How to Lead with Clay Scroggins and Adam Tarnow

Most leadership content focuses on skills—strategy, communication, vision, execution. And those things matter. But there's a question that doesn't get asked nearly enough: What kind of person are you while you lead?In this episode, Clay and Adam explore the idea that great leadership isn't just about mastering the steering wheel—where you're going, how fast you're moving, whether you're hitting goals. It's also about looking in the mirror. Because you can be highly skilled, consistently effective, and still be someone people don't actually want to follow.They break down what it really means to be a "good person" in leadership—not passive, not conflict-avoidant, but someone with genuine integrity, humility, and self-awareness—and why those qualities are the invisible engine behind trust, influence, and team health.Plus, three practical "mirrors" every leader should be looking into regularly, and a simple challenge to take into your week.

What's the best career advice you could give a sixteen-year-old? Clay shares three answers that stuck with him after career day at his daughter's school — and they turned out to be more useful than most advice aimed at seasoned professionals. In this episode, Clay and Adam unpack why the person you work for matters more than the job you do, why the simplest skills are often the rarest and most valuable, and why relational intelligence may be the most underrated career asset of all. Whether you're just starting out or years in, these three ideas are worth revisiting.

Nobody asks for resistance. But in this finale of our series on building unstoppable momentum, Clay and Adam make the case that resistance might be the most powerful growth tool available to a leader — if you're willing to embrace it.Over the past several weeks, we've walked through the 5 Rs: resources, repetition, rhythms, and relationships. Today we close with the one nobody wants but everyone needs. We talk about what resistance actually is, the three wrong ways leaders typically respond to it, and what it looks like to lean into a hard season instead of running from it.Growth doesn't happen by accident — and that includes the growth that comes through difficulty. This episode will help you reframe the friction in your life and walk away with a practical next step.

They argue isolation limits growth and your circle sets a ceiling on potential. Learn the four essential relationship roles: mentor, peer, truth-teller, and protégé. Hear practical moves for intentionally designing relationships, asking for guidance without awkwardness, and building rhythms that sharpen you. Finish by auditing who stretches you versus who just comforts you.

Most leaders have a growth goal, but very few have a growth rhythm. In this episode, we explore why motivation is a terrible strategy for development and why the best leaders don't rely on it. Instead, they build repeatable patterns—daily, weekly, and quarterly—that automate their growth even when they don't feel like showing up.Clay and Adam break down the difference between goals (which have finish lines) and rhythms (which run for life), and share practical techniques for designing habits that actually stick: the Anchor Technique, the Two-Minute Rule, and Environment Design. You'll also get a Leadership Rhythm Audit to evaluate whether your schedule is serving your growth or just your inbox.The truth? You don't rise to the level of your ambition—you fall to the level of your rhythms. Nobody drifts into greatness, but plenty of people drift into burnout. This episode will help you design rhythms that design you.Key Question: If I looked at your calendar for the last seven days, would I see a rhythm of growth, or just a rhythm of reaction?

Most professionals assume experience automatically leads to growth. It doesn’t.In this episode, Adam and Clay unpack the difference between doing something repeatedly and getting better at it. The truth? Repetition creates experience, but evaluated repetition creates growth.You’ll learn why so many capable leaders get stuck in cycles of being busy—but not better—and how avoiding feedback, reflection, and evaluation quietly stalls progress. Drawing on ideas from growth mindset research, emotional intelligence, and real-world leadership stories, this conversation introduces a simple, practical framework for turning everyday reps into meaningful improvement.Whether you’re leading meetings, coaching your team, selling, presenting, or managing people, this episode will help you stop reinforcing bad habits—and start learning from your work as you go.Bottom line:Don’t just repeat it. Review it.Reflection question for listeners:Where in your work do you need to stop and evaluate your repetitions instead of just powering through them?

Leadership doesn’t grow by accident. It grows by what you choose to feed it.In this episode, Adam and Clay tackle the overwhelm of leadership content and make the case for a more intentional approach to learning. Instead of chasing every new book, podcast, or framework, they show how the right resources—at the right time—can reshape how you think, decide, and lead.They unpack why resources matter, how they train your brain to think better, and why one book, podcast, or mentor can become a turning point in your leadership journey. You’ll learn four practical filters for choosing resources that actually solve real problems, stretch your thinking, and can be applied immediately.The conversation wraps with a simple system for building a sustainable learning rhythm—without burning out—and a challenge to move beyond consumption by sharing what you’re learning with others.If you want to grow as a leader without bruising yourself through trial and error, this episode will help you find the resources that move you forward faster—and with less stress.

Leadership growth doesn’t happen by accident. In this mini-series kickoff episode, Adam and Clay introduce the Growing Leader Framework and the five keys that drive real, sustained momentum. They explore why some leaders keep growing while others stall, break down the 5 R’s that shape leadership development, and challenge listeners to intentionally design their growth instead of drifting into it.

Ben Ortlip joins Adam to discuss how effective leaders learn to listen not just to words, but to the emotions behind them.Learn more about Ben: https://theculturemri.com/

Matt Brost joins Clay and Adam for a conversation about career twists, unexpected turns, and the one thing that’s mattered most along the way: relationships. As we head toward 2026, Matt reminds us that meaning at work often comes less from the job itself and more from the people we choose to build it with.