Leadership Unlocked: How Wise Leaders Win in an Era of AI
Dusty Holcomb, Leadership Systems & Delegation Expert 84 episodes Nov 11, 2026
Leadership Unlocked explores how leadership is changing in the age of AI. Hosted by leadership consultant and strategist Dusty Holcomb, it helps CEOs, founders, and senior leaders understand how artificial intelligence affects decisions, teams, and the way work gets done. Each episode focuses on the skills AI cannot replace, such as judgment, wisdom, discernment, accountability, and leading people through change. The show also covers AI adoption, AI strategy, executive leadership development, and the future of leadership.
Episodes
High-Achieving Leaders Never Feel Satisfied—Here’s What It Costs | Jason Connell - E86
Dusty sits down with licensed therapist Jason Connell for a deeply practical conversation about the tension between achievement and happiness—and why the same drive that creates professional success can eventually become an obstacle to living a fulfilling life. Drawing from his own journey from professional magician to successful speaker to therapist, Jason explains how he repeatedly achi
Your Job Isn't to Solve Problems Anymore (CEO Mindset Series) - E85
Dusty goes solo to explore the competency trap that keeps successful founders, CEOs, and executives stuck in the daily operations of the businesses they've built. Drawing from his experience leading a $200 million organization and a pivotal lesson from mentor Terry Dunn, he explains why the skills that make someone an exceptional operator can become the very things preventing their organi
The Communication Mistakes Holding Introverted Leaders Back | Salvatore Manzi - E84
Dusty sits down with Salvatore Manzi for a practical conversation about why communication is one of the most important leadership skills—and why even brilliant ideas go nowhere if leaders cannot make them meaningful to others. Drawing from two decades of coaching more than 4,200 leaders, Salvatore shares how his own fear of public speaking led him to study neuroscience, cognitive psycholo
AI Has Made Intelligence Available for Leaders on Demand—But Not Judgment | Nick Machol - E83
Dusty sits down with Nick Macholl, co-founder of Unburdn, for a practical conversation about what artificial intelligence actually means for leaders and why adopting the technology effectively has far less to do with chasing the latest tools than with exercising judgment, discernment, and wisdom. Drawing from his experience helping more than 100 organizations implement AI, Nick challenges
AI Is Making Us Faster—But It's Also Draining Our Attention - E82
Dusty goes solo to challenge the belief that every available moment should be filled with productive work, arguing that in an age when AI can operate endlessly, leaders must intentionally create the stopping points that technology no longer provides. Drawing from a 10-day horseback trip through the Northern Canadian Rockies, he shares how an unexpected period of disconnection forced him t
The Best Leaders Stand at the Finish Line—Here’s Why | Mike Reilly - E81
Dusty sits down with Mike Reilly, the longtime voice of Ironman, for an inspiring conversation about perseverance, recognition, and what it means to help others find their finish line. After calling nearly half a million athletes across the finish line at 215 Ironman races around the world, Mike shares the unexpected origin of the iconic words “You are an Ironman” and explains why he trea
You Built a Successful Business. Why Are You Still Trapped in It? | Forrest Derr - E80
Dusty sits down with Forrest for a practical conversation about scaling founder-led businesses, developing leaders, and building the systems that allow owners to finally get out of the middle of everything. Drawing from more than 25 years in operations and his experience with EOS, Forrest explains his “techability chart” framework for mapping an organisation’s technology stack, eliminatin
You’re Not Supposed to Be a Technician—But You Need to Know THIS to Lead AI - E79
Dusty goes solo to confront the “qualification lie”—the belief that leaders need deep technical expertise to lead effectively in the age of AI. Drawing from his lifelong “magnificent obsession” with leadership, nearly three decades of experience, and his own hesitation to enter the AI conversation, he explains how treating AI assistants like people—providing clear roles, expectations, con
AI Has Made “Good” the Standard—Yet “Great” Leaders Are Truly Irreplaceable - E78
Dusty goes solo to explain why he shelved a finished leadership manuscript and started over with Ancient Intelligence, a book built around a realization he had spent more than a year resisting: leaders do not need to become technologists to succeed with AI—they need to become better leaders in an environment where work is being done differently. Sparked by a blunt conversation with his fr
AI Didn't Create Your Leadership Gap—It Just Made It Urgent - E77
Dusty goes solo to make the case that the leaders who thrive in the age of AI will not be the ones chasing every new tool, but the ones who apply timeless leadership principles with greater focus and intention. Prompted by a CEO’s candid fear that she may not be “good enough” in this new era, Dusty introduces the central argument behind his upcoming book, Ancient Intelligence: AI is the f
Everyone's Telling You to Use AI; Nobody's Telling You How | Charlene Li - E76
Charlene Li joins Dusty to explore what decades of navigating disruption can teach leaders about the rapidly evolving age of AI. Drawing on her experience at Forrester, founding Altimeter, and advising executives through successive waves of technological change, Charlene argues that leaders should stop chasing every new AI tool and start with the problems they actually need to solve. She
Define Done: Outcome Blocking Is Key to Enhancing Your Impact - E75
Dusty challenges leaders to rethink the way they protect and use their time, arguing that time blocking is only the first step and that the real return comes from defining the outcome before the clock starts. He introduces the concept of outcome blocking—taking 60 seconds at the beginning of a meeting, work session, or calendar block to decide exactly what “done” looks like, how the work
He Went From Leading 7 People to 80—Now His Team Solves Problems Without Him | Rodney Binger - E74
Stepping into a larger leadership role can expose gaps in confidence, clarity, and execution—even for experienced operators. Rodney Binger shares how intentionally sharpening his leadership capabilities transformed the way he leads more than 80 people across MotorWorks, helping him move from leading in fear to leading with confidence, clarity, and purpose. From establishing rules of engag
How Great Leaders Balance Empathy with High Standards | Marcel Schwantes - E73
Marcel Schwantes’ journey into human-centered leadership began with a toxic workplace that pushed his body to its breaking point and ultimately led him to discover the power of servant leadership. In this conversation, Marcel and Dusty explore why caring about people is not a soft alternative to accountability, but the foundation for creating high-performing teams, strong cultures, and su
What Data-Driven Leaders Get Wrong About Making Decisions | Shane Foye - E72
Shane Foye joins Dusty for a thoughtful conversation about the kind of leadership that can't be rushed. As the second-generation president of DW1, Shane shares how leading a growing family business has taught him that the best decisions rarely come from urgency—they come from creating space to think deeply, wrestle with difficult questions, and balance data with intuition. Drawing on less
The Fastest Way to Kill Buy-In Is Your Own Good Idea | Dave Garrison - E71
Dusty sits down with Dave Garrison, former multinational CEO, board director, and author of The Buy-In Advantage, to explore why most organizations are leaving enormous human potential untapped. Dave explains the critical distinction between employee engagement and true buy-in, arguing that buy-in is the discretionary energy, creativity, and ownership people willingly bring to a shared mi
The Leadership Skill AI Can’t Replace | Kurt Luidhardt - E70
Dusty sits down with Kurt Luidhardt, entrepreneur, political strategist, and co-founder of a firm that has helped elect more than 100 members of Congress, 15 senators, 14 governors, and a president. Kurt shares the leadership lessons he has learned from building a business around solving urgent client problems, emphasizing that successful companies are built by identifying existential nee
In the Era of AI, Your Personal Brand Matters More Than Ever | Bryan Wish - E69
Dusty sits down with Bryan Wish for a thoughtful conversation about personal branding, authentic leadership, and why every professional—not just entrepreneurs or executives—needs to intentionally shape how they show up in the world. Bryan challenges the misconception that personal branding is an exercise in self-promotion, arguing instead that it's the process of distilling your expertise
The Leadership Mistake That Looks Like Delegation | David Stupay - E68
Dusty sits down with David Stupay, five-time CEO, executive recruiter, and founder of Platinum Search Partners, for a deeply human conversation about the relationships, experiences, and values that shape exceptional leaders. Drawing from an unconventional career that spans leading a homeless shelter, serving communities in East Africa, building organizations that support children with spe
Escaping the Prison of Prior Conditioning | George Bryant - E67
Dusty sits down with George Bryant for a deeply personal and thought-provoking conversation about identity, faith, leadership, and the lifelong pursuit of becoming who you were created to be. Drawing from a journey that includes military service, addiction, childhood trauma, entrepreneurship, suicidal struggles, and spiritual transformation, George challenges the conventional view of lead
Most People Use AI Like Software. That's the Problem - E66
Dusty goes solo to challenge one of the biggest misconceptions leaders have about AI: that it should be managed like software rather than led like a person. Building on the themes of recent episodes about identifying opportunities and revealing hidden insights, he argues that the disappointing results many leaders experience with AI have less to do with the technology and more to do with
Stop Being the Leader with All the Answers - E65
Dusty goes solo to explore a leadership skill that becomes exponentially more valuable in the age of AI: the ability to reveal insight rather than provide answers. Building on a conversation with a highly respected CEO who described his role as “handing people a blacklight,” he argues that great leaders are not the source of solutions—they are the source of clarity. Through stories from h
The Problem Isn't AI—It's What You're Using It For - E64
Dusty goes solo to challenge the growing obsession with AI tools and argues that the leaders who will thrive in the next decade are not the ones chasing every new platform, but the ones who remain relentlessly focused on the problems that actually matter. Using Archimedes’ famous lever metaphor as the foundation, he reframes AI as an extraordinary source of leverage rather than a strategy
SWAT Negotiator Teaches Active Listening Tactics Every Leader Needs to Learn | Jessi Beyer - E63
Dusty sits down with Jessi Beyer for a deeply human and highly tactical conversation about suicide prevention, emotional awareness, and the leadership responsibility to truly see the people around you. Drawing from her experience as a crisis mental health professional and SWAT negotiator, Jessi reframes a staggering reality—roughly 4% of people are actively considering suicide at any give
AI Is Exposing Weak Leadership Faster Than Ever—Here’s Why - E62
Dusty goes solo for the one-year anniversary to tackle one of the biggest misconceptions leaders are facing in the age of AI—that better tools automatically create better organizations. Drawing from conversations with CEOs, research from McKinsey and BCG, and years of leadership coaching, he argues that AI doesn’t replace the fundamentals of leadership; it ruthlessly amplifies whatever le
The Secret Behind Predictable Revenue Growth Is This One Culture Shift | Alex Goldfayn - E61
Dusty sits down with Alex Goldfayn for a practical and mindset-shifting conversation about proactive growth, everyday discipline, and why most leaders dramatically underutilize the opportunities already sitting inside their existing relationships. Drawing from his work helping companies generate millions in organic revenue, Alex challenges the default reactive posture that dominates sales
The 3 Archetypes That Turn Leaders Into Bottlenecks (And Why You Won’t Ask for Help) - E60
Dusty challenges one of the most ingrained—and damaging—habits in high-performing leaders: carrying everything themselves. Sparked by a blunt moment with a mentor who reframed not asking for help as “stealing opportunities” from others, he exposes three hidden stories that keep leaders stuck and overwhelmed—the Hero Myth (stepping in equals leadership), Imposter Syndrome (fear of being ex
Solve the Problem People Feel, Not Just the Problem You See | Mike “Cashflow Mike” Milan - E59
Dusty sits down with Mike Milan, widely known as “Cashflow Mike,” for a high-impact conversation on leadership, communication, and the hidden power of financial clarity in business. From an unconventional start as a Missouri state trooper—where he mastered “verbal judo” and learned to meet people where they are—to building and advising more than 14 companies, Mike shares how his career ha
The Most Selfish Thing Great Leaders Never Do (But Should) - E58
Dusty goes solo to confront a subtle but damaging misconception at the heart of servant leadership—the belief that focusing on yourself somehow takes away from serving others—and argues the opposite: failing to lead yourself is the most selfish thing you can do. Drawing from personal experience and a powerful leadership session with a high-performing team, he exposes how neglecting self-l
Why Slowing Down Might Be the Most Productive Thing You Do | Jacob Karnes - E57
Dusty sits down with Jacob Karnes—leadership coach, author of Master Your First Job, and former Chick-fil-A leadership development professional—for a conversation about turning early career opportunities into the foundation for long-term leadership impact. Drawing from his journey from a reluctant teenage Chick-fil-A employee to corporate learning and development and ultimately entreprene
Work-Life Balance Is a Myth—Ask Yourself These 3 Questions Instead - E56
Dusty goes solo to dismantle one of leadership’s most persistent myths—that work-life balance is something you can achieve and maintain—and replaces it with a more honest and actionable model: balancing as a daily discipline. Sparked by a question about staying present amid competing demands at work and home, he introduces a practical operating system built on three decision “gates” and t
Are You Tired of Being Tired as a Leader? | Eric Collett - E55
Dusty sits down with Eric Collette, CEO of A Mind for All Seasons, for a wide-ranging and deeply practical conversation on how leaders can optimize brain health to sustain performance, extend longevity, and lead more effectively. Grounded in both research and real-world case studies, Eric challenges the fatalistic belief that cognitive decline is inevitable, instead outlining a “system of
Tired of Your Team Always Guessing What You Want? Build This | AMA #2 - E54
Dusty goes solo in an AMA-style episode to break down how leaders can actually implement the Rules of Engagement framework introduced in episode 27, turning a powerful concept into a practical operating system for clarity and alignment. Drawing on years of leadership experience and real client stories, he frames the guide as a “leadership decoder ring”—a living document that makes implici
The Seven Issues Behind 95% of Leadership Pain | Dorothy & Garland Vance - E53
Dusty sits down with Garland and Dorothy Vance—co-founders of Unleashed Leadership—for a candid and insightful conversation about the difference between being remembered as a hero or a villain in the lives of those you lead. Drawing from decades spent researching, testing, and refining leadership development—from running a 15-year “leadership laboratory” inside a nonprofit to building the
Why Leaders Feel Busy but Not Effective: Attention Residue, Unspoken Expectations, and the Fix - E52
Dusty goes solo to unpack the invisible forces silently sabotaging even the most capable leaders—overwhelm, reactive schedules, and misaligned priorities. Anchoring his discussion in the stark warning from Levi Lusko—“if nothing changes, future you will be an exaggerated version of present”—he reveals how constant busyness without clarity only amplifies stress, burnout, and lost impact. T
If You Want Loyalty From Your Team, Start Here | Dawn Grooters - E51
Dusty sits down with Dawn Grooters—founder of Broken Vessel Sales Solutions—for a deeply personal and practical conversation about servant leadership, resilience, and the power of authentic connection in sales. After building a successful career as a field sales rep in the gift and home industry, Dawn’s life was forever altered when her 11-month-old son, Kale, passed away while she was on
10 Questions That Change How You Lead | AMA #1 - E50
In this milestone 50th episode, Dusty flips the mic toward the community and tackles the most persistent questions leaders have been sending his way—ranging from work-life balance and delegation to AI strategy, ownership culture, and CEO fundamentals. Rather than offering abstract theory, he delivers practical frameworks drawn from personal experience and real client work: why “balancing”
How Should Leaders Communicate the Kind Truth With Their Team | Mo Fathelbab - E49
Dusty sits down with Mo Fathelbab—former CEO, executive coach, and author of Forum—for a candid conversation about the transformative power of vulnerability in leadership. Drawing on his experience leading YPO forums and coaching high-level executives, Mo challenges the traditional command-and-control model, arguing that real influence is built not on authority, but on authenticity. Toget
Build Better Decisions Using Self-Awareness Others Ignore | Liesl Chang - E48
Dusty sits down with Liesl Chang—entrepreneur, systems thinker, and founder of Comeback Goods—for a wide-ranging conversation that explores how self-awareness, curiosity, and disciplined systems thinking shape meaningful leadership. Tracing her path from studying Russian history to building logistics infrastructure at high-growth startups like Zimments and Casper, Liesl reflects on the fo
The Three Building Blocks of Trust Most Leaders Miss - E47
Dusty goes solo to reframe one of leadership’s most misunderstood concepts—trust—arguing that leaders get stuck because they treat trust as something to earn or demand rather than something to build deliberately. Drawing from real coaching conversations, including a revealing case study of a newly promoted CEO who was burning out by staying too involved, Dusty shows how leaders often focu
The Lie Ambitious Leaders Believe About Identity & Success | Maricella Herrera - E46
She built her dream career, but then walked away. Dusty Holcomb sits down with Maricella Herrera—former COO and CEO of Elevate Network and host of the podcast Oh Shit, I Just Quit My Job—for an honest, deeply human conversation about identity, integrity, and the courage required to walk away from a life that no longer fits. From her early career in finance in Mexico to business school at
Why Willpower Fails—Create Sustainable Success With the ACT Framework | Lani Jones - E45
Dusty sits down once again with Dr. Lani Jones—clinical psychologist and executive coach—for a practical, no-nonsense conversation about turning good intentions into systems that actually produce lasting change. Building on their prior discussion about vision and planning, Lani introduces a clinically informed framework that begins with acknowledging your design: understanding your humann
Most Goals Fail—But Not With This One Shift in Planning | Lani Jones - E44
Dusty welcomes back Dr. Lani Jones—clinical psychologist, executive coach, and expert in behavior change—for a timely and deeply reflective conversation on how leaders can intentionally design success rather than defaulting to familiar but ineffective goal-setting habits. Moving beyond the fleeting appeal of New Year’s resolutions, Lani reframes planning as an exercise in clarity, alignme
Stop Accepting Pain as the Price of Success as a Leader | Scott Hogan - E43
Dusty sits down with Scott Hogan—former collegiate baseball player, injury-prone athlete turned founder, author, and recovery-focused entrepreneur—for a conversation that reframes leadership through the lens of physical resilience, self-awareness, and long-term sustainability. After a career derailed by chronic injuries, Scott traces how his obsession with understanding pain, recovery, an
Being Nice Is Killing Your Team—Here’s What to Do Instead - E42
Dusty goes solo to challenge one of leadership’s most damaging habits—the belief that being “nice” is the same as being effective—and makes the case that niceness is quietly starving teams of the truth they need to perform. Drawing from a powerful real-world example of a brilliant but overly restrained leader, personal leadership failures, and research spanning neuroscience, McKinsey, Gal
The Leadership Skill Horses Have Mastered That Most Humans Ignore | Amanda Dunklin - E41
Dusty sits down with Amanda Dunklin—equestrian coach, entrepreneur, and operational strategist—for a conversation that redefines what it means to lead with clarity, empathy, and resilience. After decades spent training horses, coaching competitive riders, building a school from the ground up, and later advising high-growth organizations, Amanda shares the insight that reshaped her entire
Why More Success Won’t Fix the Emptiness High Performing Leaders Don’t Talk About | Sean Keller - E40
Dusty sits down with Sean Keller—a filmmaker-turned-leadership coach who helps high-capacity entrepreneurs realize that their real wilderness isn’t around them, it’s within them. Sean shares his unlikely journey from early creative acclaim and big-name clients to the moment everything collapsed in 2020, forcing him to confront the gap between the successful life he was building and the su
This Is How Top-Performing CEOs Manage Their Time & Calendar - E39
Dusty goes solo to dismantle one of leadership’s most pervasive myths—the idea that an overloaded, reactive calendar is simply the price of effectiveness. Drawing on personal lessons, client stories, and striking CEO time-use data, he reveals the deeper truth: when a leader’s schedule is chaotic, the culture follows. In this episode, Dusty introduces his three-level intentional leadership
How Great Leaders Reimagine Pressure to Excel in High-Stakes Environments | Dr. Brian Hite - E38
Dusty is joined by Dr. Brian Hite—stunt performer, performance psychologist, and creator of the FACT Framework—for a conversation that reframes what it really means to thrive under pressure. With three decades spent being lit on fire, thrown from vehicles, training elite military units, and coaching high-stakes performers, Brian shares the pivotal realization that changed everything: pres
What Most Leaders Get Wrong About Scaling Their Business | Dustin Riechmann - E37
Dusty Holcomb sits down with entrepreneur and former engineer Dustin Riechmann, whose story is a masterclass in courage, clarity, and reinvention. From watching his business collapse in 2020 to building a seven-figure enterprise through the power of podcast guesting, Dustin reveals how simplicity, not complexity, drives sustainable success. He shares the pivotal moments that reshaped his
Why Doesn’t Your Team Just Do Their Damn Job? - E36
Dusty goes solo to expose one of the most misunderstood frustrations in leadership—the belief that execution problems stem from lazy teams, when in reality they almost always originate upstream with the leader. Drawing from hard-earned lessons and a striking real-world example from his time at AAA, he reveals the hidden truth behind stalled initiatives: when your team isn’t delivering wha
The Rule of 3 And 10 That Breaks Every Growing Business and Leader | Nolan Bradbury - E35
Dusty sits down with Nolan Bradbury, a former CPA turned financial strategist who helps leaders realize that their biggest challenge isn’t money, it’s clarity. Nolan opens up about his journey from Big Four accounting to finding purpose in helping entrepreneurs define what freedom truly means. Together, they explore how clarity transforms decision-making, why “more” doesn’t always equal s
Build A Brand That Multiplies Your Vision Even When You’re Not In The Room | Alan McLaren - E34
Dusty Holcomb sits down with Alan McLaren, CEO, entrepreneur, marketer, and self-proclaimed “Chief Squirrel Tamer.” Alan shares his 35-year leadership journey, from selling photocopiers door-to-door to leading global organizations and shaping modern leadership branding. Together, they unpack the real meaning of heart-centered leadership, how authenticity fuels influence, and why kindness
3 Brutal Questions Every Leader Must Face to Break Through Their Ceiling - E33
Dusty goes solo to unpack one of the most pivotal turning points in a leader’s journey—the moment you realize that what got you here won’t get you where you’re meant to go next. Through raw personal stories and years of coaching senior leaders, he reveals the hidden signals of an inflection point: when the clarity in your head doesn’t translate into team execution, when every decision fun
Sales And Leadership Share This Secret—The SERVICE Framework | Brooke Greening - E32
Dusty is joined by Brooke Greening—sales coach, business owner, and “Gracious Terminator”—for a conversation about transforming how we think about leadership, influence, and sales. With a master’s in counseling and two decades of sales experience, Brooke shares the pivotal story of standing up to toxic leadership and learning that confidence, results, and integrity are the foundation of r
4 Words That Change How Every Leader Communicates | Molly Hunt - E31
Dusty is joined by Molly Hunt—CEO of Ty Boyd, Inc. and lifelong student of connection—for a conversation about carrying forward her family’s legacy of helping people communicate with authenticity and heart. The daughter of legendary speaker Ty Boyd, Molly shares how her father’s kindness, humility, and unwavering belief that “it’s not about you” shaped both her leadership and her life. Sh
Why Great Problem Solvers Struggle to Build Great Teams - E30
Dusty goes solo to challenge one of leadership’s most common traps—the instinct to swoop in and solve every problem. Drawing from hard-earned lessons and real-world research, he reveals how rescuing team members doesn’t make them stronger—it makes them dependent. In this episode, Dusty introduces his Choice Enablement Model, a practical framework that replaces control with empowerment and
Why Great Leaders Pivot Faster Than Everyone Else | Leo Gestetner - E29
Entrepreneur and digital nomad Leo Gestetner shares his incredible journey from building his first business at age 13 to leading global ventures and redefining what balance, purpose, and adaptability mean in life and business. He opens up about learning to pivot, both professionally and personally, embracing growth, staying fit in body and mind, and finding fulfillment beyond success. Leo
The 4 Critical Skills That Took This CEO 35 Years to Finally Learn | Terry Dunn - E28
Dusty is joined by Terry Dunn—seasoned CEO and global business leader—for a conversation about trading the demands of the boardroom for the deeper purpose of helping leaders lead better. After 35 years building teams in more than 30 countries and steering companies through transformation and turnaround, Terry now dedicates his work to guiding executives toward clarity, composure, and resu
The 7 Rules of Engagement That Eliminate 80% Of Leadership Frustrations - E27
Dusty goes solo to unpack one of the most frustrating questions in leadership—why don’t people just do what they’re supposed to do? After nearly three decades leading teams, he’s learned it’s almost never an execution problem—it’s a clarity problem. In this episode, Dusty shares his Rules of Engagement framework, a simple but powerful tool that transforms miscommunication into alignment a
Clinical Psychologist on Breaking the “Do-It-All” Mindset to Avoid Burnout | Dr. Lani Jones - E26
Dusty is joined by Dr. Lani Jones—clinical psychologist, executive advisor, and entrepreneur—for a conversation about walking away from the security of a children’s hospital career to build a life and business on her own terms. Lani shares how burnout in the healthcare system forced her to confront the difference between loving her work and losing herself in the noise of climbing ladders
Stuck in a Safe Job That Drains You? How This Entrepreneur Turned a Crazy Idea Into a 6-Figure Business | Jason VanDevere - E25
Dusty is joined by Jason VanDevere—entrepreneur, author, and creator of the Goal Crazy Planner—for a conversation about trading the security of a fourth-generation family car dealership for the uncertainty of chasing a dream. Jason shares how his search for a tool to align daily habits with big-picture goals sparked the idea for his planner, eventually growing into a bestselling product,
Two Tough Moments Every Leader Needs to Experience - E24
Dusty takes us deep into the defining “keystone moments” that shape who we are as leaders. From overcoming setbacks and defying expectations to standing firm in the face of doubt, he reveals how challenges become the very building blocks of strength, resilience, and clarity. With powerful personal stories and timeless lessons, this episode shows that leadership isn’t about being born with
How NBA Coach, Bill Foran, Used These Leadership Fundamentals to Build 4 Championship Teams | Bill Foran - E23
Dusty is joined by Bill Foran—the NBA’s longest-tenured strength and conditioning coach—for a conversation about the lessons behind four decades of building champions with the Miami Heat. Bill shares his unlikely path from small-town PE teacher to coaching legends like Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, revealing how a love for developing athletes—not just drawing up plays—became his driving f
Five Questions That Transform Disengaged Teams Into Purpose-Driven High Performers - E22
Get the 5 Keystone Questions for free: https://5keystones.com/Dusty goes solo to reveal the five keystone questions that separate transactional, clock-in teams from purpose-driven missionaries who bring their best every day. Through personal stories—including his early leadership challenges in the auto repair industry—he shows how answering these questions unlocks meaning, connection, and
Why Strong Marriages Create Stronger Leaders | Tony DiLorenzo - E21
Dusty is joined by Tony DiLorenzo—entrepreneur, podcaster, and co-creator of the One Extraordinary Marriage Show—for a conversation about how building stronger marriages makes us better leaders. Tony shares his unexpected journey from aspiring pro cyclist to marriage coach, opening up about the struggles he and his wife Elisa faced in their own relationship and how those challenges led th
Our Most Powerful Leadership Lesson May Have Been Learned in Kindergarten - E20
Dusty goes solo to reveal a leadership superpower most of us learned at age four—connecting the dots. Through the story of his first leadership position, he shows how clarity of vision transforms everyday tasks from transactional work into meaningful contribution. Leaders who fail to connect the dots breed silos, waste, and disengagement, while those who do unlock energy, ownership, and p
How a Homeless Woman Became This CEO's Greatest Leadership Teacher | Amanda Byrd - E19
Dusty is joined by Amanda Byrd, sales executive turned chaplain, coach, and founder, for a conversation about how compassion and courage can reshape not only our careers but our lives. Dusty traces Amanda’s journey from a pivotal act of kindness outside an emergency room to years spent serving in hospitals and hospice care, where she learned the transformative power of presence, listening
Slow is Smooth. Smooth is Fast: Model Thoughtful Leadership, Not Reactivity - E18
Dusty goes solo to unpack a counterintuitive truth every leader needs to hear—sometimes the fastest way forward is to slow down. Drawing from early lessons on the shooting range, hard-won insights in Ironman training, and years of leadership experience, he reveals how rushing only traps us in reactivity, while rhythm and precision unlock lasting impact. With practical tools like the Eisen
8-Figure CFO on Why Chasing Perfection Leads to Failure | Jon Blair - E17
Dusty is joined by Jon Blair—heavy metal guitarist turned purpose-driven entrepreneur and founding executive at Guardian Bikes—for a conversation on how clarity beats chaos in both business and life. Jon shares his unconventional journey from touring musician to scaling a startup from zero to eight figures, raising $15 million, and ultimately launching Free to Grow CFO to help D2C brands
Leadership Means Being Intentional, Not Just Managing What Happens - E16
Dusty goes solo to tackle one of the biggest myths in leadership—that the best moments happen in the heat of a crisis. Through a vivid story from Disney World, where a cast member turned a spilled bag of popcorn into a lifelong memory, he reveals how true impact is rarely accidental. It’s built long before the moment arrives, through intentional choices, clear priorities, and simple syste
Great Leaders Celebrate the Journey, Not Just the Scoreboard | Ross Simmonds - E15
Dusty is joined by Ross Simmonds, entrepreneur, storyteller, and founder of Foundation Marketing, for a conversation about what it means to lead with intention, abundance, and authenticity. They explore how generosity—both in business and in life—can be a powerful lever for growth, and why showing up with presence matters more than ever in a world full of noise. Ross shares lessons from h
The Burn Out Trap: Doing It All Is Doing It Wrong - E14
Dusty goes solo to unpack one of the most common traps leaders fall into—confusing what they’re good at with what they’re called to. He reflects on the hard shift from doing the work to directing the work, and the uncomfortable but necessary discipline of stepping away from tasks that once defined his value. From triathlon training to lessons learned at leadership retreats, Dusty shares h
The Most Effective Leaders Ask More and Tell Less | Eddie Geller - E13
Dusty is joined by Eddie Geller, a three-time founder, CEO of SKOR, and lifelong champion of people-first leadership. Their conversations centers around how culture can be a company’s greatest asset—when it’s clearly defined, consistently measured, and courageously lived. Eddie shares hard-won lessons from his own entrepreneurial journey, including what happens when you over-index on prod
The Power of a Quote: How One Daily Habit Changed Everything - E12
Dusty goes solo to share how one quote kickstarted a daily rhythm that’s shaped his leadership for nearly 30 years. It all began on the third shift at a call center—one quote, one email, one moment of reflection. That small practice grew into a lifelong discipline of reading, thinking, and writing, and became a way to stay grounded, sharpen perspective, and serve others. He unpacks why in
Joy is a Choice: It’s Not Selfish—It’s How You Show Up Best for Your Team | Raquel Braganza - E11
Dusty is joined by Raquel Braganza, a transformational coach and joy strategist, for a powerful conversation on reclaiming joy as a daily, deliberate practice—especially for leaders and caregivers who often pour from an empty cup. Raquel shares moving stories from her clients, including a mother who found light in a dark season by throwing a “cat party” with her children, and executives w
The Leadership Judo Move: Redirect Problems & Instill Ownership in Your Team - E10
Dusty breaks down one of the most overlooked traps in leadership: the urge to rescue. Drawing from real-world coaching conversations and timeless wisdom from Viktor Frankl, Dusty unpacks what happens when leaders carry the emotional weight of their team's problems—and why it backfires. You’ll learn how to use powerful questions to redirect responsibility, reinforce agency, and build a cul
Be the Leader You Wish You Had | Chuck Hall - E9
Dusty sits down with Chuck Hall, the chairman of Vitality Living and founder of Charles Hall Construction, to explore his incredible journey—from his childhood hustle of working on the docks with his dad in Rhode Island to building a company that now employs over 2,300 people across 11 states. He opens up about being fired, starting over at 32, and the lessons he learned about vision, men
The Best Leadership Advice I Ever Got: Be Interested, Not Interesting - E8
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