The Learn-It-All Podcast 178: How to Audit Your Leadership Before It Breaks You | Damon Lembi
Leadership isn’t just about what you do—it’s about who you’re becoming.
In this solo episode, Learnit CEO Damon Lembi shares a behind-the-scenes look at his personal leadership audit: a framework he calls “The 3x3.” You’ll hear the three things he’s improved, the three he’s stayed consistent on, and the three he still needs to work on as he reflects on 30 years of Learnit—and what it means to lead with intention in a fast-changing world.
Whether you’re a first-time manager or a seasoned executive, this episode will give you the tools (and courage) to take your own honest audit.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- How Damon improved delegation—and the tool that changed everything
- Why your personal brand matters (and how to build one with humility)
- The “Purposeful Awfulizing” strategy for better decision making
- What it really means to be a people-first leader
- The 5 traits of a “Learn-It-All Leader”
- Why modeling behavior is more powerful than preaching it
- The danger of unclear purpose—and how to align your team
- Why every company needs an AI advisory board
- How to lead through change before complacency creeps in
- A challenge: Create your own 3x3 leadership audit
Timestamps:
00:00 – Why June 2025 marks a meaningful moment in Damon’s leadership journey
01:00 – The “3x3”: A framework for reflecting on leadership growth
01:45 – 1st area of growth: Delegation (and getting out of the weeds)
03:00 – How COVID accelerated trust and team ownership
03:30 – The Freedom Compass: What Damon let go of—and what happened next
04:50 – 2nd area of growth: Building a personal brand without ego
05:45 – Why every leader needs to be public-facing
06:30 – 3rd area of growth: Better decision making and avoiding sunk cost traps
07:10 – Controlling emotion, expanding options, and “Purposeful Awfulizing”
08:30 – Why even failed decisions are valuable if you learn
09:00 – 1st consistency: Being a people-first leader with psychological safety
10:30 – 2nd consistency: Living the traits of a Learn-It-All Leader
11:15 – Humility, Integrity, Courage, Accountability, Curiosity
12:15 – 3rd consistency: Modeling the behavior you want from your team
13:00 – What Damon still needs to improve (part 1): Clarifying shared purpose
14:00 – The North Star problem and Keith Ferrazzi’s diagnostic
15:00 – What remote work and silos have made harder—but not impossible
15:30 – What Damon still needs to improve (part 2): Navigating change in the age of AI
16:30 – Why urgency beats complacency—even when things are going “fine”
17:00 – What Damon still needs to improve (part 3): Building a formal advisory board
17:45 – Why outside perspectives are key to staying sharp and forward-thinking
18:30 – The 3x3 recap and challenge: Build your own audit
About Damon Lembi:
Damon Lembi is a 2x bestselling author, the host of The Learn-It-All Podcast, and CEO of Learnit – a live learning platform that has upskilled over 2 million people. Drawing from his prior baseball career, Damon brings an athlete’s perspective to leadership. Through his journey, he has gained invaluable insights into what helps organizations grow, how great leaders learn, and why learn-it-all companies outpace their competitors every time.
Resources & Mentions:
- The Freedom Compass from Michael Hyatt:
- https://fullfocus.co/the-undervalued-zone-of-the-freedom-compass
- Delegate to Scale Your Impact (Learnit course):
- https://www.learnit.com/courses/delegate-to-scale-your-impact
- The Learn-It-All Leader: Mindset, Traits, and Tools by Damon Lembi:
- https://a.co/d/azzNKWM
- Never Lead Alone by Keith Ferrazzi:
- https://a.co/d/4zOrfV3
- Good Decisions Equals Success by Damon Lembi & Kandis Porter:
- https://a.co/d/hJhnRJU
- “Purposeful Awfulizing” on Learn-It-All Podcast:
- https://pod.link/1714645917/episode/78c7db5b03a2f43e1dce6a4301e5be7c
- Damon Lembi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damonlembi
Connect With Us
- Uplevel yourself and your team at Learnit.com
- Email us: podcast@learnit.com
- Follow Damon on LinkedIn
- Follow Damon on Instagram