How to Lead with Clay Scroggins and Adam Tarnow

One Chapter Ends and Another Begins 06.07.2026 3min

A quick update about the future of the Podcast and our plans for the summer.

Be Easy to Work With (featuring Berry Mansfield) 29.06.2026 25min

Everyone wants to stand out at work. Berry Mansfield figured out that the secret isn't being the loudest or the smartest — it's being the easiest. As President of Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas, Berry has built an entire career on one principle: be easy to work with. In this episode, he traces how that idea carried him from accounting all the way to the president's chair, and why the simplest principles are usually the most powerful ones.

Culture Matters (featuring Jenni Catron) 15.06.2026 39min

In this episode, Adam sits down with Jenni Catron, leadership expert, founder of The 4Sight Group, and author of Culture Matters , to talk about one of the most important and most overlooked responsibilities of any leader: building a healthy organizational culture. Jenni brings clarity and practical wisdom to a topic that can feel abstract, and this conversation will leave you with both a better understanding of why culture matters and what you can actually do about it.

The People-Pleasing Tax 01.06.2026 25min

We've all done it: said yes before we even finished thinking, then immediately regretted it. Clay and Adam dig into why people-pleasing feels like the kind thing to do, why it isn't, and what it quietly costs you as a leader: trust, clarity, energy, and the hard conversations that only get harder the longer you wait. Plus, five moves to start breaking the reflex this week.

Your One-on-Ones are Probably Broken 18.05.2026 25min

Most leaders run one-on-ones every week. Almost none of them run one-on-ones their people actually want to show up to. The problem isn't effort — it's a fundamental mismatch: you think you're running a status meeting. Your direct report came hoping for something else entirely.In this episode, Adam and Clay break down why the most powerful recurring meeting on your calendar is also the most wasted one — and what to do about it. You'll learn the difference between a status meeting and a trust meeting, what your direct reports actually need from 30 minutes with you, and a handful of small shifts that turn a hollow check-in into the best meeting of someone's week.This podcast is produced by Sound of a Rose.

The Most Puzzling Part of Leadership 11.05.2026 15min

When 18 out of 23 leaders in a room all gave the same answer — people — to the question "What's the most puzzling part of leadership?", it was hard to ignore. This episode unpacks why.Drawing on a distinction from Arthur Brooks' new book, we explore the difference between complicated problems (ones that can be solved) and complex problems (ones that can only be managed). The cruel irony of leadership? Solve enough complicated problems and you get promoted into a world full of complex ones — and the skills that got you there are almost useless in this new game.If you've ever tried to spreadsheet your way through a relational conflict or a disengaged high performer, this one's for you. We'll talk about what it actually looks like to stop trying to solve the unsolvable — and why leaning into the mystery might be the most important thing you can do as a leader.Podcast produced by ⁠Sound of a Rose

Whole Leaders, Wild Trust (featuring Dr. Rob McKenna) 04.05.2026 47min

What does it really mean to lead from a place of wholeness and why does trust feel so elusive in today's organizations? In this episode, Adam sits down with Dr. Rob McKenna, author of Whole Leaders, Wild Trust, for a conversation that challenges everything you thought you knew about leadership development.Dr. McKenna explores why the most effective leaders aren't the ones who have it all figured out, but the ones who are willing to show up fully; with their strengths, their struggles, and their humanity intact. He unpacks the idea of "wild trust": the kind of deep, unguarded confidence that teams extend to leaders who are genuinely known, not just professionally polished.Whether you're leading a team of five or an organization of thousands, this episode will leave you rethinking how you show up and what it truly means to be trusted.Learn more about Dr. McKenna: https://www.wildleaders.org/Pick up a copy of Dr. McKenna's book: https://a.co/d/046Ru6KbPodcast produced by Sound of a Rose

Your Middle Managers Don't Need to Suck it Up 27.04.2026 26min

The data is hard to ignore: mid-level leaders are the most stressed and burned out professional demographic — more burned out than individual contributors, more than senior executives. And yet most organizations treat manager development as an afterthought. Meanwhile, the generation coming up behind them is looking at middle management and quietly deciding it's not worth it.This episode is for the senior leader. The executive. The person who's climbed out of the valley and is now looking down at it.Adam shares a personal story from May 2009 — a breaking point in the valley, and what the senior leaders around him did and didn't do in response. What that moment revealed wasn't that they didn't care. It's that they'd navigated the valley themselves, but had no idea how to explain what they'd learned. They couldn't transfer what they couldn't articulate.We walk through three signs your middle managers are struggling — and why what looks like a character problem is almost always a systems problem. Then we make the case for what senior leaders actually owe the people in their valley. Spoiler: it's not a pep talk, a mandate to push through, or a sink-or-swim moment. It's a repeatable framework and a leader willing to hand it down.If your team's vision lives or dies through your middle managers — and it does — this one is worth your full attention.Purchase The Fog of Work:Amazon: https://a.co/d/08JMiDajBarnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-fog-of-work-adam-tarnow/1148527628?ean=9781394368136https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-fog-of-work-adam-tarnow/1148527628?ean=9781394368136

Judged on Things You Don't Fully Control 20.04.2026 29min

Every middle manager knows the feeling: things show up on your annual review that never appeared on your to-do list. You're expected to boil the ocean every day. You're held responsible for outcomes that depend on people, circumstances, and decisions that are never fully yours. It's not a personal failing — it's the defining tension of life in the middle.In this episode, we share what might be the single most useful idea in The Fog of Work — a simple, three-step framework for finding clarity and action in exactly those moments. We call it the fog-clearing sentence, and it's the punchline the whole book builds toward. Not a pep talk. Not a call to push harder. A repeatable system for extracting what you can do from situations that feel completely out of your control.If you've ever walked out of a meeting with your boss wondering how you were supposed to deliver something that was never really in your hands — this episode is for you.Download a free Control Your Controllables Worksheet here: https://adamtarnow.com/fogresourcesPurchase a copy of The Fog of WorkAmazon: https://a.co/d/0e3k3WagBarnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-fog-of-work-adam-tarnow/1148527628?ean=9781394368136

It's Here and It's For You 13.04.2026 24min

Middle managers are some of the most important — and most overlooked — leaders in any organization. In this episode, Clay and Adam unpack Adam's new book, The Fog of Work: what it is, why it hits hardest in the middle of an org chart, and how to find your footing when you can barely see what's in front of you.They talk through the valley that most leaders never see coming, the three ways people respond when the fog rolls in, and the practical tools Adam built to help leaders reclaim clarity and agency — no matter what's happening above or below them.If you're a leader who's ever felt stuck in the middle and wondered if something was wrong with you, this one's for you. The Fog of Work is available now — grab your copy at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Why You Need to Throw More Parties 06.04.2026 22min

Every leader knows they should celebrate their team more. Almost none of them actually do it. In this episode, Clay Scroggins and Adam dig into why leaders chronically under-celebrate — and why that's costing them more than they realize. They unpack the research on what recognition actually does to a team's motivation, pull a surprising insight from the parable of the prodigal son, and give you four practical ways to build a culture of celebration that doesn't depend on you remembering to do it. If you've ever thought "I need to do a better job honoring my people" and then watched the moment pass, this one's for you.One thing to do before Monday: Think of someone on your team who did something worth celebrating in the last two weeks. Tell them tonight — specifically, with actual words. Start there.

Good People Make Good Leaders 30.03.2026 26min

Most leadership content focuses on skills—strategy, communication, vision, execution. And those things matter. But there's a question that doesn't get asked nearly enough: What kind of person are you while you lead?In this episode, Clay and Adam explore the idea that great leadership isn't just about mastering the steering wheel—where you're going, how fast you're moving, whether you're hitting goals. It's also about looking in the mirror. Because you can be highly skilled, consistently effective, and still be someone people don't actually want to follow.They break down what it really means to be a "good person" in leadership—not passive, not conflict-avoidant, but someone with genuine integrity, humility, and self-awareness—and why those qualities are the invisible engine behind trust, influence, and team health.Plus, three practical "mirrors" every leader should be looking into regularly, and a simple challenge to take into your week.

What Actually Matters Early In Your Career 23.03.2026 21min

What's the best career advice you could give a sixteen-year-old? Clay shares three answers that stuck with him after career day at his daughter's school — and they turned out to be more useful than most advice aimed at seasoned professionals. In this episode, Clay and Adam unpack why the person you work for matters more than the job you do, why the simplest skills are often the rarest and most valuable, and why relational intelligence may be the most underrated career asset of all. Whether you're just starting out or years in, these three ideas are worth revisiting.

What No Leader Really Wants, but Every Leader Needs 16.03.2026 19min

Nobody asks for resistance. But in this finale of our series on building unstoppable momentum, Clay and Adam make the case that resistance might be the most powerful growth tool available to a leader — if you're willing to embrace it.Over the past several weeks, we've walked through the 5 Rs: resources, repetition, rhythms, and relationships. Today we close with the one nobody wants but everyone needs. We talk about what resistance actually is, the three wrong ways leaders typically respond to it, and what it looks like to lean into a hard season instead of running from it.Growth doesn't happen by accident — and that includes the growth that comes through difficulty. This episode will help you reframe the friction in your life and walk away with a practical next step.

Who's in Your Circle? 02.03.2026 22min

You can read every book and master every habit, but if you're the smartest person in your circle, your growth has a ceiling. In this episode, Clay and Adam tackle the often-overlooked reality that isolation is the enemy of excellence—and that staying lonely as a leader is a choice that stunts your potential.They introduce the concept of a "Relationship Portfolio": the four types of people every growing leader needs. The Mentor (someone 2–3 stages ahead), The Peer (iron sharpening iron), The Truth-Teller (the person with permission to call out your blind spots), and The Protégé (someone you're pouring into). You'll learn how to move from accidental relationships to engaged ones, how to make the "asymmetrical ask" when reaching out to a mentor, and why explicitly giving people permission to challenge you changes everything.The truth? We are the average of the five people we spend the most time with. This episode will challenge you to audit your circle and ask: Are these relationships stretching you, or just comforting you?Key Question: Who is one person you need to invite into your growth journey this week—and what specific permission do you need to give them?

The Secret Advantage of Great Leaders 23.02.2026 27min

Most leaders have a growth goal, but very few have a growth rhythm. In this episode, we explore why motivation is a terrible strategy for development and why the best leaders don't rely on it. Instead, they build repeatable patterns—daily, weekly, and quarterly—that automate their growth even when they don't feel like showing up.Clay and Adam break down the difference between goals (which have finish lines) and rhythms (which run for life), and share practical techniques for designing habits that actually stick: the Anchor Technique, the Two-Minute Rule, and Environment Design. You'll also get a Leadership Rhythm Audit to evaluate whether your schedule is serving your growth or just your inbox.The truth? You don't rise to the level of your ambition—you fall to the level of your rhythms. Nobody drifts into greatness, but plenty of people drift into burnout. This episode will help you design rhythms that design you.Key Question: If I looked at your calendar for the last seven days, would I see a rhythm of growth, or just a rhythm of reaction?

The Myth of Experience 09.02.2026 23min

Most professionals assume experience automatically leads to growth. It doesn’t.In this episode, Adam and Clay unpack the difference between doing something repeatedly and getting better at it. The truth? Repetition creates experience, but evaluated repetition creates growth.You’ll learn why so many capable leaders get stuck in cycles of being busy—but not better—and how avoiding feedback, reflection, and evaluation quietly stalls progress. Drawing on ideas from growth mindset research, emotional intelligence, and real-world leadership stories, this conversation introduces a simple, practical framework for turning everyday reps into meaningful improvement.Whether you’re leading meetings, coaching your team, selling, presenting, or managing people, this episode will help you stop reinforcing bad habits—and start learning from your work as you go.Bottom line:Don’t just repeat it. Review it.Reflection question for listeners:Where in your work do you need to stop and evaluate your repetitions instead of just powering through them?

The Right Resource at the Right Time 02.02.2026 25min

Leadership doesn’t grow by accident. It grows by what you choose to feed it.In this episode, Adam and Clay tackle the overwhelm of leadership content and make the case for a more intentional approach to learning. Instead of chasing every new book, podcast, or framework, they show how the right resources—at the right time—can reshape how you think, decide, and lead.They unpack why resources matter, how they train your brain to think better, and why one book, podcast, or mentor can become a turning point in your leadership journey. You’ll learn four practical filters for choosing resources that actually solve real problems, stretch your thinking, and can be applied immediately.The conversation wraps with a simple system for building a sustainable learning rhythm—without burning out—and a challenge to move beyond consumption by sharing what you’re learning with others.If you want to grow as a leader without bruising yourself through trial and error, this episode will help you find the resources that move you forward faster—and with less stress.

How Leaders Create Unstoppable Momentum 26.01.2026 22min

Leadership growth doesn’t happen by accident. In this mini-series kickoff episode, Adam and Clay introduce the Growing Leader Framework and the five keys that drive real, sustained momentum. They explore why some leaders keep growing while others stall, break down the 5 R’s that shape leadership development, and challenge listeners to intentionally design their growth instead of drifting into it.

Managing Feelings: The Human Side of Leadership 12.01.2026 42min

Ben Ortlip joins Adam to discuss how effective leaders learn to listen not just to words, but to the emotions behind them.Learn more about Ben: https://theculturemri.com/