The Bosshole® Chronicles

Change isn’t new, but the pile-up is real. Between shifting budgets, reorgs, tech churn, and personal life turns, even strong teams feel their vitality drop. We open up a practical, empathetic way to navigate uncertainty using the change curve: status quo, disruption, exploration, and rebuilding. Instead of pretending the dip doesn’t exist, we name it, normalize it, and use simple moves to climb o...

Click HERE for Amy's LinkedIn profile Click HERE to purchase The Fearless Organization Click HERE to purchase Teaming Click HERE to download "What is a Fearless Organization." Check out these other episodes on Psychological Safety: Aaron Dignan - Brave New Work John and Sara - Psychological Safety John and Sara - Above the Line, Below the Line HERE ARE MORE RESOURCES FROM REAL GOOD...

The final Tuesday of the year is the perfect moment to trade vague goals for practices that actually change teams. We share five manager resolutions for 2026 that cut through noise and target what matters most: self-reflection, psychological safety, emotional intelligence, a whole-person approach, and eliminating destructive behaviors that erode trust. HERE ARE MORE RESOURCES FROM REAL GOOD VENTUR...

Something for the holidays. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to The Bosshole Transformation Nation! Send us Fan Mail

A fifth anniversary deserves a true origin story, and ours begins with a manager who meant well and nearly torched hard-won credibility. We rewind to the first Bosshole Chronicles episode and unpack two moments that shaped our mission: a plant visit where a leader faked fluency and a high-stakes client dinner that turned into a monologue. The details are uncomfortable on purpose—because every lead...

What if the most dangerous person in your company is also your top performer on paper? We bring Dean and Professor Emeritus Dr. George Reed to unpack toxic leadership with a definition that cuts through opinion, ego, and excuses: it’s a sustained pattern of behavior that damages team climate over time. Not a bad day. Not a tough conversation. A measurable, persistent drag on safety, trust, retenti...

Most promotions celebrate your past performance; leadership demands a different future. We’re pulling back the curtain on what it really takes to move from star individual contributor to effective first-time manager, with candid stories from Karen Schulman and sharp, field-tested tactics you can use today. If you’ve ever been “tapped on the shoulder” and told you’ll be great at managing because yo...

Gratitude gets real when work gets hard. We mark Thanksgiving by leaning into the uncomfortable truth that thankfulness isn’t just for cozy moments—it’s a practical, biological, and leadership-level tool for moving from fight or flight into calm, focus, and connection. John and Sara reflect on why gratitude helps leaders navigate tough feedback, toxic dynamics, and the wider “emotional recession”...

Forget the lazy Gen Z cliché. We asked RGV's young pro to share what bias looks like on the ground, then brought in author and generational sociologist Lisa X. Walden to unpack the real forces shaping how the newest cohort works, learns, and leads. The conversation moves from stereotypes to systems, showing how curiosity disarms conflict, how digital native skills accelerate adoption of AI an...

Sunday shouldn’t feel like a countdown to dread. In Part 2 we dig into the real drivers of the “Sunday Scaries” with Lisa Walden, co-author of The Future of Work Is Human, and get practical about what actually changes how teams feel and perform: human-centered leadership, clear communication, and thoughtful hybrid rituals that spark connection instead of compliance. Click HERE to order The Future...

The ground beneath work has shifted, and many leaders are still wearing shoes from another era. We dig into the “great chasm” between how managers were taught to lead and what today’s teams actually need, with guest Lisa Walden bringing sharp insight from her book The Future of Work Is Human . This first part of our three-part series tackles the return-to-office debate without clichés, showing why...

Want a culture that actually improves performance instead of living on a poster? We sat down with Heather Haas, CEO at Advisa and Predictive Index Certified Partner, to explore a clear, practical path to compassionate leadership that drives real results. The conversation centers on four levels of connection—job, manager, team, and culture—and how leaders can use each to reduce friction, boost enga...

What happens when a beloved company purpose stops landing the way it used to? We sit down with Biggby Coffee co-founder Mike McFall (and Bosshole Chronicles alum) to unpack a rare level of candor: why he let go of an identity he helped build, how a new president brought fresh focus, and what it takes to rewrite purpose, vision, and values without losing the soul of the brand.  Click HERE for Mike&...

A battlefield can teach you more about leadership than a bookshelf ever will. We sit down with retired U.S. Army Colonel Jeffrey McCausland—former Dean of Academics at the U.S. Army War College and CEO of Diamond 6 Leadership and Strategy—to translate Gettysburg’s hard lessons into everyday decisions leaders face right now. Click HERE to order Battle Tested Click HERE for the Diamond 6 website HER...

A battlefield can teach you more about leadership than a bookshelf ever will. We sit down with retired U.S. Army Colonel Jeffrey McCausland—former Dean of Academics at the U.S. Army War College and CEO of Diamond 6 Leadership and Strategy—to translate Gettysburg’s hard lessons into everyday decisions leaders face right now. Click HERE to order Battle Tested Click HERE for the Diamond 6 website HER...

Why is it so difficult for managers to simply say "I'm sorry"? This fascinating episode dives deep into the psychology behind leadership vulnerability and the barriers that prevent authentic connection in the workplace. HERE ARE MORE RESOURCES FROM REAL GOOD VENTURES: Never miss a good opportunity to learn from a bad boss... Click HERE to get your very own Reference Profile .  We us...

The Venturer stands as one of the rarest profiles in the workforce - representing only 3.31% of the population. These self-starting risk-takers bring a unique combination of analytical thinking and bold action that can transform organizations when properly understood and positioned. Click HERE to get your very own Reference Profile Related TBC Episodes: Head, Heart, and Briefcase The Collaborator...

Dive into the fascinating world of the Individualist manager. Making up just 3.66% of the population, Individualists bring a unique combination of independence, persistence, and results-orientation that can transform teams when properly understood and leveraged. Click HERE to get your very own Reference Profile Related TBC Episodes: Head, Heart, and Briefcase The Collaborator Manager The Operator...

Representing just 2.95% of the human population, Analyzers are the rarest personality type measured by the Predictive Index assessment. This scarcity creates unique challenges for hiring managers and team leaders trying to optimize job fit for roles where the Analyzer profile excels. Click HERE to get your very own Reference Profile Related TBC Episodes: Head, Heart, and Briefcase The Collaborator...

The hybrid work revolution isn't coming—it's already here. This revealing conversation with Jenny Mobius, Senior VP at SKEDDA and host of the Heroes of Hybrid Work podcast, cuts through the noise with hard data confirming what forward-thinking leaders already know: hybrid work delivers better results for both employees and organizations. Click HERE for Part 2 of our interview with Jenny...

Mark Ostach takes us on a fascinating journey through the psychology of technology and reveals how our digital behaviors profoundly shape our emotions, relationships, and workplace cultures. Drawing from his unique background in psychology and over a decade in the tech industry, Mark shares the pivotal moments that led him from bootstrapping a technology company to becoming a sought-after keynote...

The mysterious Scholar Reference Profile – analytical, reserved, imaginative, and technically-minded – takes center stage in this deep dive from The Bosshhole® Chronicles. Host John Broer unpacks the unique behavioral DNA that makes Scholars tick: their moderately high dominance, low extroversion, moderately high patience, and notably high formality create professionals who crave independence, ref...

What does it really take to become a CEO – and how do you prepare to eventually step away? In this remarkably candid conversation, Vince DiPofi, CEO of SSOE Group, peels back the curtain on his leadership journey from drafting board to corner office, revealing the personal transformation required to lead a global engineering firm. "You don't know what it's like until you're act...

Ever found yourself searching for that perfect candidate who can somehow be innovative and detail-oriented, people-focused and results-driven, all at once? Stop right there. This eye-opening episode debunks the myth of the "unicorn employee" – that mythical 18th reference profile that simply doesn't exist. Click HERE to get your very own Reference Profile . Related TBC Episodes: Hea...

What if the secret to transforming toxic workplaces wasn't just about removing bad bosses, but teaching good ones how to balance caring deeply with challenging directly? In this profound flashback conversation with Kim Scott, author of "Radical Candor" and "Just Work" , we explore the frameworks that can revolutionize workplace dynamics and eliminate the harm caused by poo...