People crave connection, even at the office. Discover why feeling loved and valued boosts productivity, morale, and overall job satisfaction. A happier team is a more successful team. #WorkplaceLove #EmployeeMorale #CompanyCulture #Leadership

Witness empathy in action. A single phone call transforms a complaint into understanding. Learn the art of listening—and the power of reconciliation. #Empathy #Reconciliation #CommunicationSkills #ActiveListening

What if the fastest way to unlock performance isn’t to lead louder, but to host better? We sit down with best-selling author Steve Fortunato to rethink leadership through the lens of hospitality—not the restaurant kind, the human kind. Steve reveals why so much “look at me” leadership creates a vicious cycle of entitlement, and how the host mindset flips the script to “look at you,” building trust, engagement, and shared ownership. We dig into three practical principles you can apply today. First, speak the good: start by changing the inner voice you lead from, then actively name strengths in colleagues, clients, and your company to counter negativity bias and build momentum. Second, honor the other: elevate dignity with real curiosity, mine for the gold, and apply what you learn through personalized recognition, better questions, and tailored support. Third, earn respect, don’t expect it: stand in their shoes to understand pressures and constraints, and pursue reconciliation when things go wrong so relationships are restored, not just transactions. Throughout the conversation, Steve connects leadership and hospitality with vivid stories: power dynamics that make customers feel “lucky to be here,” the ecosystem of value that requires giving before getting, and how small hosting rituals—clear openings, inviting voices, pronouncing names right, closing loops—quietly transform culture. We close with a simple loop to keep you improving: celebrate what worked, then pick one thing to refine next time. If you’re ready to trade performative heroics for meaningful hosting, this one will change how you run meetings, lead projects, and serve customers. 🌐 Connect with Steve: • Website: https://stevefortunato.com/ • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-fortunato-3b990516/ • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steve_fortunato/ 📚 You can purchase Steve's book on Amazon: • The Urgent Recovery of Hospitality: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1962341526 Send us a text (https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1704997/open_sms) Support the show (https://paypal.me/theleadershipproject) ✅ Follow The Leadership Project on your favourite podcast platform and listen to a new episode every week! 📝 Don’t forget to share your thoughts on the episode in the comments below. 🔔 Join us in our mission at The Leadership Project and learn more about our organisation here: https://linktr.ee/mickspiers 📕 You can purchase a copy of the Mick Spiers bestselling book "You're a Leader, Now What?" as an eBook or paperback at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZBKK8XV If you would like a signed copy, please reach out to sei@mickspiers.com and we can arrange it for you too. If you're thinking about starting a podcast or upgrading your hosting, Buzzsprout is a great option! This link will give both of us a $20 credit when you upgrade: 👉 https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1701891 Create forms easily with Jotform! Sign up with my link: https://www.jotform.com/?referral=AkWimLxOBz Get extra Dropbox space—sign up with my link: Dropbox Referral Link (https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/AABS6mINckNfJfXjZEaOymg0zSdlShz83fk?src=global9) Wise Referral link: https://wise.com/invite/dic/michaels11434 ...

Great leaders are magnetic. You attract who you are, not what you want. Equip leaders with confidence and frameworks—and watch the culture rise. #Leadership #Communication #Culture #Management

Explore how leaders who balance high expectations with genuine care inspire loyalty. Learn how to earn the right to be tough and drive meaningful impact. #Leadership #Feedback #LeadershipStyles #Inspiration

Jeff reveals how a brutally honest conversation with Sean unlocked massive growth in his career and life. It stung, but it was exactly what he needed to hear. #GrowthMindset #Feedback #CareerAdvice #SelfImprovement

What if the hardest leadership skills are the most human ones? We pull together a month of conversations and share a playbook for leading with presence, purpose, and care—so people don’t just survive at work, they come alive. From micro moments that create mattering, to authentic leadership that fits like your own skin, to change communication that removes uncertainty, to feedback that is firm and compassionate, the thread is clear: people follow care, not titles. We start with the power of mattering inspired by Zach Mercurio: making people feel seen, heard, valued, and needed. You’ll hear practical ways to turn small interactions into a performance flywheel, including the underrated art of the second impression. Then we explore Matt Poepsel’s path from imitation to authenticity, using a leadership credo and a values-behavior audit to align mission accomplishment with employee welfare. Expect takeaways for coaching new managers so they don’t copy past mistakes but build a style they can sustain. We dig into change leadership with John Martinka’s reminder that during mergers and acquisitions, the real asset is people. Learn how to communicate early, honest, and often; reframe fear into opportunity; and fill the rumor vacuum with clarity and hope. Finally, Jeff Hancher shows how feedback, delivered with care, transforms potential. We unpack the FEAR traps that block tough conversations and lay out a simple, repeatable approach to candid coaching that builds trust and accelerates growth. Walk away with three anchoring questions: who needs to hear they matter, how will you show up as your authentic self, and which honest conversation will you have today. If the ideas sparked something, tap follow, share this with a leader who needs it, and leave a quick review telling us which practice you’ll try first. Send us a text (https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1704997/open_sms) Support the show (https://paypal.me/theleadershipproject) ✅ Follow The Leadership Project on your favourite podcast platform and listen to a new episode every week! 📝 Don’t forget to share your thoughts on the episode in the comments below. 🔔 Join us in our mission at The Leadership Project and learn more about our organisation here: https://linktr.ee/mickspiers 📕 You can purchase a copy of the Mick Spiers bestselling book "You're a Leader, Now What?" as an eBook or paperback at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZBKK8XV If you would like a signed copy, please reach out to sei@mickspiers.com and we can arrange it for you too. If you're thinking about starting a podcast or upgrading your hosting, Buzzsprout is a great option! This link will give both of us a $20 credit when you upgrade: 👉 https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1701891 Create forms easily with Jotform! Sign up with my link: https://www.jotform.com/?referral=AkWimLxOBz Get extra Dropbox space—sign up with my link: Dropbox Referral Link (https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/AABS6mINckNfJfXjZEaOymg0zSdlShz83fk?src=global9) Wise Referral link: https://wise.com/invite/dic/michaels11434 ...

What if the toughest conversation on your calendar is the very thing that unlocks respect, growth, and retention? We sit down with leadership expert and best-selling author Jeff Hancher to demystify feedback and turn a dreaded chore into a repeatable system for building high-trust, high-performance teams. Jeff shares a clear framework for setting expectations and choosing the right feedback style for the moment: directive when safety or standards are on the line, collaborative when you need ownership from a seasoned pro, and supportive when a proven performer hits a dip. We talk through common blockers—fear of fallout, emotional reactions, and not knowing how to start—and replace them with practical language leaders can use today. You’ll hear how to earn the right to be candid through steady “deposits,” why annual reviews create blind spots, and how weekly one-on-ones become the engine of engagement. Along the way, Jeff’s personal story shows the power of firm feedback delivered with care. A manager who held the line and held space changed his trajectory—and his loyalty—forever. We explore how to move from people pleasing to respect, how to ask questions that reveal self-awareness, and why withholding feedback is unfair to the person and the business. Expect simple phrases, a cadence you can sustain all year, and a playbook for confident, compassionate conversations that actually change behavior. Ready to trade avoidance for impact? Press play, then share this episode with a leader who avoids tough talks. If it resonated, follow the show, leave a quick review, and tell us which feedback style you’ll try first. Your team will thank you. 🌐 Connect with Jeff: • Website: https://www.jeffhancher.com/ • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-hancher/ • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeff.hancher/ 📚 You can purchase Jeff's book on Amazon: • Firm Feedback in a Fragile World: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DV4N8DN8/ Send us a text (https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1704997/open_sms) Support the show (https://paypal.me/theleadershipproject) ✅ Follow The Leadership Project on your favourite podcast platform and listen to a new episode every week! 📝 Don’t forget to share your thoughts on the episode in the comments below. 🔔 Join us in our mission at The Leadership Project and learn more about our organisation here: https://linktr.ee/mickspiers 📕 You can purchase a copy of the Mick Spiers bestselling book "You're a Leader, Now What?" as an eBook or paperback at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZBKK8XV If you would like a signed copy, please reach out to sei@mickspiers.com and we can arrange it for you too. If you're thinking about starting a podcast or upgrading your hosting, Buzzsprout is a great option! This link will give both of us a $20 credit when you upgrade: 👉 https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1701891 Create forms easily with Jotform! Sign up with my link: https://www.jotform.com/?referral=AkWimLxOBz Get extra Dropbox space—sign up with my link: Dropbox Referral Link (https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/AABS6mINckNfJfXjZEaOymg0zSdlShz83fk?src=global9) Wise Referral link: https://wise.com/invite/dic/michaels11434 ...

A single mistake can feel like it defines your leadership, but it doesn’t have to. In this clip, Mick Spiers shares how to turn a credibility setback into a foundation for stronger trust. 🎙️ He breaks down a clear, practical approach to rebuilding trust, starting with radical ownership, honest apologies, and consistent follow-through. Because breaking trust is fast, but rebuilding it takes time, visibility, and action. You’ll hear why managing optics only deepens doubt, and how transparency, vulnerability, and accountability can actually strengthen your leadership presence. If you’ve ever carried the weight of a misstep, this clip reminds you that recovery isn’t about perfection, it’s about integrity, consistency, and the courage to face the truth. Follow The Leadership Project with Mick Spiers for more insights on leading with honesty and purpose. #TheLeadershipProject #MicksSpiers #LeadershipDevelopment #TrustBuilding #LeadershipLessons #EmotionalIntelligence #AuthenticLeadership #PeopleFirstLeadership #LeadershipGrowth

Feeling valued by others creates two powerful beliefs: self-esteem and self-efficacy. These drive lasting motivation, resilience, and performance. People need to feel valued *in order* to add value. #SelfEsteem #SelfEfficacy #Motivation #Resilience #Performance

The only reason someone is listening to this podcast is because someone cared enough to keep them alive. Confidence isn't built alone. Our sense of mattering relies on the relationships around us. #SelfConfidence #MentalHealth #Relationships #SelfImprovement

During a business acquisition, buyers fear employee turnover, sellers worry about their loyal team abandoning them, and employees are anxious about getting laid off. The people, after all, are the real asset in any business deal. #BusinessAcquisition #EmployeeRetention #SmallBusiness #MergersAndAcquisitions

Discovering the variety and impact of work, from marketing to client support. Educating others, inspired by a teaching mother, is key. Helping people navigate life's next adventure through business transitions. #Business #Education #HelpingPeople #LifeChanging #Variety

Selling a business impacts lives. Owners begin their next adventure the right way, buyers get a good deal, and employees experience life-changing opportunities. It's a transaction that transforms futures. #BusinessSales #Entrepreneurship #LifeChanges #BusinessDeals

Change hits like a wave, and most teams feel it first as fear. We sat down with M&A veteran John Martinka to unpack how to turn that fear into focus when ownership or leadership shifts. Our conversation gets practical fast: reframing uncertainty, rewarding continuity, and communicating with a steady cadence even when legal guardrails limit what you can say. We walk through the three‑legged stool of trust across employees, seller, and buyer, and why retention bonuses tied to time and performance protect both people and the deal. John explains why buyers invest in teams, not just contracts, and how smart leaders involve key talent early without spooking the organization. We also explore how shop‑floor ideas often hold the best growth levers, and how a new owner’s curiosity plus targeted capital can unlock stalled improvements. From culture risk and turnover to customer stickiness and margin discipline, we connect the dots between people decisions and enterprise value. If you’ve been asked to present to a prospective buyer, you’ll hear how to share the positive truth: clear wins, real risks, and where capital accelerates value, including measured adoption of AI that augments your team. Founders weighing an exit get a grounded checklist on valuation basics—profitability, growth, customer concentration, tenure, and owner dependency—and how to build a bench so the business thrives without a single linchpin. Ready to lead through change with confidence and calm consistency? Hit play, subscribe for more leadership deep dives, and share this episode with a colleague who’s navigating a merger or transition. Your review helps more leaders find the show. Send us a text (https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1704997/open_sms) Support the show (https://paypal.me/theleadershipproject) ✅ Follow The Leadership Project on your favourite podcast platform and listen to a new episode every week! 📝 Don’t forget to share your thoughts on the episode in the comments below. 🔔 Join us in our mission at The Leadership Project and learn more about our organisation here: https://linktr.ee/mickspiers 📕 You can purchase a copy of the Mick Spiers bestselling book "You're a Leader, Now What?" as an eBook or paperback at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZBKK8XV If you would like a signed copy, please reach out to sei@mickspiers.com and we can arrange it for you too. If you're thinking about starting a podcast or upgrading your hosting, Buzzsprout is a great option! This link will give both of us a $20 credit when you upgrade: 👉 https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1701891 Create forms easily with Jotform! Sign up with my link: https://www.jotform.com/?referral=AkWimLxOBz Get extra Dropbox space—sign up with my link: Dropbox Referral Link (https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/AABS6mINckNfJfXjZEaOymg0zSdlShz83fk?src=global9) Wise Referral link: https://wise.com/invite/dic/michaels11434 ...