Scale UP & Grow with Mary Ricketts, MBA

EPISODE 4: Why High Performers Quietly Disconnect From Leadership Most leaders are shocked when a high-performing employee resigns. They say things like: "I didn't see it coming." "They never said anything." "I thought they were happy." But the truth is, high performers rarely disconnect overnight. They disconnect gradually. Silently. Professionally. And leadersh...

EPISODE 3: The Leadership Blind Spots Costing Organizations More Than Money Most organizations don't struggle because leaders don't care. They struggle because leaders can't see what they can't see. The most expensive leadership challenges rarely begin as financial problems. They begin as leadership blind spots—unseen gaps that impact trust, communication, employee engagement,...

Your Team Isn't Burned Out — They're Exhausted From Leadership Confusion Burnout has become the explanation for almost everything in today's workplace. Low engagement? Burnout. Turnover? Burnout. Poor morale? Burnout. Declining performance? Burnout. But what if we're diagnosing the wrong problem? In this episode of Leadership Unfiltered, executive coach and leadership strategis...

 Why Smart Leadership Teams Still Fail Each Other Some of the smartest leadership teams are still struggling with: communication breakdowns, leadership misalignment, executive tension, reactive decision-making, and declining trust across teams. And most organizations do not recognize the damage until culture, morale, retention, or performance begins to suffer. In this episode of Leadership Unfilte...

If you’ve ever said, “We need to fix the culture”… but weren’t exactly sure what that meant — this episode is your wake-up call. On this week’s episode of ScaleUP & Grow, Mary Ricketts (your favorite straight-talking, leadership-shifting coach) breaks down the real meaning of organizational culture — the stuff most leaders avoid, deny, or downplay. This isn’t another soft, feel-good conversati...

🎙️ NEW EPISODE ALERT! The Hidden Cost of Skipping Onboarding: Why Most Boards and Executives Start at a Disadvantage Let’s be real—most leaders don’t fail because they lack skill.  They fail because nobody set them up to win. In this episode of ScaleUP & Grow , I’m exposing the truth behind why so many executives and boards lose momentum in the first 90 days. It’s not politics. It’s not pressu...

🎙️ NEW EPISODE DROP! Why Most Boards Break During Transitions — and Don’t Even See It Coming Most boards don’t fail because of their mission.  They fail in the moments between leadership. In this episode of ScaleUP & Grow , I’m getting real about what actually happens when boards shift power, pass the baton, or bring in new leadership—and why silence, assumptions, and “we’ll figure it out” thi...

What if your biggest leadership blind spot… was you? In this powerful episode of ScaleUP & Grow , host Mary Ricketts dives deep into the hidden world of unconscious bias —not as a buzzword, but as a real, measurable force that shapes how you lead, hire, promote, and build trust. This isn’t about blame. This is about awareness, ownership, and action. You’ll discover:  ✅ What bias actually is—a...

Here’s the truth: if you don’t project confidence as a leader, you’re leaving money, influence, and opportunities on the table. In this episode, we dig into one of the rawest leadership pain points — the confidence crisis. Leaders who second-guess themselves, who struggle with executive presence, or who shrink back instead of stepping up don’t just hurt themselves… they drag their teams and organi...

Poor communication is the silent killer inside your organization. It creeps in quietly, erodes your credibility as a leader, frustrates your team, and bleeds money from your company’s bottom line. In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on why unclear or inconsistent communication is the #1 leadership blind spot — and how it silently destroys trust, morale, and execution. This is not fluff....

Let’s be real — most meetings suck. They’re not building alignment. They’re not driving results. They’re draining your people’s energy, wasting your time, and bleeding money from your organization. In this episode, I’m breaking down why unproductive meetings are more than just an annoyance — they’re a leadership credibility crisis. Every sloppy, purposeless meeting sends a message: your time doesn...

Conflict isn’t the enemy. Avoiding it is. Too many leaders convince themselves that staying silent protects harmony. They say things like “That’s just my style” or “I don’t like confrontation.” But here’s the truth: those are excuses. And every excuse costs you credibility, drains your team’s trust, and quietly erodes your organization’s results. In this episode, I unpack the real cost of conflict...

Leadership development is supposed to transform your organization—but what if it's just draining your budget? In this episode of ScaleUP & Grow , Mary Ricketts exposes the #1 reason most leadership programs fall flat: they skip the diagnostic step. No needs assessment. No clarity. Just assumptions. 📌 Pain Points We Tackle Head-On: Leaders sitting through training they don’t need—and chec...

Is your leadership bench starting to feel… a little empty? In this episode of ScaleUP & Grow , host Mary Ricketts unpacks a quietly growing crisis in organizations across industries: thin leadership pipelines caused by employee disengagement and a breakdown of trust . We’re not talking about just open roles—we’re talking about unspoken withdrawals , missed handoffs, and leadership fatigue that...

🎧 New Podcast Episode: Recovering from the Savior Complex – A Fresh 90-Day Leadership Plan You came into your leadership role ready to make an impact. You saw challenges and acted fast. But now, you’re facing resistance, disengagement, and frustration from your team. What happened? You may have fallen into the Savior Complex —the common leadership trap where new leaders rush in to “fix” everythin...

🚨 New Podcast Episode: Leading Without the Savior Complex 🚨 Stepping into a leadership role? Do you think you need to fix everything to prove your value? Think again. One of the new leaders' biggest mistakes is falling into the savior mentality —the belief that their team or organization was struggling before they arrived and needed them to "rescue" it. While the intentions may be...

🎙️ Join us for the latest episode of our podcast, "Identifying Insecure Leadership: Recognize and Overcome Key Traits." This episode delves into the critical aspects of leadership insecurity and its impact on organizational success. We'll explore: Common signs of insecure leadership include micromanagement, avoidance of feedback, and the need for constant validation. The detrimental...

Are Microaggressions Holding Your Workplace Back? Tune In to Find Out! Are you striving to create a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to succeed? 🚀 Microaggressions —those subtle, often unintentional comments or actions—could silently undermine your team’s trust, morale, and performance. The good news? You can lead the charge to create positive, meaningful organizati...

Your Path to Leadership Excellence Starts Here Don’t let miscommunication hold your team back. Tune in to this episode to unlock the secrets to respectful communication that drives real results. 🎧 Listen now and discover: How to model the communication you want to see in your team. Proven techniques to resolve conflicts respectfully and effectively. Ways to transform feedback into an opportunity...

🚀 Take Command of Your Leadership Journey! 🎙️ In the latest episode of ScaleUp & Grow , we explore high-impact leadership strategies inspired by the elite training and experience of Navy SEALs. Discover how adopting an ownership mindset can reshape the way you lead, inspire, and drive success in your organization. 💡 What You'll Learn: The power of taking full responsibility to build uns...

🎧 New Podcast Episode: Managing Upward – How to Influence Senior Leaders and Make an Impact 🚀 If you’ve ever wondered how to connect with senior leaders, get your ideas noticed, and build a strong, positive influence, this episode is made for you! Mastering the skill of "managing upward" isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a game-changer for your career growth and team success. In This Epis...

🎙️ New Podcast Episode: Climbing the Ladder – How to Grow Your Career While Lifting Up Your Team 🚀 Are you a middle manager juggling career growth while leading a team? Feeling the pressure to prove yourself but don’t want to leave your team behind? This episode is for you! Tune in to Discover: ✅ How to invest in your team’s growth while advancing your own career ✅ The power of transparency abo...

🚀 New Podcast Release: “Driving Innovation: How to Foster Creativity and Problem-Solving in a High-Performance Team” 🎧 As a leader, managing high-performing teams is just the beginning. The real challenge? Sparking innovation and fostering creativity that drives your team to the next level! 💡 In this powerful episode of ScaleUP and Grow , we’ll show you how to: 🔍 Transform your high-performanc...

🚨 New Podcast Release: “Managing Low Performers: Leading with Clarity, Compassion, and Accountability” 🎙️ As a leader, one of the toughest challenges is managing low performers while balancing compassion and accountability. Ignoring the issue can impact team morale, but how do you lead your team members to improve without micromanaging or alienating them? In this episode of ScaleUP and Grow , we...

As a leader, you’ve probably faced the challenge of stepping into a new role where the team is resistant to accountability and change. When expectations rise and you hold your team to higher standards, it’s easy to get labeled as the “bad guy.” But true leadership is about leading with integrity —and that’s exactly what we’re discussing in this latest episode of ScaleUP and Grow . 🔑 In this episo...