Some leaders build businesses that depend on them for everything. Others build teams that make the business thrive. Leadership coach Jeff Kuhn, creator of the Take 5 Leadership System™, joins Dianna Kokoszka to show how to build the second kind. You will hear the three questions Jeff asks a struggling business, how a Chuck E. Cheese manager nicknamed "the Terminator" learned to coach, why five minutes a week with each person is enough to keep a team on course, a checkout lesson Jeff heard about Trader Joe's that every leader can use, and what Jeff calls righteous termination: setting expectations so clearly that nobody is ever surprised.
Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/_mS4PT6r5Qc
About Jeff Kuhn
Jeff Kuhn is a Baltimore-based leadership strategist, executive coach and speaker, and the founder of B'More Brands. He started his career inside the Chuck E. Cheese costume and went on to lead sales and retail teams for Tesla, Vivint Smart Home and Keller Williams. His Take 5 Leadership System helps leaders Enlist people aligned with their values, Empower them to succeed, and Exceed goals through one 5-minute conversation a week. He hosts BMore Daily, a free accountability call every weekday morning, tells a dad joke every single day, and is a member of Dianna K.'s Inner Circle.
What You'll Hear
Lines Worth Rewinding
"Well, do you have five minutes?" Jeff Kuhn
"Well, if they thought like you, they'd have your job, for heaven's sakes." Dianna Kokoszka
"You don't have to fire them all the time. You can coach them." Jeff Kuhn, recalling a mentor's advice
"A lot of people called it an upsell. Dad called it adding value." Dianna Kokoszka
"Somebody needs to watch out for Chuck E. Cheese... And that's the leader's job." Jeff Kuhn
"Sometimes the leader becomes the ceiling instead of the floor." Dianna Kokoszka
Try It This Week
A note on the data: Gallup found that 31 percent of U.S. employees were engaged at work in the first half of 2026, unchanged from 2025, and 18 percent were actively disengaged. Jeff's weekly 5-minute conversation gives each person the attention and feedback that keep a team moving. With National Boss's Day on Friday, October 16, it also makes a great gift from any boss: five focused minutes a week.
Join Jeff's Free BMore Daily Call
Every weekday morning, Jeff leads a 15-minute coaching moment on one topic from the Take 5 system, then participants break into small rooms for an accountability check-in on the goal they set the day before. It is free to join. Register at bmoredaily.com for the Zoom link. To talk about coaching, training or a workshop for your leaders, book a call at jeffkuhn.com.
Grow With Dianna K.'s Inner Circle
Jeff has been part of Dianna K.'s Inner Circle for about two years. It is a year of mentorship with Dianna for leaders who want to build dynamic, cohesive teams, with live sessions twice a month alongside thought leaders who are her mentors and friends. Learn more and apply at diannak.com/mentorship.
Tell Dianna What You Want More Of
The three-minute Becoming More survey at diannak.com/survey shapes what Dianna teaches next and comes with a free chapter of her book, Chapter 18 on energy.
Connect With Jeff Kuhn
Follow Becoming More
Who on your team gets five minutes with you this week? Watch the full conversation, then share it with a leader who is ready to build a team that runs without them. BE BOLD.
