Think Like a Leader with Dorian Albritton

Send us Fan Mail  Most leaders call it empathy. What they are actually doing is evaluating — deciding whether someone's behavior makes sense to them. Dr. Melissa Robinson-Winemiller spent six years watching institutional leadership fail because of exactly that distinction. In this episode she reframes empathy as a strategic leadership skill and breaks down what actually changes in a team when...

Send us Fan Mail  At 400 miles per hour there is no pulling over. No pause to regroup. The only thing that cuts through pressure and paralysis is three words: What is important now. Dennis Mellon is a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and former Alaska Airlines fleet captain who built every leadership framework he teaches from situations where the wrong call had no second chance. In this episod...

Send us Fan Mail The most capable people are often the most defended. The higher you climb, the harder it becomes to look honestly at what is actually running your decisions — because the higher you climb, the more you have to lose. Rob Hinds is a leadership and behavioral skills coach who spent nearly two decades in education, effort, and motion without real traction. What finally broke the patte...

Send us Fan Mail When was the last time your head actually felt clear? In this solo episode of Think Like a Leader, Dorian Albritton continues the Lead Yourself First series with a direct conversation about mental clutter, cognitive overload, and the cost of carrying everything in your head. The core idea is simple: your brain is a processing system, not a storage system. When unfinished tasks, un...

Send us Fan Mail Most leaders spend their energy managing up or managing down. The relationship they almost never invest in is the one across the hall — the peer who can quietly stop your project from moving forward without ever saying a word. Morag Barrett is the founder of SkyeTeam, executive coach, and author of Cultivate and You, Me, We. She spent years in commercial finance watching which com...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Think Like a Leader, Dorian sits down with Jon Green for a grounded conversation about teaching young men respect, standards, discipline, and self-belief. They talk about what it takes to shape boys into responsible young men, why leadership starts with the example being modeled in front of them, and how structure can build confidence when it is paired with care...

Send us Fan Mail In this solo episode of Think Like a Leader, Dorian breaks down why self-trust starts to erode when you keep making promises to yourself and failing to follow through. This is not about being lazy. It is about the repeated gap between what you said you would do and what you actually did. Dorian explains how self-trust is rebuilt through evidence, not emotion. If you want to trust...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Think Like a Leader, Dorian talks with Kelly Schuknecht about building a personal brand when visibility feels uncomfortable. They unpack why many capable professionals avoid being seen, how consistency builds trust, and why personal branding is less about performing online and more about making your value easier to recognize. This conversation is for the person...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Think Like a Leader, Dorian sits down with Annette Wehrli to talk about ego, humility, and the pressure leaders feel to carry everything themselves. They explore what happens when leaders confuse responsibility with control, why “taking off the cape” can make you stronger, and how humility creates room for better leadership. This episode is for the overloaded pr...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Think Like a Leader, Dorian talks with John Guaspari about why employee engagement fails when leaders treat it like a program instead of a relationship. They discuss respect, trust, empowerment, and why people disengage when they feel unheard, unseen, or treated like a resource instead of a human being. This conversation is for leaders who want people to care mo...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Think Like a Leader, Dorian sits down with Matthew Person to talk about culture as something leaders design, reinforce, and tolerate every day. They discuss why culture is more than a vibe, how standards become visible through behavior, and why small problems become normal when leaders refuse to address them. This episode is for leaders who want a better culture...

Send us Fan Mail In this solo episode of Think Like a Leader, Dorian breaks down the four versions of you that often compete for control of your life: the version that wants better, the version that avoids discomfort, the version that reacts under pressure, and the version that has to live with the consequences. This episode is for anyone who keeps asking, “Why do I keep doing this when I know bet...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Think Like a Leader, Dorian talks with Pete Mohr about what it takes to become dependable under pressure without becoming the person everything depends on. They discuss systems, ownership, decision-making, and why strong leaders can accidentally become the bottleneck inside the business or team they are trying to build. This conversation is for business owners,...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Think Like a Leader, Dorian sits down with Kevin Palmieri to talk about growth, self-belief, consistency, and doing the work before anyone notices. They discuss what it takes to keep improving without external validation and why confidence has to be built through evidence, not hype. This episode is for the person who wants more but keeps waiting for the environm...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Think Like a Leader, Dorian talks with Erin Ramirez about adaptability, change, and why smart leaders often struggle when the old way stops working. They discuss the difference between being rigid and being rooted, how to unlearn what no longer serves you, and why adaptability is becoming one of the most important leadership skills. This conversation is for anyo...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Think Like a Leader, Dorian talks with Amy Adler about why talented professionals often get overlooked in the job search. They discuss positioning, resumes, interviews, and how to make your value obvious before someone else defines it for you. This episode is for smart professionals who know they can do the work but struggle to communicate their value clearly. G...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Think Like a Leader, Dorian sits down with Kevin Bender to talk about clarity, feedback, standards, and why leadership breaks when people avoid hard conversations. They explore how leaders can define what “great” looks like before demanding better performance from others. This conversation is for leaders who want higher standards but may be avoiding the clarity...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Think Like a Leader, Dorian talks with Alan Lazaros about standards, self-belief, alignment, and the cost of waiting until life forces change. They discuss why people often tolerate lower standards longer than they should and how to begin raising the bar through daily behavior. This episode is for anyone who knows they are capable of more but keeps negotiating w...

Send us Fan Mail In this solo episode of Think Like a Leader, Dorian draws a line in the sand on amateur leadership. Amateur leadership shows up when people want the title without the responsibility, the influence without the standards, and the outcome without the discipline. This episode marks a sharper direction for the show. Real leadership starts when you stop waiting to feel ready and start t...

Send us Fan Mail In this solo episode of Think Like a Leader, Dorian shares how life hit hard and forced him to rethink the direction of the show. This is a personal episode about pressure, change, family, responsibility, and what happens when the old plan no longer fits the season you are actually in. This episode is for the person trying to lead while life is still happening. Sometimes the shift...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Think Like a Leader, Dorian sits down with Vic Martinez, a retired Command Sergeant Major, to talk about responsibility, preparation, pain, service, and what real leadership requires when the stakes are high. Vic shares lessons from military leadership and how those lessons apply to life, work, and personal responsibility. This conversation is for anyone who wan...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Think Like a Leader, Dorian talks with Lyndsay Stafford about building freedom, managing business pressure, and creating a life that does not consume the person building it. They discuss structure, ownership, and how entrepreneurs and professionals can pursue growth without losing themselves in the process. This episode is for the person who wants freedom but fe...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Think Like a Leader, Dorian sits down with Mikey Lucas to talk about discipline, adversity, growth, and building something bigger after rock bottom. They explore what it takes to turn pain into fuel without letting pain become your identity. This conversation is for anyone rebuilding from a hard season. Rock bottom does not automatically create transformation. D...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Think Like a Leader, Dorian talks with Bridget Hom about mindset, entrepreneurship, imperfect action, and building momentum before you feel fully ready. They discuss what it means to burn the ships, take action before the plan is perfect, and use conversations to find the real problems people need solved. This episode is for the person stuck in planning mode. A...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Think Like a Leader, Dorian talks with Kevin Wayne Johnson about service, leadership, action, and what it means to live out what you say matters. They discuss why ambition alone is not enough and how leadership becomes real through daily behavior. This conversation is for the person with big vision but inconsistent action. Ambition can point you in the right dir...