Home Podcasts Quick Take | Tips to Help Executives and Leaders Grow
Quick Take | Tips to Help Executives and Leaders Grow

Quick Take | Tips to Help Executives and Leaders Grow

Susie Tomenchok and James Capps 129 Episodes Aug 7, 2025

The Quick Take podcast provides concise and actionable tips to help executives and leaders tackle the thorny and complex challenges they face daily. Hosts Susie Tomenchok and James Capps draw on their experience and relationships with global leaders to offer practical, boardroom-tested suggestions. New episodes are released weekly on Thursdays.

Episodes

Rethinking Hierarchy with the "First Team" Leadership Approach
Rethinking Hierarchy with the "First Team" Leadership Approach Aug 7, 2025 750 What if your loyalty shouldn't lie with your direct reports, but with your peers? In this episode, we dive into the “First Team” leadership approach, a mindset shift that challenges the traditional org chart. We talk about why prioritizing your colleagues at the same level can create stronger alignment, better culture, and fewer headaches for everyone involved.We also get into why endless one
Balancing AI Adoption with Human Connection
Balancing AI Adoption with Human Connection Jul 31, 2025 835 AI can help us move faster, work smarter, and even prep for a one-on-one. But what happens when we start using it as a substitute for human connection?In this episode, we explore the tension between efficiency and empathy. From trust breakdowns to team assignments gone sideways, we talk about how easy it is to default to AI and what gets lost when we do. This one’s for leaders who are navigating t
Why Introverts Make Powerful Leaders
Why Introverts Make Powerful Leaders Jul 24, 2025 691 We’re taught to celebrate the loudest voice in the room. But what if the most effective leaders are the ones who say less and listen more?In this conversation, we unpack the surprising strengths of introverted leaders. From creating space for others to showing up with quiet confidence, we explore how these traits shift team dynamics, build trust, and challenge what leadership is supposed to look l
The Paradox of Likable Leadership
The Paradox of Likable Leadership Jul 17, 2025 774 Can you be a good leader and still want to be liked? Or does that instinct hold you back? In this episode, we dig into the tension between being likable and being effective. We talk about how the people-pleasing gene that makes you successful early on can become a liability when tough calls need to be made. From leading your former peers to finding language for your leadership shift, we explore wh
Why Your Mid-Level Leaders Are Your AI Champions
Why Your Mid-Level Leaders Are Your AI Champions Jul 10, 2025 722 Think Gen Z is leading the charge on AI? Not so fast. It turns out your middle managers might be the ones best positioned to drive real change.In this episode, we talk about why this layer of leadership is so critical to AI adoption. From curiosity and context to bridging top-down vision with on-the-ground execution, they’re uniquely equipped to make it real. We get into what works, where companie
Building Workplace Civility in Polarized Times
Building Workplace Civility in Polarized Times Jul 3, 2025 723 You know that person who always interrupts or hijacks the meeting? Most teams do. And when no one addresses it, everyone loses.In this episode, we talk about why civility still matters, maybe more than ever. We dig into how small behaviors erode trust, how to spot the patterns early, and what leaders can do in real time to shift the tone. Because culture isn’t just a values slide, it’s every micro
Managing Outcomes, Not Activity
Managing Outcomes, Not Activity Jun 26, 2025 794 The old school nine-to-five doesn’t fit today’s work, or today’s workers. Still, so many leaders fall back on time as a stand-in for productivity. In this episode, we unpack what it actually means to lead for outcomes.We talk about energy cycles, what red light has to do with your brain, and how to have the right conversations with your team about when and how they work best. Because when people s
Empowering Middle Managers for Long-Term Success
Empowering Middle Managers for Long-Term Success Jun 19, 2025 630 Middle managers are overworked, overlooked, and often under-supported. Yet they’re the glue holding organizations together—and right now, many of them are stuck in a cycle of burnout and invisibility.In this episode, we dig into why this layer matters more than ever, how it’s being neglected, and what leaders need to do about it. From internal mobility to rethinking face time, we explore the small
Beyond the AI Layoff Headlines: Keep Teams Focused When Fear Takes Hold
Beyond the AI Layoff Headlines: Keep Teams Focused When Fear Takes Hold Jun 12, 2025 727 AI is changing the game—and it’s got people on edge. From high-profile layoffs to execs declaring they won’t hire devs again, there’s a new kind of fear spreading through teams.In this episode, we talk about what leaders can actually do. We get into the emotional side of AI disruption, why radical transparency matters more than ever, and how to create stability when the future’s unclear. Whether y
Is AI Making Your Team Anxious? What Leaders Should and Shouldn’t Do
Is AI Making Your Team Anxious? What Leaders Should and Shouldn’t Do Jun 5, 2025 795 AI is everywhere, but not everyone is excited. In this episode, we explore the growing anxiety employees feel about AI and what leaders can do when they don’t have all the answers. Susie and James unpack new survey data, generational differences in AI concerns, and the deeper fear many employees have: What’s my value if AI can do my job faster?Rather than offering silver-bullet solutions, this epi
The Time Gap Between Speaking and Being Heard in Leadership
The Time Gap Between Speaking and Being Heard in Leadership May 29, 2025 670 You said it clearly, so why isn’t your team acting on it? In this episode, Susie and James dig into a subtle but critical leadership challenge: the time gap between when something is said and when it’s truly heard, understood, and internalized.From the "percolation effect" to the myth that silence means clarity, they explore why leaders often misjudge the impact of their communication—an
Leading from the Middle: Influence, Motivation, and Managing Up
Leading from the Middle: Influence, Motivation, and Managing Up May 22, 2025 627 Middle managers are often the most overlooked—and overloaded—leaders in an organization. Caught between executive pressure and team expectations, they’re expected to influence without authority, stay motivated under stress, and manage up, down, and sideways. So how do you actually thrive in the middle?In this episode, Susie and James shine a light on the unique challenges and potential of the midd

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