The Matt Ware Show

Too many leaders base their vision and their decisions on daydreams rather than data. Matt Ware unpacks the tension between idealism and pragmatism, and why every leader must live in both the future and the present at the same time. You need big dreams and you need a reality check today. Want an outside perspective on your organization? Connect with Matt and learn about working together at thematt...

How much pain can you take? Growth equals change, change equals loss, and loss equals pain, which means you will only grow to the threshold of your pain. If you want more growth, you have to accept more pain. If you're in a season of leadership pain and want to talk it through, connect with me at themattware.com . No cost, no pressure, no obligation. Subscribe so you don't miss an episode, and sha...

After seeing 93-year-old Willie Nelson in concert, Matt reflects on what a 70-year career reveals about the power of longevity in leadership. In a culture that glamorizes new and trendy, you can stand out simply by staying put, showing up, and sticking with what you do. What if your longevity is your legacy? Ready to stay in the game and lead through it? Connect with Matt and learn about working t...

If you think your organization needs all leadership and no management, or all management and no leadership, you are wrong. Matt paints a picture of the tension between these two mindsets and why great leaders embrace both. Left to its own devices, your organization will be unbalanced, because you are not balanced. Want help leading through this tension in your own organization? Connect with Matt a...

Leadership and management are not the same thing, and they are not enemies. Matt Ware unpacks why no organization will be healthy without both, and why both must be rooted in servanthood. When leaders stop serving, they run the train off the tracks, and when managers stop serving, the train never moves at all. Are you more naturally on the visionary side or on the logistical side? Want help growin...

You may be busy doing a lot of things, but are you doing the right things? In part two of this series, Matt finishes the list of essential functions of organizational leadership, the ones that rarely make it onto the job description. Because the people in your organization aren't following a program. They're following a person. Want help growing as a leader? Connect with Matt and learn about worki...

You've got the title. Maybe even a job description. But nobody ever told you what leadership actually requires. In part one of a two-part series, Matt breaks down the first five of ten essential functions of organizational leadership. Part two, covering the next five functions, drops next week. Hit subscribe so you don't miss it. Want to go deeper on any of this? Connect with Matt and learn more a...

Most leaders think leadership is a science with a formula. Matt breaks down why leadership is actually more art than science, and why staying locked into your preferred way of doing things can leave you blind to the shifts happening around you. Learn what it really means to be fixed on your mission but flexible in your methods. Where do you feel like you're really flexible in your leadership, and...

A flight delay in a small town airport turned into a masterclass in leadership when Captain Dale Holland stepped up to lead a frustrated crowd. Matt breaks down what the captain did and why it matters more than the technical skill that gets you in the seat. If you want to work on becoming the kind of leader people trust in the hard moments, head to themattware.com to connect and learn more about c...

Every good leader Matt Ware has ever known is frustrated all the time. He used to think that was a problem. Now he sees it as part of the job. This week: why your frustration isn't a fault, it's a feature, and how to use it as fuel instead of trying to fix it. If you're a business owner or nonprofit leader who's plateaued and can't figure out why, head to themattware.com to learn more about workin...

For our 50th episode, Matt shares an unplanned trailhead encounter with leadership legend John Maxwell. He breaks down what authenticity, presence, and influence actually look like off stage, and why the meeting changed how he leads. If that question hits home and you're ready to close that gap in your own leadership, head to themattware.com to connect and see how we can work together. Subscribe f...

Every leader eventually runs into someone who tries to manipulate them, and it usually shows up in the words they use. In this episode, Matt breaks down the two most common words manipulators use, why those words are impossible to satisfy, and the one move that shuts manipulation down every time. If this episode hits home, subscribe for more straight talk on leadership every week. Want to go deepe...

Matt asks the question he can't stop thinking about: how bad do you actually want it? He breaks down the gap between what we say we want and what our actions prove, then challenges you to get aggressive, stay consistent, stop delaying, and stop excusing. If you're ready to stop wishing and start working, connect with Matt and learn more about coaching at themattware.com . Don't forget to subscribe...

Every person on your team is motivated by something, they just aren't all motivated by the same thing. Matt breaks down John Maxwell's seven core motivations, purpose, autonomy, relationships, progress, mastery, recognition, and money, and shows you how to spot what's really driving your people. He also pushes back on a well-known Dave Ramsey quote that gets this topic wrong. If you're a business...

Most leaders think they need to motivate their team with rewards or threats. Matt breaks down why external motivation backfires, hurting performance, crushing creativity, and creating unhealthy dependency. This episode sets up next week's conversation on what actually drives lasting motivation. If you want to grow as a leader, subscribe and never miss an episode. Visit themattware.com to connect w...

One of the biggest mistakes leaders make is working too long in the same environment without a change of pace. Matt makes the case for why leaders should leave, and why travel specifically builds problem-solving, adaptability, teachability, appreciation, and inspiration. If you can't leave your business for more than a few days, this episode explains why. Connect with Matt, or learn more about wor...

You've already built something real. So why do you still need help? In this episode, Matt breaks down why the most successful leaders, athletes, and executives never outgrow their need for a coach, and the five specific situations that mean it's time to find one. If you're ready to talk about what coaching could look like for you, connect with Matt at themattware.com .

Leading people is hard, but the hardest person you'll ever lead is yourself. Matt Ware breaks down five areas you have to lead in your own life before you can lead anyone else: your mind, your mouth, your heart, your body, and your growth. If this episode challenged you, subscribe so you don't miss what's next. And if you're ready to work on your own leadership, head to themattware.com to connect...

Most people tense up the moment a problem lands on their desk. Matt breaks down four stages of how leaders respond to problems, from the ones who shirk them to the ones who actively seek them out. The sooner you find the problem, the sooner you find the answer. If you're a faith-driven leader ready to close the gap between where your business is and where you know it should be, head to themattware...

Your past — failures, successes, hurts, habits, decisions — isn't just behind you. For too many leaders, it's still running the show. In this episode, Matt breaks down the five ways leaders stay trapped in yesterday and why escaping them is the only path to building something better. Subscribe for weekly leadership insights. Connect with Matt or explore coaching at themattware.com .

Most leaders are addicted to speed, and it's quietly wrecking their results. In this episode, Matt unpacks why slowing down is the real key to going faster, and walks you through a five-question tool called the after action review. Learn how to build the discipline that helps you execute at a higher level. If you want to grow as a leader, check out themattware.com to connect with Matt and learn mo...

Leadership will cost you more than time and money — it will cost you your reputation with the very people you're trying to help. Strong leaders get mocked, misunderstood, misrepresented, and maligned, not because they're doing something wrong, but because they're doing something right. This episode is permission to keep going. Subscribe for straight talk on leadership, character, and what it actua...

Leaders are told to listen more. But what if all that listening is keeping you from actually leading? In this episode, Matt breaks down who deserves your ear, who doesn't, and how to filter input so you can lead with clarity instead of getting buried in everyone else's opinions. Subscribe for straight talk on leadership that helps you lead better, live bolder, and not lose yourself in the process....

Complaining is easy. Changing is hard. But if you're serious about your leadership, complaining is the one thing you absolutely cannot afford to keep doing. In this episode, Matt breaks down exactly why leaders default to complaining — and the four things real change requires. If you're ready to stop complaining and start leading at the next level, connect with Matt at themattware.com . Subscribe...

Loyalty isn't just something leaders demand — it's something they must model, extend, and earn. In this episode, Matt responds to the most challenging feedback from the loyalty series and goes deeper into what loyalty really means for leaders. If your organization is moving slowly, fractured, or suspicious, this episode will show you why trust and loyalty are the foundation you can't afford to ski...