Unlocking Innovation and Empowering Teams with Jon Bassford

In this episode of The Thoughtful Entrepreneur, host Josh Elledge speaks with Jon Bassford, Founder and CEO of Lateral Solutions. Jon dives into the intersection of leadership, operational efficiency, and organizational culture—sharing powerful lessons from his personal experiences and professional journey. If you're a leader striving to cultivate innovation and empower your team, this episode is packed with actionable strategies and mindset shifts you won’t want to miss.

Leadership That Lifts: From Powerlifting to Performance Culture

Jon Bassford draws a powerful parallel between his personal passion—powerlifting—and the principles of resilient leadership. As he explains, sustainable strength, whether physical or organizational, requires adaptation over time. Jon emphasizes injury prevention and the importance of modifying one’s approach with age and experience. Leaders, too, must evolve—recognizing when to pivot, when to rest, and when to seek guidance. Just as athletes benefit from coaches, executives thrive when surrounded by mentors and strategic advisors.

This mindset is reflected in Jon’s work at Lateral Solutions, where the focus isn’t on cookie-cutter consulting but rather on operational transformation. His team performs deep diagnostic evaluations of an organization’s structure, culture, and decision-making processes. From there, they build customized, practical strategies and offer ongoing support to ensure execution. Jon’s ideal clients are companies earning between $5M and $50M in revenue, but more importantly, they are led by individuals with a growth mindset—leaders eager to change and evolve.

Much of Jon’s perspective is captured in his book, The Curious Leader, which outlines three core shifts for today’s executives: adopting a growth mindset, committing to operational excellence, and fostering a culture of feedback and collaboration. He also addresses the biggest barriers to innovation—namely, fear of change and lack of psychological safety. By inviting input from across the organization and leading with curiosity, Jon believes leaders can unlock their teams’ full potential and create cultures where innovation isn’t just encouraged—it’s expected.

About Jon Bassford

Jon Bassford is an operations professional and entrepreneur who leads with curiosity—his true superpower. After earning his JD and MBA, Jon applied his curiosity across a wide range of ventures, from startups to global nonprofits. Known for his curiosity-driven leadership, Jon helps organizations and individuals innovate, adapt, and grow by fostering cultures of inquiry and engagement. He also holds a Certificate in Change Leadership and is the author of the upcoming books The Curious Leader and The Co-Parenting Secret.

About Lateral Solutions

Lateral Solutions provides strategic consulting for growth-minded organizations. With a focus on operational alignment and leadership development, they help businesses uncover blind spots, build stronger foundations, and execute with clarity.

Links Mentioned in this Episode:

• Jon Bassford on LinkedIn
• Lateral Solutions Website

Episode Highlights:

• How powerlifting parallels sustainable leadership
• The 3 core mindset shifts from The Curious Leader
• When to seek outside help for organizational growth
• Building cultures rooted in psychological safety
• Operational excellence as a competitive advantage

Conclusion

From leadership resilience to building cultures of curiosity, Jon Bassford shares impactful strategies that resonate with forward-thinking executives. His blend of personal experience and professional insight provides a roadmap for leaders looking to scale with clarity, empower their teams, and drive meaningful change.

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