The Modern Manager

Most of what happens in a workday, from how you open a meeting to how you respond to bad news, runs on autopilot. Habits, not decisions, are doing the heavy lifting. Behavior scientist BJ Fogg explains why willpower fails, why "bad habits" aren't really the enemy, and how one tiny action, done consistently, can quietly reshape how you see yourself as a leader, teammate, and person.

Guest Bio

BJ Fogg, PhD, is a behavior scientist at Stanford University, where he founded the Behavior Design Lab. In addition to his research, Fogg teaches industry innovators...

Most AI tools promise to make you more productive, but few actually remove the friction hiding in your daily grind. This episode breaks down four AI tools used every single day, not for the novelty, but for the real bottlenecks they eliminate: typing, email triage, meeting notes, and building the small tool you always wished existed. If you want less busywork and more bandwidth for the parts of management that actually matter, this one's for you.

Conversation Topics

Most leaders pour all their energy into managing the people who report to them and forget the other two-thirds of the job: managing up to their boss and across to the peers who can make or break a project. Skip those relationships and you end up stuck in silos, guessing what your boss actually wants, and wondering why cross-functional projects keep stalling. Here's the mindset shift and the exact moves that fix all three.

Guest Bio

For almost 20 years, Kristen Harcourt has been a trusted partner to executives and emerging leaders across hundreds...

Most of us have an instinctual positive response to great work.“This is amazing, thank you so much.” It feels warm and authentic, but could have been said about anyone or any work. The lack of specificity means those words are cheap and the positive impact they make is short-lived. Here's how to show authentic appreciation, using AI as a thinking partner (not a ghost writer) to pinpoint exactly what you appreciate so you can convey a truly meaningful message of thanks.

Conversation Topics

That stomach-drop feeling before a hard conversation? It's not weakness. It's your brain doing exactly what it was designed to do. Emotional intelligence expert Amy Jacobson breaks down the neuroscience of avoidance, the exact questions to ask before you say anything difficult, and why the conversation you've been dreading might be the most important one you ever have.

Guest Bio

Amy Jacobson is an emotional intelligence and human behavior specialist delivering programs, keynotes, and workshops across Australia and internationally. She is a twice Wiley-published author of Emotional Intelligence: A Simple and Actionable Guide to Increasing...

Picture a room stuck for three weeks on one sentence for a new policy. Half the team wants a rule tight enough to enforce, the other half wants it loose enough to survive real life. Nobody's wrong, and nobody's moving. This episode breaks down why chasing full agreement kills decisions, why forcing a vote kills them slowly in the background, and the three questions that get a group to something everyone can actually stand behind.

Conversation Topics

Your team isn't falling apart because something went wrong. It's falling apart because that's what teams do by default, drifting toward disconnection unless someone actively counteracts it. Lucky for us, there are four forces that pull people back together. Discover the fast, free actions any manager can take this week to stop the drift before it costs you your best people.

Guest Bio

Matt Poepsel, PhD is the author of Expand the Circle: Enlightened Leadership for Our New World of Work and host of the Lead the People podcast. He serves as Vice President...

You say yes to the small stuff: the draft review, the book recommendation, the shampoo run. Then Thursday comes and none of it has happened. No one complains, but something quietly cracks. Every broken commitment, even the tiny ones, adds up to a trust tax you’re paying without realizing it. This episode breaks down the three-part structure that turns a yes into something people can actually count on.

Conversation Topics

Some of the best leadership lessons don't come from business books. Throughout history, different cultures have developed wisdom for how we can interact with and lead others. By exploring what different cultures value, we can identify insights into what might help us be better managers today.

Dr. Joel A. Davis Brown is an attorney, executive leadership consultant, and author of The Souls of Queer Folk. Drawing on lessons from LGBTQ+ cultural values and decades of leadership consulting, he helps organizations build more inclusive, perceptive, and human-centered leadership practices.

In this episode, we...

Hitting the goal doesn’t always mean the project was a success.

A project can finish on time, hit every target, and look like a clear win on the dashboard while quietly burning out the team, damaging trust, or leaving the same problems waiting to happen again.

In this episode, I explain why outcomes alone don’t tell the full story of project success and introduce three measures every manager should consider: the outcome, how the work got done, and what the team learned. You'll discover how to distinguish betw...

Difficult conversations are rarely difficult because we don't know what to say.

More often, they fall apart because we have the conversation at the wrong time, in the wrong way, or without realizing that the other person is experiencing the situation very differently than we are.

Fortunately, this week's guest shares a practical framework for navigating challenging conversations without creating more conflict. Instead of focusing on "winning" the discussion, you'll learn how to create the conditions for people to listen, collaborate, and move forward together.

Most onboarding plans focus on helping new hires feel welcome and settled in their role.

But the real purpose of onboarding isn't orientation; it's creating clarity before misunderstandings become habits and before small mistakes turn into difficult performance conversations.

In this episode, I explain why the success or struggles you see three months after someone joins your team are often determined before they even start. You'll learn the difference between orientation and onboarding, why unclear expectations quietly undermine great hires, and the three things every manager should define during...

Most managers know they should spend more time thinking strategically. The problem is that strategy often gets crowded out by urgent tasks, endless decisions, and the pressure to solve today's problems.

But strategic thinking isn't just about setting long-term goals. It's about creating the space to explore possibilities, challenge assumptions, and help your team think beyond what's immediately in front of them.

Fortunately, this week's guest shares a practical approach to developing strategic thinking, creating compelling visions of the future, and leading conversations that generate better ideas rather than...

When a meeting becomes tense, your natural instinct might be to calm things down.

But when emotions start rising, the real problem usually isn’t the conflict itself. It’s that something important is at stake, and the conversation has shifted from solving a problem to defending positions, competence, or credibility.

In this episode, I explain why trying to smooth things over or bypass the hard stuff by “taking it offline” often makes things worse. You'll learn how to recognize what's really happening when discussions become emotional, why tension can be a...

Managers often say they want more accountability on their teams. But accountability often feels like micromanaging people, chasing updates, or constantly correcting mistakes.

In fact, many accountability problems begin long before performance issues show up. They start with unclear expectations, missing resources, and assumptions that everyone interprets requests the same way.

Fortunately, this week’s guest offers a practical framework for creating accountability that actually works, without damaging trust, morale, or autonomy.

Molly Rodau helps organizations navigate periods of growth and complexity by strengthening le...

Some team conflicts seem to get resolved quickly.

Others keep resurfacing in meeting after meeting, leaving everyone frustrated and no closer to a solution.

In this episode, I explain why certain disagreements are so difficult to resolve and introduce a simple framework for identifying the three types of conflict that show up on nearly every team: process conflict, perspective conflict, and personality conflict.

You'll learn how to recognize which type of conflict you're dealing with, why different conflicts require different responses, and the practical...

Most managers think their job is to have the answers.

But the managers who create the strongest teams often do the opposite: they ask better questions.

The challenge is that under pressure, most of us default to fixing, advising, and jumping in with solutions. And while that may feel efficient in the moment, it can unintentionally shut down ownership, confidence, and independent thinking on our teams.

Fortunately, this week’s guests explain why coaching doesn’t have to mean hour-long development conversations or formal mentoring sessions. Instead, they share how small “coachable moment...

Most managers think difficult feedback conversations are hard because they don’t know what to say.

But often the real problem is that the conversation they’re preparing for is the wrong one.

In this episode, I break down why feedback conversations become so emotionally exhausting, why managers keep delaying them, and how unclear expectations quietly damage trust long before feedback is ever delivered.

You’ll learn why feedback only works when there’s a shared understanding of standards first, how to shift from a “feedb...

AI can now answer questions faster, cheaper, and sometimes better than humans. So where does that leave managers and teams?

For many leaders, the instinct is to use AI to speed up execution and automate tasks. But the bigger challenge isn’t getting faster answers. It’s learning how to ask better questions, navigate uncertainty, and create environments where people are encouraged to think critically, experiment, and complement AI.

Fortunately, this week’s guest explains why the future of work won’t belong to the people who always have the righ...

Most managers assume burnout is caused by one thing: workload.

But in reality, burnout is rarely that simple. It’s usually the result of multiple hidden workplace dynamics that quietly drain energy over time, long before anyone officially burns out.

In this episode, I break down six overlooked causes of burnout that show up in everyday leadership decisions, from lack of work-life balance and micromanagement to toxic culture, lack of support, recognition gaps, and monotonous work.

You’ll also hear how these patterns show up i...

Resilience is often framed as pushing through, staying positive, and powering past challenges.

But that version of resilience can backfire, especially for managers trying to support their teams. When leaders jump too quickly into problem-solving or positivity, they can unintentionally make people feel unheard, dismissed, or disconnected.

Fortunately, this week’s guest shares a more effective approach to building resilience, one that starts with acknowledging what people are actually experiencing and then guides them toward solutions.

Jay Abbasi is a leadership coach and former ex...

Most managers assume burnout is caused by one thing: workload.

But in reality, burnout is rarely that simple. It’s usually the result of multiple hidden workplace dynamics that quietly drain energy over time long before anyone officially burns out.

In this episode, I break down six overlooked causes of burnout that show up in everyday leadership decisions, from false urgency and unfair treatment to relentless change, limited growth, and feeling undercompensated.

You’ll also learn how to recognize early warning signs of burnout, unde...

Toxic workplaces come in many different forms that we might not always notice. 

And because we aren’t all affected in the same ways, even the most well-meaning managers can unintentionally contribute to an unhealthy culture if they aren't paying close attention. 

Aoife O’Brien is an organizational psychologist, leadership expert, and author of Thriving Talent. Her work focuses on helping organizations create environments where people feel psychologically safe, aligned to meaningful work, and able to perform at their best.

In this conversation, we explor...

You’re stuck between two options, going back and forth, trying to figure out the “right” choice. Should you hire or not? Change systems or stay the same? Restructure or keep things as they are? The more you think about it, the more stuck you feel.

It’s easy to assume the answer is hidden somewhere between those two choices, but often, that’s the real problem. You’re treating a complex decision as if it only has two possible paths.

In this quick lesson, I share five practical strategies t...

We often think our reactions at work are about what’s happening in the moment: a frustrating colleague, a difficult conversation, or a stressful situation.

But what if those reactions are actually coming from somewhere else?

For many managers, moments of irritation, defensiveness, or emotional overwhelm can feel confusing or even unprofessional. But these responses aren’t random and they’re not a sign that something is wrong with you.

Fortunately, this week’s guest explains how our past experiences shape our present-day interactions and how...

We spend most of our time indoors moving from screens to meetings to more screens without realizing the toll it’s taking on our focus, energy, and overall well-being.

For many managers, burnout and fatigue feel like a personal failing or just “part of the job.” But what if the real issue isn’t you… it’s your environment?

Fortunately, this week’s guest explains how reconnecting with nature isn’t just about wellness; it’s a powerful, science-backed way to improve cognitive function, reduce stress, and become a more effective lea...

Stress is something every manager experiences. Tight deadlines, constant decisions, competing priorities; it can feel like pressure is simply part of the job.

Most leaders treat stress like one big, unavoidable force. In reality, stress isn’t just one thing. It appears in different forms, and each requires a different response. When leaders don’t understand the source of their stress, they often try to solve the wrong problem or end up stuck in cycles of overthinking and burnout.

Fortunately, this week’s guest shares a practical framework for unders...

Empathy is often talked about as a “soft skill,” but in reality, it can be one of the most powerful leadership strategies for building trust, improving collaboration, and helping teams perform at their best.

When leaders understand the experiences and stories that shape how people think, communicate, and respond under pressure, they can lead in ways that make team members feel truly seen and supported. But empathy at work isn’t just about being kind or having surface-level conversations. It requires curiosity, listening, and taking action based on what you learn.

T...

Change is constant. But too often, leaders treat change as a project instead of a core leadership skill.

That’s when teams disengage, resistance grows, and initiatives stall. The problem isn’t the change itself. It’s how it’s led.

Fortunately, this week’s guest shares a powerful new approach to help leaders guide their teams through uncertainty, build trust, and turn resistance into meaningful progress.

Yvonne is a Change Management Strategist & Advisor, Founder of The Change Leadership, Author, and a Change Leadership Advocate w...

Many leaders assume communication is about clarity. But the real challenge is getting people to truly understand, care, and take action.

Too often, managers jump straight into slides, updates, or instructions without thinking about the impact of their message. As a result, even important communication falls flat, creates confusion, or leaves teams unsure what to do next.

Fortunately, this week’s guest shares a simple yet powerful framework for making every message more intentional, engaging, and effective.

Andy Freed is the Chairman of Virtual In...

Many managers believe pressure drives performance. Others focus heavily on support. But high-performing teams don’t choose one or the other. They operate with both.

When expectations are high, but support is low, people become defensive, stressed, and disengaged. 

When support is high but expectations are low, performance suffers. The real challenge for managers is learning how to balance intensity with kindness so teams feel both challenged and supported.

Fortunately, this week’s guest shares a practical and grounded approach to building this balance. 

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Many teams struggle with the same invisible problem: unspoken norms that quietly undermine collaboration, performance, and trust. 

Even when leaders want better behaviors, more ownership, healthier boundaries, and stronger collaboration, change often stalls because no one has named what’s actually happening.

Fortunately, this week’s guest helps managers put language to the hidden norms shaping their teams and offers a practical way to replace judgment-based practices with norms that help people do their best work.

Nilofer Merchant is a bestselling author, speaker, and thoug...

Managing a team gets especially challenging when emotions run high.

Whether it’s you who regularly rides the emotional rollercoaster or a team member who explodes in meetings, shuts down during feedback, or feels unpredictable from one conversation to the next, many managers struggle with how to respond when emotions show up in the workplace.

Fortunately, this week’s guest offers a grounded framework for supporting emotional intensity at work without becoming a therapist and without ignoring what’s really happening.

Jordanna Eyre is the fo...

Many organizations say they want to invest in people, but their hiring and talent practices often tell a very different story.

Degree requirements, limited benefits packages, and poor management practices continue to limit who gets access to opportunity and how teams perform. And the cost shows up everywhere: higher turnover, slower productivity, and missed potential.

Fortunately, this week’s guest brings clear data and practical strategies that show how companies can do better for both people and performance.

Dr. Angela Jackson is a Workplace Fu...

About 95% of people believe they’re self-aware, but research shows only 10–15% actually are. And that gap matters, especially for managers.

Self-awareness shapes how we communicate, make decisions, handle conflict, and interpret others’ behavior. When we don’t understand what’s driving our reactions or how our actions land, we risk creating friction, bias, and misunderstanding on our teams without realizing it.

Fortunately, this week’s guest helps us unpack what true self-awareness really is, where it comes from, and how managers can develop it in practical, grounded ways.

Dr. Helen Fagan is a leadership...

You already have a personal brand, whether you’ve chosen it or not. And every meeting, email, and interaction at work is quietly shaping it.

Many managers assume personal branding is about being visible online or promoting yourself. But in reality, it’s about how you show up, how others experience working with you, and what people say about you when you’re not in the room. It’s essentially your reputation.

This week’s guest helps us unpack what personal brand really means at work and how to be intenti...

Hiring a friend can feel both generous and like a leadership landmine waiting to explode.

Good intentions aren’t enough when power dynamics shift, boundaries blur, and personal relationships collide with professional expectations. The risk isn’t just losing a friendship; it’s undermining trust, fairness, and team culture if the situation isn’t handled thoughtfully.

Fortunately, this week’s guest helps us unpack how to navigate one of leadership’s most uncomfortable decisions with clarity and integrity.

Dr. Cindi Baldi is the founder and CEO of Culsure, a management science firm...

Salary conversations are inherently complex and challenging, filled with hidden traps. They are high-stakes, deeply personal, and blend factors like budgets, fairness, expectations, and emotions. Since these discussions are infrequent, many managers lack the necessary practice, which adds to the difficulty.

Fortunately, this week’s guest breaks down exactly how to navigate compensation conversations with confidence, clarity, and leverage, without damaging relationships or risking the offer.

John Gates is an author and founder of Salary Coach, where he helps C-suite executives and senior leaders negotiate higher compensation packages without ri...

When disruption hits your team, confidence often drops, communication gets messy, and progress slows. But disruption isn’t the problem; how we respond to it is.

Fortunately, this week’s guest offers a clear, practical framework for leading with steadiness even when everything around you is shifting. And just as importantly, he explains how we can become positive disruptors in order to facilitate a brighter future.

Patrick Leddin is a global speaker, former Army Ranger, Vanderbilt professor, and bestselling author of Disrupt Everything and Win. He shares how managers can...

Ever feel like you should know more, be more confident, or have everything figured out by now?

You’re not alone, and more importantly, you don’t need to be a “know-it-all” to be an exceptional leader.

In fact, the strongest leaders today share one trait:

They are learn-it-alls, people who grow through challenges instead of shrinking from them.

Fortunately, this week’s guest brings a powerful, actionable framework that helps managers move from self-doubt into genuine capability.

Damon Lembi is a 2x be...