How to Lead with Clay Scroggins and Adam Tarnow

A quick update about the future of the Podcast and our plans for the summer.

Everyone wants to stand out at work. Berry Mansfield figured out that the secret isn't being the loudest or the smartest — it's being the easiest . As President of Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas, Berry has built an entire career on one principle: be easy to work with . In this episode, he traces how that idea carried him from accounting all the way to the president's chair, and why the...

In this episode, Adam sits down with Jenni Catron, leadership expert, founder of The 4Sight Group, and author of Culture Matters , to talk about one of the most important and most overlooked responsibilities of any leader: building a healthy organizational culture. Jenni brings clarity and practical wisdom to a topic that can feel abstract, and this conversation will leave you with both a better u...

We've all done it: said yes before we even finished thinking, then immediately regretted it. Clay and Adam dig into why people-pleasing feels like the kind thing to do, why it isn't, and what it quietly costs you as a leader: trust, clarity, energy, and the hard conversations that only get harder the longer you wait. Plus, five moves to start breaking the reflex this week.

Most leaders run one-on-ones every week. Almost none of them run one-on-ones their people actually want to show up to. The problem isn't effort — it's a fundamental mismatch: you think you're running a status meeting. Your direct report came hoping for something else entirely. In this episode, Adam and Clay break down why the most powerful recurring meeting on your calendar is also the...

When 18 out of 23 leaders in a room all gave the same answer — people — to the question "What's the most puzzling part of leadership?", it was hard to ignore. This episode unpacks why. Drawing on a distinction from Arthur Brooks' new book, we explore the difference between complicated problems (ones that can be solved) and complex problems (ones that can only be managed). The cru...

What does it really mean to lead from a place of wholeness and why does trust feel so elusive in today's organizations? In this episode, Adam sits down with Dr. Rob McKenna, author of Whole Leaders, Wild Trust , for a conversation that challenges everything you thought you knew about leadership development. Dr. McKenna explores why the most effective leaders aren't the ones who have it all...

The data is hard to ignore: mid-level leaders are the most stressed and burned out professional demographic — more burned out than individual contributors, more than senior executives. And yet most organizations treat manager development as an afterthought. Meanwhile, the generation coming up behind them is looking at middle management and quietly deciding it's not worth it. This episode is fo...

Every middle manager knows the feeling: things show up on your annual review that never appeared on your to-do list. You're expected to boil the ocean every day. You're held responsible for outcomes that depend on people, circumstances, and decisions that are never fully yours. It's not a personal failing — it's the defining tension of life in the middle. In this episode, we share...

Middle managers are some of the most important — and most overlooked — leaders in any organization. In this episode, Clay and Adam unpack Adam's new book, The Fog of Work : what it is, why it hits hardest in the middle of an org chart, and how to find your footing when you can barely see what's in front of you. They talk through the valley that most leaders never see coming, the three ways...

Every leader knows they should celebrate their team more. Almost none of them actually do it. In this episode, Clay Scroggins and Adam dig into why leaders chronically under-celebrate — and why that's costing them more than they realize. They unpack the research on what recognition actually does to a team's motivation, pull a surprising insight from the parable of the prodigal son, and giv...

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, whet...

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...

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 e...

You can read every book and master every habit, but if you're the smartest person in your circle, your growth has a ceiling. In this episode, Clay and Adam tackle the often-overlooked reality that isolation is the enemy of excellence—and that staying lonely as a leader is a choice that stunts your potential. They introduce the concept of a "Relationship Portfolio": the four types of...

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...

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, refle...

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 matte...

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.

Clay and Adam reflect on key moments from 2025 and share a few trends they see shaping 2026.

When Clay first started speaking, he’d shut down his calendar and memorize his talk word for word. It was exhausting and it didn’t make him a better communicator. In this episode, Clay and Adam unpack why memorizing your message actually works against you, causing you to sound robotic, panic when you miss a line, and lose connection with your audience. They argue that great communicators don’t mem...

Public speaking is one of the most vulnerable things a leader can do. You’re exposed, you’re being judged in real time, and the stakes feel high — which is why most speakers either avoid feedback altogether or settle for vague encouragement like, “Great job!” In this episode, Clay and Adam unpack why that’s a problem and how the right kind of feedback is the fastest path to becoming a better commu...

Most leaders rush to the solution. They skip the most essential part of compelling communication— creating tension . In this episode, Clay and Adam break down why tension matters, how the brain is wired to crave it, and how stronger tension-building can instantly transform any meeting, presentation, or keynote.