When was the last time you vented about someone? And why didn’t you just talk to them instead? In this season finale, we hear from three listeners whose lives shifted because of the show: a mom who saw her son differently, a leader who publicly owned his coaching experience, and a son who finally had an honest conversation with his parents. These are stories of ownership, agency, and the space where real change starts. Topics we address: 01:05 — How we unintentionally take away people’s growth when we speak for them 07:20 — How vulnerability can make people see you as a more credible leader 10:30 — Why venting feels good but never solves the problem 13:50 — How to remove the difficulty out of hard conversations 18:00 — How old stories keep us from seeing who someone is now Have a leadership challenge or question you’d like us to explore on the show? Submit it here! Need help developing your leaders or organization? Schedule a complimentary strategy session.
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23:16
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23:16
Why your plans die in execution
What was it all for? You've shared the vision, trained the team, and gave them everything they needed to succeed.And they still aren't following through.In part two of this raw coaching series, Daniel—a high school principal—continues to wrestle with this leadership challenge. What starts as a reflection on stalled execution becomes a deep reckoning with busyness, control, and the fear of leading in a way that might cost you your people. If you’ve ever felt the weight of being ultimately responsible for the outcomes and still coming up short then this episode is for you.Ideas we explore: 01:20 — Why your team might be slow to act 06:10 — What gets lost when you rush connection 10:40 — How busyness is shaping the way you lead 14:00 — The fear of being truly seen 18:00 — What it actually takes to change a leadership habit Have a leadership challenge or question you’d like us to explore on the show? Submit it here! Need help developing your leaders or organization? Schedule a complimentary strategy session.
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31:49
You don’t call it micromanaging. Your team might.
Feel like you're just being thorough? Focused on quality? Clear about your expectations? You might call it leadership, but to your team, it might feel like control. So what happens when your high standards start getting in the way of growth?In this raw coaching episode—part one of a two-part series—Daniel, a high school principal with deep experience across every level of school leadership, wrestles with that exact tension. With help from his Arbinger coach, Daniel uncovers how his desire for consistency and excellence is actually limiting his team’s growth and holding him back from the kind of leader he wants to be. Ideas we explore: 01:35 — How to lead well when you’re stretched too thin 10:55 — When your efforts to help actually cause delays 14:30 — The difference between shielding your team and stealing their shot 21:05 — How control quietly strains relationships at work and at home 27:10 — What it means to delegate a task without delegating responsibility Have a leadership challenge or question you’d like us to explore on the show? Submit it here! Need help developing your leaders or organization? Schedule a complimentary strategy session.
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29:04
How to not hate your customers.
Ever resented someone you were supposed to help? Or felt too exhausted to care, even when you knew you should?Our guests have. Daren Forbes has dedicated his life to funeral service, and Dr. Steve Jackson serves people as a physician. They know what it’s like to feel called to meaningful, people-centered work—and still feel resentful, drained, or disconnected from the very people they’re trying to serve. They share their messy moments when their mindset became the deciding factor in their ability to show up effectively instead of shut down.Ideas we explore: 01:20 — How to keep showing up when you’re completely worn out 05:45 — The shift that moves you from resentment back into service 10:30 — Unlocking creativity and care even when exhausted 13:50 — How an inward mindset clouds your judgment 18:05 — Why caring for coworkers reduces burnout and turnover 27:45 — How well-meaning policies can quietly set people up to fail Have a leadership challenge or question you’d like us to explore on the show? Submit it here!Need help developing your leaders or organization? Schedule a complimentary strategy session.
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How to stop sabotaging your most important relationships.
Can we let people—especially the ones we care about most—chart their own path? What about when we think they're making a mistake?In this part 2 episode, Jeanette returns to examine how the same leadership patterns she’s untangling in her role at work are playing out at home—with her son, her daughter-in-law, and her husband. What starts as a family conflict becomes a raw reckoning with expectations, identity, and the cost of clinging to an ideal instead of truly seeing people.Ideas we explore: 01:15 — When stepping in to help actually gets in the way 04:10 — How the ideal in your head is sabotaging your relationships 07:00 — It isn't love when it's about you 15:00 — Clinging to being right makes connection impossible 21:50 — Your mindset shapes every relationship you touch 28:00 — The courage it takes to truly see and acknowledge othersHave a leadership challenge or question you’d like us to explore on the show? Submit it here!Need help developing your leaders or organization? Schedule a complimentary strategy session.
You don’t need another podcast full of vague leadership platitudes. You need real answers to the people problems that stall performance.
Leading Outward from The Arbinger Institute goes beyond theory. We coach leaders in real time to tackle their messiest issues—culture breakdowns, accountability failures, conflict and blame, and team dysfunction. We also bring you behind the scenes with executives and leaders of all varieties from around the world to break down how they are solving their most pressing challenges.
If you're ready to stop managing symptoms and start solving root problems, this is your show. It's time to start leading outward.
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