Leadership Powered by Common Sense

Emma Collyer, executive coach and founder of Aspire Executive Coaching, helps leaders with feedback, transitions, and career growth. They explore why leaders dodge feedback and what younger workers really want. Practical strategies for being kind, direct, and setting mutual expectations. Tips on shifting from transactional to strategic leadership and defining the leader you want to be.

Tracy Nolan, a seasoned corporate leader who transformed teams across retail, telecom, startups and healthcare. She talks about leading with authenticity and empathy. She explains serving frontline teams and when decisive command-and-control is necessary. She covers post-COVID shifts in work, setting boundaries around availability, and building real culture with employees.

Philip Schett, OKR expert from Berlin who helps organizations align teams and drive performance. He explains what OKRs are versus KPIs. He discusses when OKRs matter most and how they bridge strategy and execution. He covers common goal-setting failures, implementation steps, pitfalls to avoid, and the leadership mindset needed for success.

John Sheldon, former Marine turned leadership coach and founder of BellaWood Coaching, helps front-line owners and sales leaders craft purpose-driven leadership. He talks about spotting and developing gritty high-potential team members. He explains using life stories to uncover personal purpose. He outlines building an authentic leadership framework and balancing blunt truth with empathy.

Chris Sprague, leadership advisor and founder of Enluma Leadership Group, shares practical approaches to boost team performance. He discusses how leaders model behavior to set norms. He explains coaching people to solve problems, uncovering meaning in mundane work, and using purpose, trust, and peer pressure to lift engagement. He also covers growing mid-level managers and when to step forward or back as a leader.

Andrew Ackerman, entrepreneur, investor in 70+ startups and author of The Entrepreneur's Odyssey. He discusses the psycho-emotional costs of starting a business. He compares risks across life stages and practical impacts of family and finances. He explains de-risking tests, traction and scaling, and the tradeoff between control and growth.

Sherry Yellin, brain science expert and author of The Science of High Performance Leadership, explains how the brain shapes learning and team performance. She outlines the CRANIUM strategies, why safety and trust matter, and how clarity, agency, and small wins reduce resistance. Practical ideas on whole-to-parts learning, motivation, and building belonging are explored in short, actionable discussions.

Introduction Hello again everyone. This is Doug, and you’re listening to Leadership Powered by Common Sense. One of the big things, if you’re a leader, you got to make some big decisions along the way. And my guest is someone who himself is helping others learn how to make better big decisions and overcome some […] The post Why Leaders Avoid Big Decisions and Fail | E 470 first appeared on Leadership Powered by Common Sense.

Most entrepreneurs know their stuff — but when it's time to explain what they actually do, things fall apart. In this episode of Leadership Powered by Common Sense, Dr. Steve Greene shares why clarity beats cleverness every time, why trying to be everything to everyone is a fast track to being forgettable, and how a well-built lead magnet can do the heavy lifting your elevator pitch never could. Whether you're a startup finding your footing or a seasoned business owner wondering why revenue isn't matching your effort, this conversation is your wake-up call to simplify, focus, and communicate like the expert you already are. The post Why Customers Don’t Understand Your Business | Ep 469 first appeared on Leadership Powered by Common Sense.

Kelly Resendez, entrepreneur, executive, author, and co‑owner of Go Bundance Women, shares her shift from high‑stress top producer to leadership rooted in self‑awareness. They explore doing the inner work first. Short takes include focusing on one skill per quarter, creating a leader's "owner's manual," mapping love languages and attachment styles to work, and keeping human connection central in an AI world.