Leadership Unlocked: How Leaders Win in the Era of AI

Dusty goes solo to challenge one of leadership’s most common traps—the instinct to swoop in and solve every problem. Drawing from hard-earned lessons and real-world research, he reveals how rescuing team members doesn’t make them stronger—it makes them dependent. In this episode, Dusty introduces his Choice Enablement Model, a practical framework that replaces control with empowerment and transfor...

Entrepreneur and digital nomad Leo Gestetner shares his incredible journey from building his first business at age 13 to leading global ventures and redefining what balance, purpose, and adaptability mean in life and business. He opens up about learning to pivot, both professionally and personally, embracing growth, staying fit in body and mind, and finding fulfillment beyond success. Leo’s reflec...

Dusty is joined by Terry Dunn—seasoned CEO and global business leader—for a conversation about trading the demands of the boardroom for the deeper purpose of helping leaders lead better. After 35 years building teams in more than 30 countries and steering companies through transformation and turnaround, Terry now dedicates his work to guiding executives toward clarity, composure, and results that...

Dusty goes solo to unpack one of the most frustrating questions in leadership—why don’t people just do what they’re supposed to do? After nearly three decades leading teams, he’s learned it’s almost never an execution problem—it’s a clarity problem. In this episode, Dusty shares his Rules of Engagement framework, a simple but powerful tool that transforms miscommunication into alignment and builds...

Dusty is joined by Dr. Lani Jones—clinical psychologist, executive advisor, and entrepreneur—for a conversation about walking away from the security of a children’s hospital career to build a life and business on her own terms. Lani shares how burnout in the healthcare system forced her to confront the difference between loving her work and losing herself in the noise of climbing ladders and check...

Dusty is joined by Jason VanDevere—entrepreneur, author, and creator of the Goal Crazy Planner—for a conversation about trading the security of a fourth-generation family car dealership for the uncertainty of chasing a dream. Jason shares how his search for a tool to align daily habits with big-picture goals sparked the idea for his planner, eventually growing into a bestselling product, coaching...

Dusty takes us deep into the defining “keystone moments” that shape who we are as leaders. From overcoming setbacks and defying expectations to standing firm in the face of doubt, he reveals how challenges become the very building blocks of strength, resilience, and clarity. With powerful personal stories and timeless lessons, this episode shows that leadership isn’t about being born with talent—i...

Dusty is joined by Bill Foran—the NBA’s longest-tenured strength and conditioning coach—for a conversation about the lessons behind four decades of building champions with the Miami Heat. Bill shares his unlikely path from small-town PE teacher to coaching legends like Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, revealing how a love for developing athletes—not just drawing up plays—became his driving force. He...

Get the 5 Keystone Questions for free: https://5keystones.com/ Dusty goes solo to reveal the five keystone questions that separate transactional, clock-in teams from purpose-driven missionaries who bring their best every day. Through personal stories—including his early leadership challenges in the auto repair industry—he shows how answering these questions unlocks meaning, connection, and lasting...

Dusty is joined by Tony DiLorenzo—entrepreneur, podcaster, and co-creator of the One Extraordinary Marriage Show —for a conversation about how building stronger marriages makes us better leaders. Tony shares his unexpected journey from aspiring pro cyclist to marriage coach, opening up about the struggles he and his wife Elisa faced in their own relationship and how those challenges led them to cr...

Dusty goes solo to reveal a leadership superpower most of us learned at age four—connecting the dots. Through the story of his first leadership position, he shows how clarity of vision transforms everyday tasks from transactional work into meaningful contribution. Leaders who fail to connect the dots breed silos, waste, and disengagement, while those who do unlock energy, ownership, and purpose at...

Dusty is joined by Amanda Byrd, sales executive turned chaplain, coach, and founder, for a conversation about how compassion and courage can reshape not only our careers but our lives. Dusty traces Amanda’s journey from a pivotal act of kindness outside an emergency room to years spent serving in hospitals and hospice care, where she learned the transformative power of presence, listening, and mee...

Dusty goes solo to unpack a counterintuitive truth every leader needs to hear—sometimes the fastest way forward is to slow down. Drawing from early lessons on the shooting range, hard-won insights in Ironman training, and years of leadership experience, he reveals how rushing only traps us in reactivity, while rhythm and precision unlock lasting impact. With practical tools like the Eisenhower Mat...

Dusty is joined by Jon Blair—heavy metal guitarist turned purpose-driven entrepreneur and founding executive at Guardian Bikes—for a conversation on how clarity beats chaos in both business and life. Jon shares his unconventional journey from touring musician to scaling a startup from zero to eight figures, raising $15 million, and ultimately launching Free to Grow CFO to help D2C brands build sma...

Dusty goes solo to tackle one of the biggest myths in leadership—that the best moments happen in the heat of a crisis. Through a vivid story from Disney World, where a cast member turned a spilled bag of popcorn into a lifelong memory, he reveals how true impact is rarely accidental. It’s built long before the moment arrives, through intentional choices, clear priorities, and simple systems that m...

Dusty is joined by Ross Simmonds, entrepreneur, storyteller, and founder of Foundation Marketing, for a conversation about what it means to lead with intention, abundance, and authenticity. They explore how generosity—both in business and in life—can be a powerful lever for growth, and why showing up with presence matters more than ever in a world full of noise. Ross shares lessons from his journe...

Dusty goes solo to unpack one of the most common traps leaders fall into—confusing what they’re good at with what they’re called to . He reflects on the hard shift from doing the work to directing the work, and the uncomfortable but necessary discipline of stepping away from tasks that once defined his value. From triathlon training to lessons learned at leadership retreats, Dusty shares how recla...

Dusty is joined by Eddie Geller, a three-time founder, CEO of SKOR, and lifelong champion of people-first leadership. Their conversations centers around how culture can be a company’s greatest asset—when it’s clearly defined, consistently measured, and courageously lived. Eddie shares hard-won lessons from his own entrepreneurial journey, including what happens when you over-index on product at th...

Dusty goes solo to share how one quote kickstarted a daily rhythm that’s shaped his leadership for nearly 30 years. It all began on the third shift at a call center—one quote, one email, one moment of reflection. That small practice grew into a lifelong discipline of reading, thinking, and writing, and became a way to stay grounded, sharpen perspective, and serve others. He unpacks why influence—n...

Dusty is joined by Raquel Braganza, a transformational coach and joy strategist, for a powerful conversation on reclaiming joy as a daily, deliberate practice—especially for leaders and caregivers who often pour from an empty cup. Raquel shares moving stories from her clients, including a mother who found light in a dark season by throwing a “cat party” with her children, and executives who redisc...

Dusty breaks down one of the most overlooked traps in leadership: the urge to rescue. Drawing from real-world coaching conversations and timeless wisdom from Viktor Frankl, Dusty unpacks what happens when leaders carry the emotional weight of their team's problems—and why it backfires. You’ll learn how to use powerful questions to redirect responsibility, reinforce agency, and build a culture of a...

Dusty sits down with Chuck Hall, the chairman of Vitality Living and founder of Charles Hall Construction, to explore his incredible journey—from his childhood hustle of working on the docks with his dad in Rhode Island to building a company that now employs over 2,300 people across 11 states. He opens up about being fired, starting over at 32, and the lessons he learned about vision, mentorship,...

What if your greatest leadership superpower wasn’t your voice—but your questions? In this episode of Leadership Unlocked, Dusty unpacks the single best advice he ever received: be interested, not interesting. From a homeschool upbringing that sparked lifelong curiosity to a game-changing moment inspired by Jim Collins and Peter Drucker, Dusty shares how learning to ask the right questions transfor...

Dusty welcomes Bridgett McMahan, President of BESCO, for a powerful conversation about leadership, confidence, and community. Bridgett shares the transformative impact of the book Gravitas and how it empowered her as a new leader in a male-dominated industry. She discusses the importance of assembling a trusted "Gold Team" to lead collaboratively, her leadership superpower of listening, and the lo...

Dusty Holcomb breaks down three of the most common leadership blind spots he sees every week in coaching sessions with high-performing teams, seasoned executives, and fast-scaling founders. With clarity and conviction, he unpacks how these often-unseen patterns quietly derail execution, dilute energy, and create frustration. Drawing from real-world experience, Dusty explores the cost of vague expe...