Stories from the Frontline

Stories from the Frontline, Episode 7: Managers, leadership wasn’t supposed to feel like this. If you’ve ever been promoted into management and thought, “Why does leadership feel this hard?” this episode is for you. Todd Roberts shares his story of becoming a supervisor at 20 years old, being promoted but not prepared, and learning that working harder is not the same as leading better. This episod...

Every manager changes lives. Whether you realize it or not, your leadership doesn't end when the shift is over. It follows your team home, and it follows you home too. In this episode, Todd Roberts shares real stories from more than 33 years of leadership to explore the hidden impact every manager has on employees, families, and their own life. You'll discover why burnout isn't a badge of honor, w...

You applied for your dream job. Again. You did everything right. And the call still wasn't for you. In Episode 5 of Stories from the Frontline, Todd Roberts tells the story of the operation that changed his entire career, a building so short-staffed and burnt out it felt like filling a hole full of sand, scooping it out only to watch it fill back in. While other managers worked brutal hours an...

Most frontline managers are working 60, 70, sometimes 80 hours a week. Missing their kids. Coming home exhausted. Running on energy drinks and stress. And calling it dedication. It's not dedication. It's a slow disaster. In Episode 4 of Stories from the Frontline, Todd Roberts gets personal. After 30 years of marriage, two kids, and 33 years of leading frontline teams — he shares the philo...

Frontline managers are losing the battle before the shift even starts. High turnover. Constant hiring. Endless training. And the moment you get someone up to speed — they're gone. You're right back where you started. That's the revolving door. And it's the number one reason frontline managers stay short-staffed, reactive, and stuck working two levels below where they should be. In...

You can't fix your culture until you fix this. You can't fix your results until you fix this. You can't fix your career until you fix this. The answer? Your people aren't showing up. And everything else you try to build falls apart without it. In Episode 2 of Stories from the Frontline, Todd Roberts — 33 year frontline leadership veteran and author of How to Be a Great Leader — breaks down the rea...

Most managers were never trained on the most important part of their job — the people. And it shows. In this first episode of Stories from the Frontline of Leadership, Todd Roberts pulls back the curtain on 33 years of leading frontline teams for one of the largest transportation companies in the world. You'll hear the real story behind how a 20 year old supervisor with no training, no mentor,...