14: Bad Boss Moves, Better Boss Lessons

Oct 22, 2025

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On this week’s episode of Bad Boss Confessional, Beth Fahey chats with EOS implementer John McMahon, who opens up about his toughest management, including the dreaded task of firing an employee. From learning that silence can speak louder than words to discovering the power of open-ended questions, John shares how missteps turned into lessons in empathy, communication, and leadership growth.

01:37 Trial by Fire Leadership 05:22 First Lesson: What Took You So Long? 08:21 The Fear of Firing 11:06 Empathy and Curiosity Muscle 14:32 Reframing Questions and Vulnerability 17:33 Curiosity and Active Listening 20:39 The Power of Silence 25:44 Checking Assumptions and Deepening Relationships 28:50 Empathy Breakthroughs with Clients

About: Beth Fahey is a leadership coach, Expert EOS Implementer, and co-creator of the How to Be a Great Boss Workshops. With nearly 40 years of hands-on leadership experience, Beth has worn many hats: from working in film and owning a bakery to leading a national trade association.

Now, as the host of The Bad Boss Confessional, she shares candid stories about the challenges of leadership, mistakes made, lessons learned, and the path to becoming the kind of boss your team actually wants to follow. Through humor, honesty, and heart, Beth is on a mission to help leaders grow, one confession at a time. Show Links For more information about Beth Fahey follow the links below. Website: www.eosworldwide.com/beth-fahey Facebook: www.facebook.com/BethFaheyEOS Instagram: www.instagram.com/bethfaheyeos/ TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@bethfaheyeos LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bethfahey/ Bad Boss Confessional YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@badbossconfessional Beth's Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bethfaheyeos

Guest Links EOS Implementer John McMahon Website: https://www.trellis-works.com/ Email: john.mcmahon@eosworldwide.com

If you'd like to learn more about Dr. Dino Signore that was mentioned in the podcast follow this link. https://drsignore.com/

Dr. Dino Signore, founder of The Signore Group, is a business psychologist and “second stage sensei” who helps entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders, and advisors navigate growth challenges. With a focus on both the economic system of a business and the social system of its people, he facilitates leadership development, team dynamics, and organizational performance. Known for asking the right questions rather than prescribing quick fixes, Dr. Signore empowers leaders and their teams to think differently, adapt, and elevate their organizations to the next level.

Sponsor Links Thanks to our Sponsors A big thank you to our amazing sponsors for making this episode possible:

Titus Talent – Helping organizations make the best hiring decisions with performance-based talent strategies.
Strety – Empowering teams through strategic planning and performance management tools built for modern workforces.