Things Leaders Do

Use a "disagree and commit" approach instead of chasing consensus. Consensus means everyone agrees (impossible). Buy-in means everyone commits even when they don't fully agree (achievable). Stop trying to make everyone happy and start getting everyone committed to moving forward together. You've been in the same meeting for six weeks. You're still trying to get everyone to...

Use the GRIT framework to make wise decisions without perfect information: Gather the right information, Reflect on your values, Involve the right people, and Take action and own the outcome. You've been staring at a decision for two weeks. You're waiting for perfect clarity. It's not coming. Most leaders either freeze or guess - neither works. You'll learn: A simple 4-step fra...

You're delegating all the time—assigning projects, distributing work, telling people what needs to get done. So why do they keep coming back to you with questions? Because you're delegating tasks, not authority. And there's a massive difference. When you delegate tasks, you're saying "Do this thing exactly how I would do it." When you delegate authority, you're s...

Use this 4-question framework to determine which decisions require your authority: (1) Does this require information only I have? (2) Does this set precedent or carry significant risk? (3) Am I holding onto this for the right reasons? (4) Who is best positioned to make this call? Most leaders spend their days buried in operational decisions while their teams wait to be told what to do. The problem...

How do you onboard new employees effectively? Don't leave it all to HR. While HR handles paperwork and compliance, leaders must own the relationship-building aspects of onboarding. Stay in contact before Day 1, ensure workspace and tools are ready, conduct weekly one-on-ones for the first 90 days, and teach culture through real stories instead of just handing someone a handbook. Episode Descr...

How do you avoid making bad hires? Stop interviewing for skills and start interviewing for character using Patrick Lencioni's Humble, Hungry, and Smart framework. Ask specific behavioral questions that reveal these three virtues, watch for red flags like excessive charm or similarity bias, and use the first 90 days—especially your one-on-ones—to assess whether the person truly fits your team...

How do you know when someone needs more coaching versus when you've made a hiring mistake? Look for three signs: (1) They're missing one of Patrick Lencioni's core virtues (Humble, Hungry, or Smart) and it's not improving, (2) You're having the same coaching conversation on repeat with no change, and (3) Your high performers are asking pointed questions about this person....

How do you actually have a performance conversation with an underperforming team member? Use a six-step framework: (1) Schedule it without drama, (2) Start with specific observations, (3) Listen to understand the root cause, (4) Name the impact clearly, (5) Create a specific plan together, and (6) End with a clear recap. Then follow up the next week—not when you remember, but when you said you wou...

Quick Answer When should you have a performance conversation with an underperforming team member? Address it immediately the first time you notice an issue—not the third or fourth time. The first time, approach it with curiosity: "What happened?" The second time, express concern and document the conversation. Waiting only makes the problem worse for everyone involved. Episode Description...

What should you do when your January plans fall apart? Acknowledge what slipped, identify why it happened, and make one small adjustment to get back on track. This episode shares a three-step recovery process refined over 20+ years of leadership—because leadership isn't about perfect execution, it's about recovery. Episode Description What happens when your January plans fall apart by We...

What should leaders do in the first week of January to set their team up for success in 2026? How can middle managers use the first week back to re-engage their teams and set the tone for the entire year? Most leaders waste the first week of January drowning in email and attending pointless meetings. But the first week of January isn't about catching up—it's about resetting. In this epis...

93% of employees can't align their personal goals with company objectives—because most goal-setting is one-directional garbage. This episode shows you how to create SMART goals using the two-way framework that balances corporate priorities with what your team actually wants to develop. What You'll Learn: Why SMART goals remove ambiguity and prevent performance review conflicts How to cas...

Year-end performance reviews often fail because feedback evaporates by February. This episode shows you how to deliver feedback that actually changes behavior—whether you've been doing one-on-ones all year or you're starting fresh in 2026. What You'll Learn: How to own it when you haven't been present (the 10-second script that builds trust) The four steps for giving feedback w...

Employee Recognition Strategies That Actually Work  How do you recognize employees effectively? Most leaders only show appreciation during holidays—a team lunch at Thanksgiving, gift cards at year-end—but your people deserve consistent recognition year-round. Research shows 76% of employees don't feel adequately recognized at work, yet gratitude often becomes a seasonal checkbox instead of a...

Ever felt stuck between speaking up to your boss and protecting your career? You're in a meeting, your boss makes a decision you know is wrong, but you stay silent—worried that disagreeing will make you look insubordinate or damage the relationship. Here's the truth: you're not alone. 76% of employees avoid workplace conflict, and nearly 24% of all workplace conflict happens between...

You delegated the project. Now you're wondering: Should I check in without micromanaging? How do I hold people accountable without hovering? Here's the tension every middle manager feels: You want accountability, but you don't want to be the micromanager everyone complains about. In this episode, leadership consultant Colby Morris breaks down the critical difference between holding...

You had the tough conversation. You thought you were clear. But nothing changed. Now what? Most leadership advice stops at "have the conversation" and never tells you what to do when the issue repeats. In this episode, leadership consultant Colby Morris walks you through exactly how to handle the second conversation—and why it's often more important than the first. What You'll...

You believe in people-first leadership, but you work in a results-only culture. Your peers manage by spreadsheet. Your boss treats people like resources. You're wondering: Can I actually lead differently without getting crushed? Here's the truth: You can't change the entire company culture right now. But you CAN change your team culture. And that's more powerful than you think....

Your inbox is full of articles about AI replacing jobs. You're wondering: Am I next? Here's the truth: Great people-first leaders won't be replaced by AI—but 88% of heavy AI users are burning out because they're doing it wrong. In this episode, you'll learn how to use AI strategically to become MORE people-first, not less. Get the exact methods leaders are using to save 10...

Look around your executive team. How many of you were external hires? Every hand goes up. Now show me how many managers you have promoted from front-line positions. Zero. Not one. Crickets. Host Colby Morris shares the devastating boardroom moment that exposed why one organization could not stop the turnover bleeding. When every leadership opening goes external, you are sending your team a clear m...

Your top performer just quit without a backup plan. They're driving Uber while they figure out their next move. Why? Because the pain of staying became greater than the pain of change. In 2025, 35% of Gen Z workers will quit without another job lined up, and 1 in 4 employees have considered quitting due to mental health concerns. The gig economy changed everything—your people have options now...

This deep-dive follow-up delivers exactly what you asked for: three specific, actionable systems that successful hybrid leaders use to build trust, measure performance, and manage remote teams without losing their minds. Host Colby Morris shares a real transformation story about Lisa, a marketing director whose team was crushing goals but sending deliverables at 2:00 AM - creating massive anxiety...

BREAKING: New 2025 research reveals 51% of workers would quit rather than return to traditional management styles. Is your hybrid leadership approach driving away top talent? If your best performer just quit with an exit interview citing "micromanagement" and "lack of trust," you're experiencing the hybrid leadership dilemma that's costing organizations their most val...

When national tragedy strikes, leaders don’t have the luxury of silence. In this episode of Things Leaders Do , Colby Morris reflects on the assassination of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University and what it reveals about the role of leaders during moments of crisis. This conversation isn’t about politics. It’s about leadership. It’s about how you show up when your team is already processing fear...

How do leaders invite productive conflict? Most leaders avoid workplace conflict, then wonder why teams never bring them the truth until it's too late. In this final Conflict IQ episode, discover the advanced skill that separates good leaders from great ones: actively inviting disagreement to strengthen team performance. Learn specific language patterns that encourage honest pushback and prac...