appearing together on Varney & Company during the height of Patrick and James Patterson’s media tour.Lydia shares her journey from practicing law to becoming a nationally recognized business reporter covering some of the most disruptive moments in recent history, including COVID, financial uncertainty, and rapidly changing economic conditions.This episode explores communication, reinvention, and the importance of stepping into uncomfortable opportunities before you feel fully ready.
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  Disrupt the Way You See Problems with DonCo’s President David Mendelson 19.05.2026 35分

  Most people see waste, excess, or leftover materials as a problem. David Mendelson sees opportunity.Patrick talks with David Mendelson, leader of multi-generation family-owned company DONCO, about creativity, problem solving, and operating in a world where every phone call brings a new challenge. David and his team help organizations rethink industrial byproducts, excess inventory, and unused materials by finding innovative ways to put them back into use.Featured in Disrupt Everything and Win, David exemplifies what positive disruptors do best: seeing what others miss and thinking differently when faced with uncertainty.This conversation is about mindset, ingenuity, adaptability, and why some people are able to find possibilities where others only see obstacles.
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  Disrupt Career Reinvention with Forbes Contributor Kathy Caprino 12.05.2026 41分

  What does it take to reinvent yourself in a world shaped by layoffs, AI, uncertainty, and constant change?In this episode, Patrick sits down with career and leadership expert Kathy Caprino, Forbes columnist, executive coach, educator, and host of the Finding Brave podcast. The two first met at the World Business Forum in New York City, where Kathy’s thoughtful questions and genuine care for people immediately stood out.Together, they explore career reinvention, leadership visibility, personal growth, and what it really means to navigate disruption well. Kathy shares insights from years of helping professionals find clarity, courage, and direction in moments when the future feels uncertain.Whether you’re considering a career pivot, trying to lead through change, or simply wondering what’s next, this conversation will help you think differently about your path forward.
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  Disrupt Your Voice with Megan Piphus 05.05.2026 34分

  What does it really mean to find your voice? In this episode of Disruption Lab, Patrick sits down with Megan Piphus to explore how voice is not just something you have. It is something you develop, refine, and sometimes fight to uncover. Megan’s journey is anything but typical. She started as a self-taught ventriloquist at a young age, went on to appear on America's Got Talent, built a career that spans performance, music, and storytelling, and eventually became a puppeteer and cast member on Sesame Street.  But what makes this conversation stand out is not just what she has accomplished. It is how she disrupted herself along the way. From finance and real estate to creative work that aligns with who she truly is, Megan made intentional choices to step into her voice rather than settle for a path that did not fully fit.  This conversation will challenge you to disrupt the assumptions you carry about who you are supposed to be and how you are supposed to show up. It is about finding the confidence to use your voice, even when it looks different from what others expect. Megan’s story is also featured in the New York Times bestselling book Disrupt Everything and Win, which Patrick coauthored with James Patterson. To learn more about Megan and her work, visit her website: https://www.MeganPiphus.com
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  Disrupt the Idea of a Single Path with Colleen Brown and Pierce Brown 28.04.2026 57分

  What if success doesn’t follow a single path? In this episode of Disruption Lab, Patrick sits down with Colleen Brown and her son Pierce Brown for a conversation that highlights two very different journeys, both pursued with clarity and intention. Colleen has led at the highest levels as a CEO and board member. Pierce has built a global following as the author of the Red Rising series. Their careers look nothing alike, and that is exactly the point. This conversation will push you to disrupt the belief that there is one right way to build a meaningful life. You will hear how each of them found and committed to their own path, how they think about their work, and how they continue to grow without trying to become someone else. What stands out most is the dynamic between them. There is a deep sense of respect, admiration, and appreciation for each other’s journey. It is a reminder that we do not have to choose the same path to support, value, and learn from one another. If you are navigating your own direction, this episode offers a grounded perspective. You do not need a single path. You need your path, and the awareness to recognize and respect it in others. Learn more about Pierce’s work at https://www.piercebrown.com
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  Disrupt Stress & Joy with Amy Leneker 21.04.2026 32分

  What if the stress you’re feeling isn’t something to manage but something to rethink entirely? In this episode of Disruption Lab, Patrick sits down with Amy Leneker to explore how our relationship with stress shapes the way we show up at work and in life. Too often, we treat stress as the enemy and joy as something we will get to later. Amy challenges that thinking and offers a more practical approach that helps you navigate pressure without losing yourself in the process. This conversation will push you to disrupt the way you think about stress, success, and what it means to enjoy the life you are building. Amy is the author of Cheers to Monday, where she shares insights and tools to help people create more energy, clarity, and fulfillment in their everyday lives. You can learn more at her website https://www.amyleneker.com 
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  Disrupt Your Measure for Success with New York Times bestselling author Jim Murphy 14.04.2026 41分

  In this conversation, Patrick sits down with Jim, a former professional athlete and a sought-after coach at the highest levels of sport and beyond, to explore the ideas behind his earlier work Inner Excellence and his newly released book The Best Possible Life. Together, they dig into the hidden barriers that often get in our way when we are striving for something meaningful.Along the way, Patrick shares honestly how he sometimes “sabotages” himself. Jim challenges that framing and offers a more useful way to think about it, giving language that shifts how we see our own behavior and potential.If you are trying to do meaningful work, make a difference, or simply live a fuller life, this episode is a thoughtful look at what it really means to disrupt yourself and redefine success on your own terms.