Shows
The Daily SparkFixing the Real Productivity Problem: Disengaged ManagersBurned-out managers create disengaged teams. In this episode, Chad highlights how fixing the leadership gap in middle management is the real productivity unlock.
2025-08-0102 minThe Daily SparkMicro-Renewals: The Energy Hack for High PerformersTime is limited—but energy can be renewed. Learn how high performers stay sharp using micro-renewals and why leaders need to recharge to lead well.
2025-07-3103 minThe Daily SparkWhy Overthinking Kills Your OutputIndecision is the silent killer of productivity. Learn how top leaders cut through the noise and make faster, smarter calls using a simple two-question system.
2025-07-3002 minThe Daily SparkAI-Native Leaders: A New Breed of ProductiveAI-native leaders are building leaner, smarter, faster organizations. Discover how to integrate AI into your leadership style and unlock next-level productivity.
2025-07-2903 minThe Daily SparkWhat if less time at work made your team more productive?The four-day workweek isn’t a fantasy—it’s working. In this episode, Chad shares real-world results from global experiments and how leaders can rethink productivity to maximize performance and well-being.
2025-07-2803 minThe Daily SparkThe Setback Blueprint5,126 failures led to a billion-dollar success. In today’s Daily Spark, Chad shares the James Dyson story—and how setbacks can become your greatest breakthroughs.
2025-07-2503 minThe Daily SparkCourage to Speak UpSometimes the boldest move is refusing to move. In today’s Daily Spark, Chad shares how a quiet FDA scientist saved lives by holding the line—and how you can too.
2025-07-2503 minThe Daily SparkThe Power of Micro-MomentsLeadership lives in the little things. In today’s Daily Spark, Chad Brocato shares the Starbucks “3-second connection” rule and how micro-moments build powerful trust.
2025-07-2303 minThe Daily SparkThe 1-Minute Gesture That Changed a LifeToday on The Daily Spark, discover how a simple act of encouragement changed a student’s life—and how your small gesture could do the same.
2025-07-2203 minThe Daily SparkCourage Is ContagiousToday on The Daily Spark, Chad shares how courageous leadership begins with one decision—and how your bravery can become someone else’s breakthrough. From Rosa Parks to everyday heroes, discover how courage spreads and shapes culture.
2025-07-2103 minThe Daily SparkMissed It? Own It.Leadership isn’t perfection—it’s responsibility. In today’s Daily Spark, Chad shares how owning mistakes builds trust and transforms culture.
2025-07-1802 minThe Daily SparkAsk One More QuestionLeadership isn’t perfection—it’s responsibility. In today’s Daily Spark, Chad shares how owning mistakes builds trust and transforms culture.
2025-07-1703 minThe Daily SparkSelf-Talk = Self-LeadershipYour inner voice is your most constant companion. In today’s Daily Spark, Chad shares why changing your self-talk could be the most important leadership move you make.
2025-07-1603 minThe Daily SparkLeadership = Courageous TruthReal leadership means speaking up—especially when it’s uncomfortable. In today’s Daily Spark, Chad shares the story of Roger Boisjoly and a lesson in moral courage.
2025-07-1503 minThe Daily SparkEnd the Day with PurposeGreat days don’t happen by accident—and neither do great nights. In today’s Daily Spark, Chad shares how top leaders like Satya Nadella and Indra Nooyi end their days with intention.
2025-07-1403 minThe Daily SparkOvercommunicate by DesignRepetition builds trust. Don’t leave communication to chance. Say it, say it again, and say it until it sticks.
2025-07-1003 minThe Daily SparkLeadership Habit #3: Eat the Frog 🐸The best leaders don’t wait to tackle the hard stuff—they start with it. In today’s Daily Spark, Chad shares how this simple habit creates discipline, clarity, and impact.
2025-07-0903 minThe Daily SparkWrite It Down—Every DayGreat leaders write—daily. In today’s Daily Spark, Chad explores how written reflection sharpens clarity and decision-making, drawing on the habits of elite military minds.
2025-07-0803 minThe Daily SparkLeadership Habit #1: Make Thinking Time Non-NegotiableMost leaders run fast—but the best ones also stop to think. In today’s Daily Spark, Chad Brocato shares how Jeff Bezos and other icons use protected “thinking time” to drive smart decisions and lasting results.
2025-07-0703 minThe Daily SparkDon’t Just Come Home—Be HomeHigh performance at work means nothing if you’re missing at home. In today’s Daily Spark, Chad shares how to transition from “work mode” to “present mode”—and lead your family with the same excellence you bring to the office.
2025-07-0403 minThe Daily SparkLegacy Is Built DailyLegacy isn’t something you create at the end. It’s built in the everyday moments. In today’s Daily Spark, Chad shares how your consistent leadership becomes the story others will one day tell.
2025-07-0302 minThe Daily SparkTreat Your Family Like a TeamWhat if your family got the same clarity and care you give your work team? In today’s Daily Spark, Chad introduces the idea of the “family huddle” and how it strengthens leadership at home.
2025-07-0302 minThe Daily SparkThey’re Always WatchingYour actions speak louder than any lesson. In today’s Daily Spark, Chad shares how your example—at home and at work—becomes your most powerful leadership legacy.
2025-07-0103 minThe Daily SparkLeadership Starts at the Dinner TableYou’re leading teams and making moves—but are you showing up at home with the same intention? In today’s Daily Spark, Chad shares why leadership starts at the dinner table—and how being present builds both legacy and connection.
2025-06-3003 minThe Daily SparkYour Grit Is Someone’s RoadmapReal grit doesn’t just fuel personal success—it shapes others. In today’s Daily Spark, Chad shares the story of a retired firefighter whose quiet consistency mentored a generation, and how your example can do the same.
2025-06-2702 minThe Daily SparkThe Janitor Who Outworked the ExecutivesReal leadership isn’t always seen—but it’s always felt. In today’s Daily Spark, Chad Brocato shares the story of a quiet janitor whose work ethic created a lasting legacy—and reminds us how grit shapes everything we lead.
2025-06-2603 minThe Daily SparkPressure Builds DiamondsIn this episode, Chad explores how pressure can build grit, sharpen leadership, and transform who you become. Discover how to stop avoiding discomfort and start growing through it.
2025-06-2402 minThe Daily SparkGet Back UpWhen you fall—and you will—the key is to bounce back fast. In this Daily Spark, Chad shares a powerful story of resilience and what it means to lead with grit after failure.
2025-06-2403 minThe Daily SparkFall ForwardIn this episode of The Daily Spark, Chad Brocato shares the powerful story of Spanx founder Sara Blakely—who built a billion-dollar brand by embracing failure, taking bold steps, and falling forward. Learn how grit, not perfection, fuels real progress.
2025-06-2403 minThe Daily SparkStillness is a SuperpowerLeadership isn’t always about movement. Sometimes, the greatest clarity comes in stillness. Discover why intentional pauses can be your greatest leadership strength.
2025-06-2004 minThe Daily SparkNoise-Canceling LeadershipGreat leaders know how to filter the noise. Learn how to tune out distractions and lead with focused calm—even in the middle of chaos.
2025-06-1902 minThe Daily SparkDecide and MoveYou’ve gained clarity—now what? Today’s episode reveals why decisive action beats overthinking, especially when the stakes are high.
2025-06-1803 minThe Daily SparkThe Clarity QuestionThe right question can bring clarity in an instant. Discover the one mental tool elite leaders use to cut through chaos and move with precision.
2025-06-1702 minThe Daily SparkMental RebootFeeling mentally overloaded? Learn how a simple reboot can help you lead with more clarity, even under intense pressure. A short pause might be your most strategic move yet.
2025-06-1603 minThe Daily SparkResilient Teams WinWant a winning team? Start with resilience. In this episode, Chad shares how to foster grit and growth in your workplace culture.
2025-06-1403 minThe Daily SparkEndurance Over IntensityResilience is a long game. In this episode, Chad explains why endurance beats intensity when it comes to impactful leadership.
2025-06-1202 minThe Daily SparkThe Power of PerspectiveYour mindset shapes your resilience. In this episode, Chad explores how shifting your perspective can turn adversity into opportunity.
2025-06-1203 minThe Daily SparkFail Forward FasterGreat leaders don’t fear failure—they learn from it. In this episode, Chad shares how to build resilience by failing forward.
2025-06-1104 minThe Daily SparkThe Resilience ResetResilience is more than bouncing back—it’s about becoming stronger through struggle. In today’s Daily Spark, Chad Brocato shows you how to reframe adversity into growth.
2025-06-0903 minThe Daily SparkThe Self-Awareness AdvantageThe most powerful leaders know themselves. In this episode of The Daily Spark, Chad explains how self-awareness can elevate your leadership and create lasting impact.
2025-06-0602 minThe Daily SparkThe Relationship AdvantageYour greatest leadership tool isn’t your title—it’s your relationships. In this episode, Chad Brocato explores how authentic connection builds trust, loyalty, and long-term success.
2025-06-0503 minThe Daily SparkThe Communication AdvantageStrong leadership starts with clear communication. In today’s episode, Chad Brocato shares practical strategies to help you connect, clarify, and communicate like a leader others want to follow.
2025-06-0403 minThe Daily SparkThe Power of PreparationGreat leaders don’t wing it—they prepare. In today’s episode, Chad Brocato shares how powerful preparation builds confidence, credibility, and consistent results.
2025-06-0303 minThe Daily SparkThe Vision AdvantageVision drives action. In today’s Daily Spark, Chad shares how great leaders inspire progress by communicating a compelling future—and why your team needs that clarity more than ever.
2025-05-3003 minThe Daily SparkThe Consistency AdvantageConsistency is the foundation of trust. In today’s Daily Spark, Chad Brocato shares why steady leadership matters more than flashy performance—and how showing up daily can set you apart.
2025-05-2902 minThe Daily SparkThe Power of Humility in LeadershipIn today’s episode, we explore a leadership trait that’s often overlooked but essential for building trust, collaboration, and long-term success: humility. We’ll learn from the story of Darwin Smith, the humble CEO who led Kimberly-Clark to outperform its rivals, and discover how embracing humility can elevate your leadership.
Join Chad as he shares how humility transforms good leaders into great ones—and how you can apply this principle in your own life today.
For more leadership insights and strategies, visit www.chadbrocato.com.
2025-05-2703 minThe Daily SparkDiscipline Over DistractionDiscipline is the difference between dreams and results. In today’s Daily Spark, Chad Brocato explores how small, consistent actions shape powerful leaders—and how you can build the discipline that sets you apart.
2025-05-2603 minThe Daily SparkThe Courage AdvantageCourage is the heartbeat of leadership. In today’s Daily Spark, Chad Brocato shares why courage is more than bravery—it’s the key to making the tough decisions that define great leaders.
2025-05-2303 minThe Daily SparkThe Influence AdvantageInfluence is the true mark of leadership. In today’s Daily Spark, Chad Brocato shares how to lead with influence, not authority, and why trust and respect are key to building lasting leadership.
2025-05-2304 minThe Daily SparkThe Clarity AdvantageClarity is power in leadership. In today’s Daily Spark, Chad Brocato shares why clear communication and vision are essential for guiding your team—and why it’s the advantage that sets great leaders apart.
2025-05-2103 minThe Daily SparkThe Resilience AdvantageResilience isn’t about surviving—it’s about growing stronger. In today’s Daily Spark, Chad Brocato shares how to transform setbacks into springboards for growth, and why bouncing forward is a key advantage for any leader.
2025-05-2002 minThe Daily SparkThe Focus AdvantageDistraction is the enemy of progress. In this episode of The Daily Spark, Chad Brocato shares how Steve Jobs and high-performing leaders use ruthless focus to drive results—and how you can reclaim your edge by cutting through the noise.
2025-05-1903 minThe Daily SparkLet It Make You BetterTough times don’t have to define you—they can refine you. In this episode of The Daily Spark, Chad Brocato shares how Nelson Mandela turned pain into purpose and how you can let your hardships shape a stronger, wiser version of you. Let it make you better.
2025-05-1703 minThe Daily SparkGuard Your GatesYou can’t lead well if your mind is constantly cluttered. In this episode of The Daily Spark, Chad Brocato explores how great leaders protect their focus and clarity by filtering what they allow into their mental, emotional, and physical space. Guard your gates—because what you allow in determines what flows out.
2025-05-1403 minThe Daily SparkThe Power of a Single VoiceRevolutions don’t always begin with noise—sometimes they begin with a whisper. In this episode of The Daily Spark, Chad Brocato shares the quiet strength of Rosa Parks’ historic stand and reminds us how one small act of courage can ripple into lasting change. Your voice matters—especially when it’s hardest to use.
2025-05-1203 minThe Daily SparkLift As You ClimbGreat leaders don’t just climb—they lift. In this episode of The Daily Spark, Chad Brocato shares how Maya Angelou’s mentorship legacy reminds us that real impact comes from investing in others. Leadership isn’t about standing alone at the top—it’s about bringing others with you.
2025-05-0903 minThe Daily SparkDon't Wait to Feel ReadyWaiting for perfect conditions? Don’t. In this episode of The Daily Spark, Chad Brocato revisits JFK’s moonshot moment to remind us that readiness isn’t a prerequisite—it’s a myth. The leaders who move the world forward do so before they feel fully prepared.
2025-05-0803 minThe Daily SparkYou Can’t Fake EnergyPeople don’t follow tired leaders—they follow energized ones. In this episode of The Daily Spark, Chad Brocato explores the leadership power of authentic energy through the example of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and practical insight on how to bring your full presence to every room you enter.
2025-05-0703 minThe Daily SparkPlay the Long GameSuccess isn’t instant—it’s intentional. In this episode of The Daily Spark, Chad Brocato highlights the power of playing the long game through the journeys of Sara Blakely and Tony Dungy. If you’ve ever felt behind or overlooked, this message will remind you that slow, steady progress still wins.
2025-05-0703 minThe Daily SparkThe Invisible WorkYou don’t always find greatness in the highlights. It’s built in the quiet moments—through habits, focus, and relentless follow-through. In this episode of The Daily Spark, Chad Brocato explores the power of invisible work through the example of NBA icon Tim Duncan. If you’ve ever wondered whether your behind-the-scenes effort matters, this spark is for you.
2025-05-0503 minThe Daily SparkThe Mirror Test💬 “If you can’t be honest in the mirror, you’ll never lead with integrity.”
This episode of The Daily Spark explores challenges us to start every leadership journey with self-awareness., based on Ascend: Path to Personal Excellence.
Whether you lead in public safety or corporate life, this episode reminds you: Integrity starts in the mirror—long before it’s tested by others.
🔥 Today’s Spark: Check the mirror before you check the mission.
🎯 Challenge of the Day: Identify one pattern or habit that’s holding you back—and commit to changing it.
📘 Book...2025-05-0303 minThe Daily SparkThe Power of the Pause💬 “In a world that moves fast, power belongs to the one who knows when to pause.”
This episode of The Daily Spark explores gives us space to move with precision, not panic., based on The Clarity Principle.
Whether you lead in public safety or corporate life, this episode reminds you: Clarity lives between urgency and action.
🔥 Today’s Spark: Take one intentional pause before your next big decision.
🎯 Challenge of the Day: Breathe. Reflect. Then act with purpose.
📘 Book: Ascend: Path to Personal Excellence
🌐 More resources: chadbrocato.com
2025-05-0104 minThe Daily SparkHigh-Performance Teams: What Apollo 11 Teaches Us About Trust and MissionHigh-Performance Teams: What Apollo 11 Teaches Us About Trust and Mission
Landing on the moon wasn’t a solo act—it was the result of an unshakable team built on trust, clarity, and a shared mission. In this episode of The Daily Spark, Chad Brocato explores what made the Apollo 11 crew—and their mission control counterparts—such a powerful example of high-performance teamwork.
From crisis moments to role clarity, you’ll walk away with practical ways to strengthen your team starting today.
✨ Today’s Spark: The best teams aren’t the most talented—they’re the most aligned...2025-04-3003 minThe Daily SparkThe Wealth WorkoutThe Daily Spark – Episode 5:
"You don’t build wealth in a weekend—you build it one rep at a time."
In this episode, Chad Brocato unpacks the truth about financial fitness: wealth isn’t built on luck or flashy wins—it’s built on discipline.
Drawing inspiration from Warren Buffett’s long game and real-life financial principles, Chad shares how small, consistent actions—like saving, spending wisely, and investing in index funds—can compound into long-term wealth and freedom.
Forget overnight success. This is about doing the reps, building the muscle, and creating a future on your te...2025-04-2904 minThe Daily SparkRising from the Ashes: Revealing True Leadership💬 “Leaders aren’t made in easy times—they’re revealed in the fire.”
This episode of The Daily Spark explores tests our clarity and leadership when things fall apart., based on Ascend: Path to Personal Excellence.
Whether you lead in public safety or corporate life, this episode reminds you: Leadership isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about presence, confidence, and courage in crisis.
🔥 Today’s Spark: Lead like it matters—because it does.
🎯 Challenge of the Day: Show up as the calm in someone else’s chaos.
📘 Book: Ascend: Path to Perso...2025-04-2803 minThe Daily SparkSelf-Care: The Cornerstone of Effective LeadershipEpisode 3: “Own Your Oxygen”
💬 “You can’t lead if you’re gasping for air.”
In this powerful episode of The Daily Spark, Chad Brocato explores a fundamental truth from his book Ascend: Path to Personal Excellence—that leadership starts with self-care.
We often give everything to others, especially in high-stakes roles like public safety and leadership. But without oxygen—clarity, energy, balance—we can’t lead effectively. Chad shares why investing in yourself is not selfish, it’s strategic.
🔥 Today’s Spark: Prioritize one healthy habit. Just one.
🎯 Challenge of the Day: Hydrate. Rest. Reflec...2025-04-2503 minThe Daily SparkFuel Over Force🎙️ The Daily Spark – Episode 2: Fuel Over Force
Description:
Discipline gets you started. Purpose keeps you going.
In this episode of The Daily Spark, Chad Brocato explores why hustle alone won’t carry you through the hard days—and how purpose becomes your greatest source of momentum. Drawing from the MAP framework in Ascend, Chad breaks down why force fades, but purpose lasts.
🎯 Today’s Spark: When pressure hits, purpose lifts.
💥 Challenge of the Day: Choose one area—relationships, health, finances, or work—and ask yourself: Why do I do what I do? Say it out loud. Wr...2025-04-2405 minThe Daily SparkStart the Climb🎙️ The Daily Spark – Episode 1: Start With the Climb
Description:
The mountain doesn’t care if you’re ready. It’s waiting—and your climb starts now.
In this kickoff episode of The Daily Spark, Chad Brocato shares how momentum begins with one simple step. Drawing from his book Ascend: Path to Personal Excellence, Chad explores why waiting for perfect conditions holds us back—and how action, even messy action, fuels everything that follows.
🎯 Today’s Spark: Start messy. Start tired. Start uncertain—but start.
💥 Challenge of the Day: Pick one thing you’ve been avoiding—and do...2025-04-2304 min