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RSS 21: Lead with Purpose: Unlocking Leadership Potential with Dusty Holcomb

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Oct 4, 2025

Guest

Dusty Holcomb

Dusty Holcomb, a seasoned executive and founder of Arcus Group, dives into modern leadership challenges. He emphasizes the importance of vulnerability and decision-making anchored in core values. Dusty shares fascinating stories, including turning down big clients to preserve brand integrity. He discusses frameworks for prioritizing choices in an age brimming with distractions, and he advocates for self-leadership as a path to integrity. With practical tools and reflections, Dusty presents a roadmap to cultivating effective and transformative leadership.

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ANECDOTE

Early Builder Roots

Dusty traced his entrepreneurial itch back to building a newspaper at eight in a town of 250 people.
That early builder instinct later manifested as intrapreneurship and led him to start Arcus Group.

insights

INSIGHT

Leadership As A Learned Practice

Leadership is not an innate trait but an active, learnable behavior that requires practice.
Vulnerability was learned by Dusty through modeled behavior and repeated exposure in forums.

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ADVICE

Embrace Vulnerability Gradually

Invest time to build trust in small groups and skate on the edge of discomfort to grow.
Ask yourself why you're in a forum and commit to being there to get better, not just check a box.

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Why I Decided to Build My Own Company

02:02 • 2min

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The Power of Peer Forums and Masterminds

04:09 • 1min

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Learning Vulnerability as a Leadership Skill

05:20 • 4min

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Anchoring Decisions in Value Creation

09:49 • 3min

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How to Say No to Big Opportunities

12:37 • 2min

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Modern Leadership Challenges: Attention and Choice

15:00 • 2min

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Decision Frameworks to Avoid Shiny Object Syndrome

17:17 • 3min

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Creating Rhythms and Habits as Protection

20:25 • 2min

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Self-Leadership Is Not Selfish

22:28 • 3min

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Practical Process to Discover Purpose and Vision

25:55 • 4min

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How Cohorts Create Safe Spaces for Vulnerability

29:29 • 2min

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A Personal Moment: Grief and Honest Leadership

31:56 • 3min

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Three Lessons I’d Tell My Younger Self

35:25 • 3min

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How to Validate and Use Gut Feelings

38:50 • 2min

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Overcoming Imposter Syndrome with Measurement

41:14 • 2min

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How to Find and Get Value from Mentors

43:33 • 5min

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Top Pain Points Leaders Bring to Coaching

48:10 • 2min

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Root Causes of Frustration: Clarity and Alignment

49:50 • 2min

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When a CEO Should Coach Versus Execute

51:40 • 2min

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Staying Sharp: Reading and Cross-Industry Learning

53:50 • 5min

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In this episode of The Ross Simmonds Show, Ross sits down with Dusty Holcomb, seasoned executive and founder of Arcqus Group, to talk about what it truly means to lead in today’s complex world. With over two decades of experience leading high-growth companies in logistics and eCommerce, Dusty shares powerful lessons on embracing vulnerability, building with intent, saying “no” to distractions, and remaining anchored in purpose.

Whether you're a CEO, entrepreneur, or people leader, this conversation offers insights on self-leadership, scaling effectively, and building transformative leadership habits. Packed with real-world stories, frameworks, and actionable wisdom, this episode is a must-listen for those playing the long game.

1. Vulnerability in Leadership

- How Dusty overcame surface-level transparency.

- Leadership as a learned, active behavior.

- Advice for leaders hesitant to open up.

2. Leading Through Chaos and Saying No

- A Red Stag story: Saying no to a dream client to stay aligned with brand promise.

- Anchoring every decision in first principles and mission clarity.

- Use thinking time and decision frameworks to combat shiny object syndrome.

3. Challenges Facing Modern Leaders

- More decisions than ever before (hello, AI).

- Being “ruthlessly focused.”

- Framework: “Distill it to three—and then to one.”

4. Habits, Rhythms, and Self-Leadership

- Why self-care isn’t selfish.

- Quarterly reviews and morning/evening routines.

- Framework: Accountability through public commitment.

5. Creating Safe Spaces for Growth

- How vulnerability leads to transformation in small groups.

- Real stories of powerful breakthroughs and support in cohorts.

6. Three Key Lessons Dusty Would Tell His Younger Self

- Trust your gut (and verify it).

- You’re in the seat for a reason.

- Surround yourself with good mentors and advisors.

7. On Gut Feelings and Building Confidence

- Exercises to validate gut instincts.

- Frame tough decisions: “What’s the worst that could happen?”

8. Breaking Imposter Syndrome

- Tools for building conviction and clarity in your role.

- Practice "the gap and the gain" mindset.

9 . Mentorship: How to Find and Add Value to a Mentor

- Don’t chase billionaires – start with thought leadership and inner circle.

- Great mentors learn from your questions.

- “We often teach what we most need to learn.”

10. 3 Pain Points Most Leaders Face

- Frustration vs. results gap.

- “Why does everything fall on me?”

- Leadership loneliness and isolation.

11. Coaching Execution Starts with Clarity & Alignment

- Execution problems often stem from unclear expectations.

- Solving upstream issues unlocks downstream performance.

14. The Role of CEOs: Vision and Connection

- A CEO’s job is connecting purpose, vision, and plan.

- Always be teaching and reinforcing the why.

Resources & Tools:

🔗Arcqus Group

— 👋🏾 Let's stay connected —

╰ Subscribe to my channel: @RossSimmondsTV

╰ Instagram: @thecoolestcool

╰ Twitter / X: @thecoolestcool

╰ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rosssimmonds

— 👋🏾 Stay connected with Dusty —

╰ Instagram: @wareagledusty

╰ Twitter / X: @wareagledusty

╰ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dustyholcomb/

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