TRAITS podcast: Building Higher Performing Organizations

https://youtu.be/sNrdH3s06-Q DeWayne shares how decades of experience shaped the science behind leadership and why strategy, people, and structure must evolve together for organizations to endure. In the Season 2 of The TRAITS Podcast, host Mark Frentz and DeWayne Fliss, founder of Concord Consulting, bring the story full circle: exploring the science behind leadership and how decades of research...

https://youtu.be/3dG7sfGrPsg DeWayne Fliss explores why companies struggle to scale—and how leaders can fix what’s beneath the surface before growth collapses it. In Season 2, Episode 4 of The TRAITS Podcast, host Mark Frentz and DeWayne Fliss, founder of Concord Consulting, take a hard look at one of the most common problems growing organizations face: why companies struggle to scale. Building on...

https://youtu.be/CQf-I6xHW9Q Why role fit in leadership matters more than experience, effort, or good intentions Role fit in leadership is one of the most overlooked — and most costly — issues inside organizations. In this episode of the TRAITS Podcast, we explore why capable, hardworking people often fail in roles that simply don’t fit how they’re wired to work. Host Mark sits down with Mike More...

https://youtu.be/H9EaCf6VsgI How systems thinking and engineering logic shaped DeWayne Fliss’s leadership philosophy—and the lessons that inspired the next step toward TRAITS. Leadership Lessons from Engineering: The Human Equation In Season 2, Episode 2 of The TRAITS Podcast, host Mark Frentz continues the conversation with DeWayne Fliss, founder of Concord Consulting, to explore how an engineer’...

How one engineer’s search for better performance revealed the early foundations of TRAITS and a new way to understand people at work. In the Season 2 premiere of The TRAITS Podcast, host Mark Frentz sits down with DeWayne Fliss, founder of Concord Consulting and the visionary mind behind the TRAITS Assessment, to uncover the early foundations of TRAITS—and how an engineer’s fascination with system...

Transformative Power: Leadership Willingness to Change In this episode of The TRAITS Podcast, host Mark sits down with Bob Outhwaite, a seasoned leader with a career spanning law enforcement, oil and gas, and executive forums for top CEOs. Together, they explore what truly drives leadership willingness to change—and why this single quality often separates good leaders from great ones. Bob’s leader...

Why great hires start long before the offer letter In this episode, recruitment expert Steve Jones dives deep into the costly pitfalls that many organizations face when hiring and shares how Behavioral Interviewing can be a game changer. Steve explains why traditional interviews often miss the real picture—leading to false positives, where candidates seem perfect on paper but don’t deliver, and fa...

Creating Culture in Organizations: Leadership Lessons from Chaos to Clarity In this episode of the Concord Podcast, host Mark Frentz sits down with Rick Hays to explore one of the most pressing challenges leaders face today: creating culture in organizations. Too often, leaders focus narrowly on processes, profits, or short-term fixes, while overlooking the cultural foundations that drive sustaina...

Why Intentional Succession Planning is Essential for Family Businesses and Long-Term Leadership Success In this episode of the TRAITS Podcast, host Mark Frentz welcomes Roberta MacGillivray, President of BGE, a company rooted in quality air filtration in Western Canada. Together, they dive into the critical topic of intentional succession planning, exploring how organizations—especially family bus...

How Language in Leadership Shapes Culture, Influences Others, and Strengthens Organizational Clarity In this episode of the TRAITS Podcast, host Mark Frentz sits down with Susan McGee, a seasoned leader who has spent her career shaping organizations and influencing people through the power of words. The focus keyword—language in leadership—frames the entire conversation, as Susan shares how the wa...

How embracing T-Shaped Leadership can transform resilience, foster innovation, and drive sustainable growth in organizations. In this episode of The Business Leadership Podcast, host Mark Frentz sits down with Carmine Militano to explore the transformative power of T-Shaped Leadership in building resilience, driving growth, and navigating complex business challenges. Carmine shares his leadership...

How to eliminate bias, identify the right roles, and use behavioural insights to create long-term team success. In this powerful follow-up conversation, host Mark Frentz and Jason Woodard dive deeper into one of the most overlooked aspects of leadership hiring — using behavioural traits to build high-performing teams. They begin by exposing a common leadership pitfall: positive bias toward your ex...

Hiring the Right People isn’t just about filling a vacancy—it’s about avoiding costly mistakes, reducing turnover, and building a stronger, more resilient team. In this episode of the TRAITS Podcast, Mark sits down with Jason Woodard to explore one of the most pressing challenges in business today: hiring the right people. Drawing from decades of experience, Jason offers hard-earned insights into...

Identifying and Eliminating Business Inefficiencies for Sustainable Growth Business inefficiencies can quietly erode profit margins, stall growth, and create unnecessary chaos within organizations. In this episode of our business podcast, Dave Bulloch joins us to break down the root causes of inefficiency and share actionable strategies for turning operational blind spots into competitive advantag...

How Business Crisis Management Strategies Can Save Your Company from Hidden Risks and Unlock Long-Term Growth In this episode of our podcast, we dive deep into Business Crisis Management Strategies with seasoned entrepreneur and business advisor, Corey Smith. Corey shares candid insights from his own experience navigating the highs and lows of business, including the unexpected “valleys” that can...

How to build stronger leadership teams by avoiding over-promotion pitfalls and focusing on the right development strategies. Overcoming Leadership Challenges is one of the most critical priorities for any growing organization—and in this episode, Stephen Smith, President & CEO of Strike Group, shares a wealth of hard-earned wisdom on how to do it right. Drawing on years of leading a large, com...

In this powerful two-part episode, Chris Decock shares his journey in the restaurant industry and his people-first leadership philosophy. From building executive teams from frontline staff to fostering long-term employees, Chris discusses the critical role of work ethic, character, and values in team success. He dives into the pros and cons of employee-owned businesses, handling leadership transit...

In this episode, Carmel Macpherson, a seasoned HR leader, explores the real job of every manager: accountability, mentorship, and employee development. With lessons from teaching, parenting, and hands-on management experience, Carmel highlights key skills like spotting “yellow flags” in performance, avoiding the common trap of promoting employees beyond their strengths, and creating safe, honest w...

In this episode, Kayla Baretta, Managing Director at Paper Leaf, opens up about her experience leading a fully remote team and highlights the value of remote teams in boosting business performance. From building a connected company culture remotely to practicing empathetic leadership, Kayla shares her tips for creating high-performing teams, balancing work and life, and the power of clear communic...

In this episode Mark interviews Stephen Wallace, a former engineering firm owner turned consultant, who shares his journey from building a successful business to selling it unexpectedly. Stephen discusses the importance of making a business “shiny”—operating as if it were always ready for sale—even if there are no plans to sell. Through his experience, he emphasizes how strategic planning, well-de...

In this episode, we’re excited to introduce a game-changing feature that will transform the way you hire. The new Compare Report combines our job modeling expertise with the TRAITS survey to provide deeper insights into candidate-job fit. Discover how this feature helps managers identify key differences, gaps, and opportunities, making the hiring process more accurate and efficient. Whether you’re...

In this episode, we sit down with Darren Elder, a unique government leader who’s revolutionizing the way municipalities operate. Darren has implemented business strategies within the public sector, treating government like a business and creating entrepreneurial solutions for his community. Tune in to discover how Darren’s entrepreneurial mindset is transforming his municipality, boosting performa...

In this episode, Mike Moreau, President of Concord Consulting, breaks down how the TRAITS helps organizations get a better handle on personality traits to match personalities with roles. Mike dives into the idea of personality scales, where traits are measured to provide more nuanced insights into how someone might perform in different jobs. Whether it’s project management, sales, or customer serv...

This episode explores he impact of personality in the workplace and how it influences those around us. Fraser Engel shares insights on how self-awareness and objective assessments can help us understand our impact on colleagues and improve communication and teamwork. The discussion emphasizes the importance of recognizing and adapting our behavior to create a more positive and productive work envi...

In this episode, Mark interviews Sean Lavin, president of Aircom Instrumentation , about the power of psychometric assessments in creating effective, engaged, and successful teams. Discover how knowing a hire’s personality can greatly help accelerating success and improve communication within your business. Tune in to learn how understanding and aligning people’s traits can transform your company...