Leading Outward

How do you improve patient and client outcomes? Is it possible to prevent burnout in high-pressure fields?In this episode, surgical oncologist Dr. Laura Lambert explores what leaders can learn from the operating room and what it truly means to have the privilege of caring for another human being, whether as a doctor or as a leader. Ideas we explore: 03:47 – She never wanted to be a doctor...here’s what changed her mind. 06:55 – What surgeons teach new doctors and why it’s a problem. 09:47 – How an inward mindset shows up in patient care (and what it costs). 12:35 – The Anatomy of humanism and why all of us should be practicing it. 16:05 – How mindset impacts patient outcomes and physician well-being. 19:35 – Healing vs. fixing: the transformative power of who we are. Need help developing your leaders or organization? Schedule a complimentary strategy session. Take your learning further—download the complimentary study guide to explore this episode on your own or with your team!  

What if the pressure to cut costs could actually unlock innovation?  In this episode, former Fortune 500 division president Louise Francesconi and Arbinger consultants Mike Merchant and Duane Boyce share how two organizations on opposite ends of the globe faced the impossible mandate of cutting $100 million. Instead of collapsing under pressure, their leaders discovered how an outward mindset transformed fear, resistance, and self-preservation into collaboration, creativity, and lasting results.  Ideas we explore:  02:14 – How to tackle any high-stakes challenge.  06:52 – Why the way you start determines whether you succeed. 09:47 – Why you need to shift from self-preservation to supporting others. 13:35 – What it takes to move a divided, resistant group into alignment. 18:22 – How to uncover solutions no one sees. 22:40 – When strategy isn’t enough to deliver results. Take your learning further—download the complimentary study guide to explore this episode on your own or with your team!  Need help developing your leaders or organization? Schedule a complimentary strategy session. 

What if our strengths, values, and even our success are the blind spots that keep us stuck? In this episode, Gill Campbell—seasoned executive coach and co-leader of Arbinger UK—shares her personal journey and how she helps senior leaders uncover what’s really blocking their growth. From the hidden fear of being exposed to the subtle ways we self-sabotage, Gill unpacks the surprising truths that coaching reveals and how leaders can finally move forward. Ideas we explore:  02:14 – How strengths can turn into liabilities.  06:37 – The fear every leader works hardest to hide.  10:52 – How blame keeps leaders from seeing clearly.  15:08 – Why values can become dangerous blind spots.  24:46 – Redefining self-compassion and its role in real change. Take your learning further—download the complimentary study guide to explore this episode on your own or with your team!  Need help developing your leaders or organization? Schedule a complimentary strategy session. 

Are you overlooking the potential in “hard” people? What if the most difficult students or employees hold untapped greatness? And what happens when you help people see their progress when they feel stuck or broken?  We’re starting season 2 of Leading Outward by sitting down with Ivan Cornea, a beloved high school art teacher whose classroom became a place where struggling and rejected students grew into confident leaders, artists, and human beings. In one of his final interviews before his passing, Ivan shares remarkable stories of seeing “difficult” people as people and how those lessons apply to all of us whether we are a leader, parent, coach, friend, or teacher. Ideas we explore: 00:57 – How to unlock potential in people others have written off. 03:12 – How to help people who feel stuck or broken see their progress. 08:49 – What to do when someone resists growth. 13:40 – How to balance patience with demanding the best. 18:15 – Is it possible to tailor your approach to every individual? 25:30 – What’s the most important shift leaders must make to truly see people as people?Have a leadership challenge or question you’d like us to explore on the show? Submit it here!  Need help developing your leaders or organization? Schedule a complimentary strategy session. 

Are you one of our new listeners? Welcome! We’re giving away a free Leading Outward sweatshirt to any U.S. listener who hasn’t yet left a written review. Just upload a screenshot at leadingoutward.com and we’ll send one your way!In season 2, we'll be taking you into the exact moments leaders realize they’re the problem.You’ll hear raw, unscripted coaching sessions with leaders navigating high-stakes decisions and the impact of hard childhoods. While you can find leadership theory everyone, we show you real change that happens in the raw, sometimes clunky moments of professional and personal leadership. New episodes drop every Tuesday starting September 16.

When was the last time you vented about someone? And why didn’t you just talk to them instead? In this season finale, we hear from three listeners whose lives shifted because of the show: a mom who saw her son differently, a leader who publicly owned his coaching experience, and a son who finally had an honest conversation with his parents. These are stories of ownership, agency, and the space where real change starts.  Topics we address: 01:05 — How we unintentionally take away people’s growth when we speak for them 07:20 — How vulnerability can make people see you as a more credible leader 10:30 — Why venting feels good but never solves the problem 13:50 — How to remove the difficulty out of hard conversations 18:00 — How old stories keep us from seeing who someone is now Have a leadership challenge or question you’d like us to explore on the show? Submit it here!  Need help developing your leaders or organization? Schedule a complimentary strategy session.

What was it all for? You've shared the vision, trained the team, and gave them everything they needed to succeed.And they still aren't following through.In part two of this raw coaching series, Daniel—a high school principal—continues to wrestle with this leadership challenge. What starts as a reflection on stalled execution becomes a deep reckoning with busyness, control, and the fear of leading in a way that might cost you your people. If you’ve ever felt the weight of being ultimately responsible for the outcomes and still coming up short then this episode is for you.Ideas we explore: 01:20 — Why your team might be slow to act 06:10 — What gets lost when you rush connection 10:40 — How busyness is shaping the way you lead 14:00 — The fear of being truly seen 18:00 — What it actually takes to change a leadership habit Have a leadership challenge or question you’d like us to explore on the show? Submit it here!  Need help developing your leaders or organization? Schedule a complimentary strategy session. 

Do your high standards stifle your team's growth? A school principal dives deep into the tension between leadership and control, revealing how his quest for excellence can sometimes hold back his team. The conversation reveals the subtle strains on relationships caused by micromanagement and the struggle of balancing responsibility with effective delegation. Self-awareness emerges as a theme, highlighting how personal insecurities can cloud decision-making. This candid discussion invites listeners to reconsider their own leadership styles.

In this discussion, Daren Forbes, a seasoned funeral director with nearly 40 years of experience, shares insights alongside Dr. Steve Jackson, a dedicated physician. They dive into the emotional toll of caregiving, discussing how to combat feelings of exhaustion and resentment. Forbes recounts transformative stories that reveal the power of empathy and connection when serving grieving families. They stress the importance of fostering an outward mindset, reducing burnout through team support, and unlocking creativity even in the toughest times.

This discussion dives into the struggles of letting loved ones make their own choices, even when you worry they're off track. It reveals how idealized expectations can sabotage relationships and emphasizes that true love isn't self-serving. The conversation also highlights the cost of needing to be right, which hinders connection. Through the lens of family dynamics, it showcases the courage needed to truly see and acknowledge others, forging stronger relationships by embracing empathy and understanding.