Shows
Things Leaders DoWhy Your Onboarding Sucks (And How to Fix It)How do you onboard new employees effectively? Don't leave it all to HR. While HR handles paperwork and compliance, leaders must own the relationship-building aspects of onboarding. Stay in contact before Day 1, ensure workspace and tools are ready, conduct weekly one-on-ones for the first 90 days, and teach culture through real stories instead of just handing someone a handbook.Episode DescriptionYour HR department is great at what they do. They handle paperwork, benefits, compliance training.But they can't make someone feel like they belong on your team. That's...
2026-02-1029 minThings Leaders DoHow to Hire Better (So You Don't Have to Fire Later)How do you avoid making bad hires? Stop interviewing for skills and start interviewing for character using Patrick Lencioni's Humble, Hungry, and Smart framework. Ask specific behavioral questions that reveal these three virtues, watch for red flags like excessive charm or similarity bias, and use the first 90 days—especially your one-on-ones—to assess whether the person truly fits your team culture.Episode Description74% of employers admit they've hired the wrong person. The average cost? $14,900. And 28% of new employees quit within the first 90 days.Why? Because we're interviewing for skills instead of char...
2026-02-0328 minThings Leaders DoPerformance Issue or Hiring Mistake? Make the CallHow do you know when someone needs more coaching versus when you've made a hiring mistake? Look for three signs: (1) They're missing one of Patrick Lencioni's core virtues (Humble, Hungry, or Smart) and it's not improving, (2) You're having the same coaching conversation on repeat with no change, and (3) Your high performers are asking pointed questions about this person. If it's a hiring mistake, handle the transition with dignity: be clear about the decision, own your part, focus on what's next, and communicate to your team only after the person has left.Episode Description
2026-01-2725 minThings Leaders DoWhen to Address Underperformance (Part 2 of 2)How do you actually have a performance conversation with an underperforming team member? Use a six-step framework: (1) Schedule it without drama, (2) Start with specific observations, (3) Listen to understand the root cause, (4) Name the impact clearly, (5) Create a specific plan together, and (6) End with a clear recap. Then follow up the next week—not when you remember, but when you said you would. The conversation without follow-up is just theater.Episode DescriptionWhat do you actually say in a performance conversation? How do you start without putting someone on the defensive? How do yo...
2026-01-2028 minThings Leaders DoWhen to Address Underperformance (Part 1 of 2)Quick AnswerWhen should you have a performance conversation with an underperforming team member? Address it immediately the first time you notice an issue—not the third or fourth time. The first time, approach it with curiosity: "What happened?" The second time, express concern and document the conversation. Waiting only makes the problem worse for everyone involved.Episode DescriptionHow do you know when it's time to address underperformance? What are the early warning signs that someone's struggling? Why does waiting to have the conversation make everything worse?...
2026-01-1326 minThings Leaders DoWhen Your January Plans Fall Apart (Year-End Leadership Series)What should you do when your January plans fall apart? Acknowledge what slipped, identify why it happened, and make one small adjustment to get back on track. This episode shares a three-step recovery process refined over 20+ years of leadership—because leadership isn't about perfect execution, it's about recovery.Episode DescriptionWhat happens when your January plans fall apart by Week 2? How can you recover when you've already slipped back into old habits? What's the difference between perfect execution and sustainable leadership?Most leaders are already behind by mi...
2026-01-0623 minThings Leaders DoStarting 2026 Strong - The First Week Reset (Year-End Leadership Series)What should leaders do in the first week of January to set their team up for success in 2026? How can middle managers use the first week back to re-engage their teams and set the tone for the entire year?Most leaders waste the first week of January drowning in email and attending pointless meetings. But the first week of January isn't about catching up—it's about resetting. In this episode, Colby breaks down the specific conversations leaders need to have, why one-on-ones are non-negotiable, and how to build leadership habits that actually stick.If you've be...
2025-12-3040 minThings Leaders DoHow to Disagree With Your Boss (Without Getting Fired)Ever felt stuck between speaking up to your boss and protecting your career? You're in a meeting, your boss makes a decision you know is wrong, but you stay silent—worried that disagreeing will make you look insubordinate or damage the relationship. Here's the truth: you're not alone. 76% of employees avoid workplace conflict, and nearly 24% of all workplace conflict happens between employees and their direct supervisors.This episode tackles the biggest challenge middle managers face: how to disagree with your boss without getting fired. You'll learn practical strategies for managing up, navigating upward conflict, and advocating for yo...
2025-11-1920 minThings Leaders DoHow to Hold Someone Accountable Without MicromanagingYou delegated the project. Now you're wondering: Should I check in without micromanaging? How do I hold people accountable without hovering?Here's the tension every middle manager feels: You want accountability, but you don't want to be the micromanager everyone complains about.In this episode, leadership consultant Colby Morris breaks down the critical difference between holding someone accountable and micromanaging—and shows you exactly how to check in on your team without making them feel controlled or abandoned.What You'll Learn:Why most leaders face a false choice between mi...
2025-11-1213 minThings Leaders DoTough Conversations Part 2: When the First Conversation Didn't WorkYou had the tough conversation. You thought you were clear. But nothing changed.Now what?Most leadership advice stops at "have the conversation" and never tells you what to do when the issue repeats. In this episode, leadership consultant Colby Morris walks you through exactly how to handle the second conversation—and why it's often more important than the first.What You'll Learn:Why the first conversation probably didn't work (and how to avoid the same mistake)The two bad paths leaders take when issues persist (and the real co...
2025-11-0423 minThings Leaders DoHow to Be a People-First Leader When Your Company Isn'tYou believe in people-first leadership, but you work in a results-only culture. Your peers manage by spreadsheet. Your boss treats people like resources. You're wondering: Can I actually lead differently without getting crushed?Here's the truth: You can't change the entire company culture right now. But you CAN change your team culture. And that's more powerful than you think.In this episode, leadership consultant Colby Morris shares how middle managers can pioneer people-first leadership in organizations that aren't there yet—and create lasting cultural change from within.What You'll Learn:...
2025-10-2818 minThings Leaders DoHow Leaders Should Use AI: Practical Guide to People-First LeadershipYour inbox is full of articles about AI replacing jobs. You're wondering: Am I next? Here's the truth: Great people-first leaders won't be replaced by AI—but 88% of heavy AI users are burning out because they're doing it wrong.In this episode, you'll learn how to use AI strategically to become MORE people-first, not less. Get the exact methods leaders are using to save 100+ hours per year while spending more time with their teams, not less.What You'll Learn:Why 88% of AI users burn out (and how to avoid the trap)Tw...
2025-10-2123 minThings Leaders DoBuilding Leaders From Within: How to Make Succession Planning Work Every Day, Not Once a YearLook around your executive team. How many of you were external hires? Every hand goes up.Now show me how many managers you have promoted from front-line positions.Zero. Not one. Crickets.Host Colby Morris shares the devastating boardroom moment that exposed why one organization could not stop the turnover bleeding. When every leadership opening goes external, you are sending your team a clear message - there is no path forward for you here.This episode transforms succession planning from a once-a-year document gathering dust into a living breathing process that...
2025-10-1323 minThings Leaders DoLeadership in the Age of Mental Health AwarenessYour top performer just quit without a backup plan. They're driving Uber while they figure out their next move. Why? Because the pain of staying became greater than the pain of change.In 2025, 35% of Gen Z workers will quit without another job lined up, and 1 in 4 employees have considered quitting due to mental health concerns. The gig economy changed everything—your people have options now, and being a "nice boss" isn't enough.Host Colby Morris reveals the critical difference between bosses who lose people and people-first leaders who retain them through the contrasting st...
2025-10-0719 minThings Leaders DoThe Hybrid Leadership Playbook: 3 Systems That Actually WorkThis deep-dive follow-up delivers exactly what you asked for: three specific, actionable systems that successful hybrid leaders use to build trust, measure performance, and manage remote teams without losing their minds.Host Colby Morris shares a real transformation story about Lisa, a marketing director whose team was crushing goals but sending deliverables at 2:00 AM - creating massive anxiety about "when" her people were working. Discover how implementing SMART goal-aligned KPIs eliminated her monitoring stress and improved team performance.Featured Systems:The Trust Scorecard: Five indicators to measure and build trust...
2025-09-2917 min
Things Leaders DoThe Hybrid Leadership Dilemma: Why Your Old Management Style Isn't WorkingBREAKING: New 2025 research reveals 51% of workers would quit rather than return to traditional management styles. Is your hybrid leadership approach driving away top talent?If your best performer just quit with an exit interview citing "micromanagement" and "lack of trust," you're experiencing the hybrid leadership dilemma that's costing organizations their most valuable people. The hybrid workplace has exposed a critical flaw in how most leaders manage remote teams, virtual employees, and distributed workforces.Host Colby Morris shares eye-opening coaching stories from his leadership experience, including the director whose team engagement scores jumped 30% in...
2025-09-2217 min
Things Leaders DoLeading Through National Tragedy – When Silence Isn't an OptionWhen national tragedy strikes, leaders don’t have the luxury of silence.In this episode of Things Leaders Do, Colby Morris reflects on the assassination of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University and what it reveals about the role of leaders during moments of crisis.This conversation isn’t about politics. It’s about leadership. It’s about how you show up when your team is already processing fear, anger, confusion—and yes, sometimes celebration.In this episode, we cover:Why silence in the face of political violence isn’t neutrality—i...
2025-09-1515 min
Things Leaders DoConflict IQ Part 3: The Courage Conversation – How to Invite Conflict Instead of Avoiding ItHow do leaders invite productive conflict? Most leaders avoid workplace conflict, then wonder why teams never bring them the truth until it's too late.In this final Conflict IQ episode, discover the advanced skill that separates good leaders from great ones: actively inviting disagreement to strengthen team performance. Learn specific language patterns that encourage honest pushback and practical tools for creating environments where the best ideas emerge from anywhere on your team.What You'll LearnThe counterintuitive truth about real leadership courageResearch-backed insights on productive disagreement from communication expertsSpecific phrases that...
2025-09-0917 min
Things Leaders DoConflict IQ Part 2: Reading the Room Before Hidden Conflict Explodes Episode 100Welcome to Episode 100 of Things Leaders Do! I can’t believe we’ve hit this milestone together. Thank you to every listener who’s been here along the way—your feedback and stories keep pushing me to bring leadership conversations that actually matter.For this milestone episode, we’re continuing the Conflict IQ series with Part 2: Reading the Room—How to Spot Hidden Conflict Before It Explodes.Here’s the truth: by the time conflict becomes visible, it’s already too late. The real leadership skill is noticing the quiet signals—hesitation, withdrawal, selective agreement—before they derail y...
2025-09-0219 minThings Leaders DoConflict IQ Part I: Why You Need It YesterdayEver walked out of a meeting thinking everyone was aligned—only to realize the real conversation started in the hallway? That’s not alignment. That’s avoidance. And it’s killing your team’s potential.In this kickoff episode of the Conflict IQ series, Colby Morris unpacks why most leaders get conflict wrong—and how you can build the intelligence to turn tension into trust. Drawing from research at Melbourne Business School, insights from Harvard Business Review, and Patrick Lencioni’s work on “healthy conflict,” this episode reframes conflict as a leadership superpower, not a liability.You’ll discover...
2025-08-2518 minThings Leaders DoYour Gen X Boss Decoder Ring: A Field Guide for Millennials and Gen ZEver wondered why your Gen X boss seems to speak in code? Why they get weird when you ask "why" or seem obsessed with how many hours you work? This episode flips the script—giving Millennials and Gen Z the backstage pass to understanding what makes their Gen X bosses tick. It's not about excusing poor leadership; it's about cracking the code so you can work together more effectively.What You'll LearnThe real reason Gen X leaders act the way they do (hint: it's not personal)Why common Gen X behaviors that dr...
2025-08-1824 minThings Leaders DoWhat Gen X Gets Wrong About LeadershipIf you’ve ever said, “Because I said so” in a meeting, you might be leading like it’s still 1989.In this episode of Things Leaders Do, Colby Morris calls out his own generation—Gen X leaders—for the outdated habits that are quietly holding teams back.With a mix of self-awareness, humor, and hard truth, you’ll discover:Why clinging to old leadership habits kills engagement—and how to evolve without losing your identityHow “professional distance” is eroding trust, and the simple shift that builds credibility fastWhy tenure doesn’t equal trust—and what earns it insteadHow feed...
2025-08-1120 minThings Leaders DoThe Gen X Leader's Guide to Managing Millennials and Gen ZEver get frustrated trying to lead someone who sends emails in lowercase with no punctuation... but somehow they're your top performer? If you're a Gen X leader, you're sandwiched between generations with completely different values and expectations. In this episode, Colby breaks down why leading younger generations feels so challenging—and gives you practical strategies to bridge the gap without losing your edge.What You'll LearnWhy your frustration with younger employees isn't really about them (it's about conflicting operating systems)How to use Simon Sinek's "Why First" framework to create genuine buy-inThe 5 bi...
2025-08-0517 minThings Leaders DoThe AI Bridge: Why Gen X Leaders Are Perfectly Positioned for the Next Big ShiftGen X leaders have seen it all—floppy disks, dial-up, the rise of email, and the shift to remote work. So why does AI feel like such a curveball? In this episode of Things Leaders Do, Colby Morris explores how Gen X is uniquely positioned to lead through digital transformation—not by mastering every tool, but by mastering what really matters: people-first leadership.From past transitions to today’s AI moment, Colby walks through five key steps Gen X leaders can use to bring clarity, confidence, and wisdom to an AI-enabled future. You’ll learn how to avoid th...
2025-07-2916 minThings Leaders DoWhat Gen X Gets Right About LeadershipWhat Gen X Gets Right About LeadershipEpisode Summary Gen X leaders don’t always get the spotlight—but they’ve been holding organizations together with grit, practicality, and quiet confidence for decades. In this episode of Things Leaders Do, Colby Morris breaks down the six distinct leadership strengths Gen X brings to the table—and why today’s teams need them more than ever.From solving real problems under pressure to earning respect through action (not just title), Gen X has been tested, refined, and built to lead in chaos. But...
2025-07-2222 min