Lead the People

George Pesansky is a recognized leader in Operational Excellence, with a career spanning more than 30 years in performance optimization, executive coaching, and systematic improvement. He has trained and coached over 10,000 professionals across six continents and helped Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits alike drive measurable results. He is the founder of Capacity2Care, a nonprofit encouraging...

In this episode, Rachel Downey shares how leaders can move from being invisible to truly influential by owning and expressing their leadership brand. Drawing from her work across creative industries and executive teams, Rachel explains why brand is more than visuals, it’s about voice, values, and showing up with clarity. She breaks down the internal blocks that keep leaders from sharing their stor...

In this episode, Elena Agaragimova explores the evolving relationship between employee engagement and performance. She challenges the idea that traditional engagement strategies are enough and makes the case for shifting toward unlocking human potential through personalization, curiosity, and strategic clarity. Elena shares how leaders can better align people with their strengths, create space for...

In this episode, leadership coach Lee Scott explores why so many managers avoid hard conversations and what to do about it. He shares how fear, unclear expectations, and lack of training often hold leaders back from saying what needs to be said. Lee offers practical tools for building the courage and clarity to step into uncomfortable conversations with confidence. From naming the gap between inte...

In this episode, Jaime Nolan, CAE, shares her journey of transforming organizational culture, challenging outdated systems, and leading with authenticity during times of change. With deep experience in association leadership, Jaime opens up about the personal and professional work required to lead transformation from the inside out. She reflects on what it takes to build trust across diverse commu...

In this episode, Lissy Alden joins the show to unpack what mental fitness really means and how it applies to leadership. She shares how mindset impacts performance, what it looks like to shift from being hijacked by emotion to intentionally choosing your response, and why self-awareness is the key to change. Drawing from her experience supporting people leaders across industries, Lissy breaks down...

In this episode, executive coach and speaker Kelly Meerbott joins the show to explore how leaders can move from burnout and fragmentation to clarity, connection, and purpose. Drawing on her trauma-informed approach and deep experience with hundreds of C-suite leaders and military officers, Kelly offers a refreshing take on what it means to lead from within. She discusses how to dismantle outdated...

In this episode, CEO Andy Allaway of Empire Flippers joins the show to unpack his journey from corporate manager to leading a fully remote, high-growth global business. Andy shares lessons on navigating hyper-growth, building culture in a distributed team, and stepping into leadership during a time of transformation. He opens up about the challenges of succeeding a founder-led organization, the im...

Aaron Wagner is the Founder of FromwithN and a leadership coach who helps middle managers lead with clarity and confidence. With over two decades of experience in founder-led companies, he's led teams, built leadership development programs, and has turned around underperforming divisions across the country. He's passionate about helping managers grow because he has been there and has lived it. He...

In this episode, Commander William C. Spears of the U.S. Navy joins the show to share leadership lessons forged under pressure, from commanding nuclear submarines to building resilient, high-performing teams. He reflects on what it means to lead with trust, humility, and a mission-first mindset, offering tactical insights from over two decades in the Navy. Commander Spears unpacks the difference b...

In this episode, workplace culture experts Sara Escobar and Corinne Murray join the show to challenge outdated ideas about culture, design, and how organizations actually function. Drawing from their experience building people-centered environments at scale, they unpack why culture isn’t a vibe; it’s a system, and how thoughtful infrastructure can transform how people show up at work. From explori...

In this episode, ManageUp founder and CEO Ash Hynie joins the show to rehumanize the way we think about leadership, feedback, and performance. With a background in culinary arts, engineering, and HR, Ash shares how her journey shaped a people-first approach to leadership. She explains how many managers are promoted without preparation, and how systemic issues like bias and lack of visibility hold...

In this episode, bestselling author and introvert-at-work expert Jennifer Kahnweiler joins the show to reframe how we think about leadership, presence, and performance in the workplace. Drawing from her updated book The Introverted Leader and years of coaching introverted professionals, Jennifer pushes back on the extrovert-biased norms that dominate many workplaces, from meeting culture to hiring...

In this episode, futurist, bestselling author, and keynote speaker Jacob Morgan joins the show to challenge today’s assumptions about employee experience. Drawing from his new book, “ The 8 Laws of Employee Experience ”, Jacob argues that work has drifted into entitlement culture, where accountability is low, standards are blurred, and perks have replaced purpose. He makes the case for a reset: em...

In this episode, Andrew Hartman, founder of Time Boss, joins the show to challenge the way leaders think about time. Drawing from his own burnout and breakthrough, Andrew reveals how high-achieving professionals can reclaim control of their calendar, emotional margin, and ultimately their impact not by doing more but by leading themselves better. He introduces a powerful reframe: stop treating tim...

In this episode, Matt Ley, Co-Founder of IPN Advisors and author of Manage Your Gaps, joins the show to explore how fulfillment, energy, and effective management intersect to drive purpose and performance. He shares how his concept of Fulfillment ROI helps leaders and teams track the energy they invest and the value they receive, revealing simple shifts that can lead to more meaningful, energized...

After years of hosting this podcast and interviewing incredible leaders, I've identified the tools that solve the most common manager challenges: lack of time, uncertainty about doing things right, and feeling constantly behind. #6: BetterUp - Develop People Proactively A scalable coaching platform that helps managers develop both themselves and their direct reports through professional coaching t...

After years of hosting this podcast and interviewing incredible leaders, I've identified the tools that solve the most common manager challenges: lack of time, uncertainty about doing things right, and feeling constantly behind.  Todoist - Master Your Time and Tasks A comprehensive task management system that transforms chaos into controlled productivity through recurring tasks, cross-device sync,...

In this episode, Mike Zani, CEO of The Predictive Index and author of The Science of Dream Teams , joins the show to break down how behavioral science can transform hiring, culture, and leadership. From his Olympic sailing background to leading a talent optimization platform used by over 10,000 companies, Mike shares practical insights on what makes teams click and what causes them to fall apart....

In this episode, Matt Rieck, Chief Human Resources Officer at End Zone Insurance and author of The Employee Retention Bible , joins the show to share proven strategies for keeping your best people. From rethinking turnover as a natural business function to designing better company meetings and succession plans, Matt unpacks practical frameworks to reduce attrition and boost engagement. He also int...

Adam Weber has helped grow organizations, lead people-first teams, and navigate the tension between humanity and performance. In this episode of Lead The People, Adam Weber and Matt Poepsel talks about why real leadership starts with presence. They unpack the dangers of over-indexing on metrics, how burnout is often hidden in high-performers, and why leading with vulnerability isn’t a weakness — i...

Leigh Elena Henderson spent years in corporate HR — until the system she upheld broke her down. In this episode, Leigh shares her powerful story of leaving the corporate world behind and using her voice to expose the realities so many employees face in silence. From toxic culture to broken policies, she unpacks the tension between doing what’s “by the book” and doing what’s right. Her viral presen...

What happens when people don’t feel seen, needed, or valued at work? In this episode, author and researcher Zach Mercurio joins Matt Poepsel for a powerful conversation on mattering — the often-missing ingredient in modern leadership. They explore why recognition isn’t enough, how to build cultures where people feel irreplaceable, and what happens when leaders prioritize purpose over pressure. Fro...

In this conversation, Stephen Sokoler unpacks the evolving definition of mental health and its impact on the modern workplace. As founder and CEO of Journey, Stephen challenges the outdated, reactive approach to mental well-being and calls for a proactive, daily integration of mental health practices into both our personal and professional lives. He explores the mental cost of multitasking, the il...

In this conversation, Marcel Schwantes discusses the profound effects of toxic management on personal health and workplace dynamics. He emphasizes the need for humane leadership characterized by empathy, kindness, humility, advocacy, and trust. The discussion highlights the importance of understanding love in leadership and how it can transform organizational culture. Marcel shares insights from h...