Making Business Personal

Series Description:  In this special 4-part series of Making Business Personal, Jason Weiss challenges the cult of personal branding that dominates today's professional landscape. Discover why limiting yourself to a consistent "brand" might be holding back your greatest potential, and how embracing your contradictions and evolution could be your true superpower in business and life....

What do ill-fitting pants and outdated business strategies have in common? They both create unnecessary friction in our lives. In this thought-provoking episode, we explore how the things we refuse to let go of—whether in our closets or our companies—can silently sabotage our progress and wellbeing. Through the story of "Bob" and his closet full of pants that no longer fit, we uncover the powerful...

Would you ever speak to a valued colleague the way you speak to yourself after a setback? For most high achievers, the answer is a resounding no. We reserve our harshest criticism for the person in the mirror. In today's podcast episode, I explore how self-compassion—often misunderstood as self-indulgence—is a critical component of sustainable success and resilience in demanding professional e...

In this thought-provoking episode, we explore the uncomfortable reality of why we lie—not just the small social fibs, but the consequential denials that undermine trust and progress. Drawing from recent examples at Oracle, the Department of Defense, and conversations with executives trapped in cultures of perfection, we unpack how the "mistake tax" transforms honesty from a virtue into a liability...

Is your organization pouring money into communication training only to see the same problems resurface months later? You're not alone. In today's episode, I reveal why most corporate communication programs create nothing more than a temporary buzz before things slide right back to where they started. Drawing from real conversations with Fortune 500 executives, I'll unpack why these expensive train...

In 'When Standards Become Anchors,' we expose the brutal truth that the very policies created to protect your success often transform into concrete boots that prevent innovation while hungry competitors sail freely ahead. This episode challenges leaders to conduct ruthless policy audits, implement sunset provisions, and create innovation zones where intelligent questioning is rewarded—because your...

In 'The Mint Principle,' we reveal the powerful truth that the most dangerous organizational problems aren't the noisy ones, but those silently spreading underground while leaders look away. This episode challenges listeners to practice 'leadership weeding' by having the courage to seek guidance, the vulnerability to act early with incomplete information, and the wisdom to set clear boundaries—bec...

In 'Leadership Is Life,' we challenge the destructive notion that leadership is about dominance and spectacle, revealing instead that true leadership happens in Tuesday morning exhaustion when no one's watching and you choose the harder, better path. This episode invites listeners to recognize that there's no such thing as work-life balance—there is only life—and how you lead isn&#...

In 'The Excellence Paradox,' we challenge the comfortable myth that we already know what 'best' looks like, revealing how organizations that define talent too narrowly consistently underperform against those embracing cognitive diversity. This episode invites listeners to move beyond demographic targets to create environments where different perspectives are actively valued—because...

In 'The Leadership Time Machine,' we challenge the temporal superiority bias that leads us to judge past decisions through the distorted lens of present knowledge, revealing how yesterday's 'outdated' solutions were revolutionary breakthroughs that created the foundation for today's innovations. This episode invites leaders to recognize that every system they consider outda...

In 'The Self-Destruction Manual,' we skewer corporate extremism through biting satire, exposing how organizations sabotage themselves by turning conference rooms into battlegrounds where leaders entrench in opposing camps with medieval crusader fervor. This episode challenges listeners to recognize when they're digging trenches instead of building bridges—because while extremism provid...

In 'Balance is Boring,' we challenge the holy grail of corporate America—perfect equilibrium—by revealing how Olympic gymnasts' most magnificent moments occur precisely when they temporarily abandon stability to launch into something extraordinary. This episode invites listeners to stop pursuing the static perfection of the balance beam and instead compose their own professional sympho...

In 'Revolving Door Leadership,' we expose the destructive cycle of constant disruption where senior executives are hired to shake things up only to be replaced before transformation has time to take root—leaving organizations paralyzed with confusion. This episode challenges leaders to balance innovation with consistency—showing that stability isn't the enemy of change but the very fou...

In 'The Tag Manifesto,' we expose the corporate madness of maintaining meaningless traditions like scratchy clothing tags, torturous phone trees, and soul-crushing meetings simply because 'that's how it's always been done.' This episode invites leaders to become liberators by asking the revolutionary question 'Why are we still doing it like this?'—because true innov...

In 'When Fire Comes Calling,' we explore the profound clarity that emerges when wildfire evacuation alerts force thousands to decide in minutes what truly matters among their possessions. This episode challenges listeners not to wait for evacuation orders to gain this clarity but to ask themselves the fire question now: What would you take if you had five minutes to decide, and why aren&#3...

In 'The Resilience Paradox,' we challenge the exhausting expectation that great leaders must constantly bounce back, revealing how this push for unwavering strength actually creates disconnection and erodes trust. This episode invites listeners to break free from toxic positivity and instead lead with authentic humanity—acknowledging struggles, validating emotions, and creating spaces wher...

In 'New Year New You' we challenge the dangerous oversimplification of motivational culture that reduces complex human experiences to inspirational soundbites and universal formulas. This episode invites listeners to abandon the question 'How can I be like them?' and instead embrace the messy, complicated reality of finding their own unique contribution—because your story is yet to...

May this new year bring you joy, happiness, and fulfillment!

In 'The Anti-Guru Manifesto,' we shatter the dangerous myth that success follows a universal formula, revealing why meticulously copying Tom Hanks's career path or blindly following billionaires' morning routines will likely lead you nowhere. This episode empowers listeners to resist the $11 billion self-help industry's oversimplifications and instead write their own success st...

In 'The Emotional Leaders Revolution,' we trace how childhood lessons of suppressing tears and 'sucking it up' have created a hidden leadership crisis where vulnerability is mistaken for weakness, causing disconnection despite outward success. This episode challenges the myth that professional excellence requires emotional suppression, inviting leaders to ask 'What might we lea...

In 'Fear: Your Hidden Compass,' we reveal the powerful truth that your deepest anxieties aren't walls blocking your path but sophisticated navigation tools pointing directly toward your growth. This episode challenges listeners to transform their relationship with discomfort—asking not 'How can I make this fear go away?' but 'What is this fear trying to teach me?'—becau...

In 'Reclaiming Your Sacred 48,' we expose how our weekends have slowly transformed from rejuvenation time to just another workday, leaving us trapped in an endless hustle cycle with foggy boundaries. This episode challenges listeners to break free from the always-on mentality and rediscover that magical space where nothingness becomes everything—because life's simply too short to work...

In 'LEGO's Leadership Blueprint,' we reveal how a beloved toy company on the brink of bankruptcy transformed itself by rejecting the myth of the lone visionary CEO and building a unified leadership team capable of making tough decisions together. This episode shows that true leadership power comes not from individual brilliance but from collective strength—where the sum is greater than...

In 'Beyond Balance: The Leadership Symphony,' we challenge the outdated notion of work-life balance, revealing how true leadership creates harmony across all aspects of life rather than forcing artificial boundaries. This episode invites listeners to stop compartmentalizing their existence and instead compose a rich, integrated symphony of purpose that transcends the false dichotomy betwee...

In 'The Corporate Garden,' we reveal the profound wisdom that leadership, like expert gardening, requires understanding that different team members—like various grass types—need tailored nurturing to truly flourish. This episode invites leaders to trade their one-size-fits-all irrigation systems for specialized watering cans, recognizing that the greenest teams grow where you water them th...