184: What If You're Both Right?

184: What If You're Both Right?

The biggest leadership problems aren't solved by choosing sides. Meet Hector. As the general manager of a wholesale building materials company, Hector expects accountability and results. But the harder he pushes for performance, the quieter his team becomes. Sales blames operations. Managers avoid difficult conversations. Hector is beginning to wonder if great leadership really requires choosing between caring about people and driving results, or if there's another way. Today, Jay sits down with Michelle Troseth and Dr. Tracy Christopherson, co-founders of Missing Logic, co-authors of Polarity Intelligence, and hosts of the Burnout Proof Leadership podcast. Together, they explore why the biggest leadership challenges aren't problems to solve, but polarities to manage. and how embracing both perspectives leads to stronger teams, healthier cultures, and better decisions. Notable Quotes "It's not a problem you can solve. You need both performance and people." — Michelle Troseth "Most of what we deal with are interdependencies, not separate problems." — Michelle Troseth "Your preference becomes the environment your team works in." — Dr. Tracy Christopherson "You have to differentiate a problem from a polarity." — Michelle Troseth About Our Guests Michelle Troseth and Dr. Tracy Christopherson are the co-founders of Missing Logic, co-authors of Polarity Intelligence, and internationally recognized experts in leadership, burnout prevention, and organizational culture. Through their research, coaching, and consulting, they help leaders move beyond either-or thinking, navigate competing priorities, and build healthier, higher-performing organizations. Resources & Links Michelle Troseth Missing Logic Website – https://www.missinglogic.com/ Polarity Intelligence Book – https://www.polarityintelligence.com/ LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelletroseth Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/michelletroseth/ YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@missinglogicllc Dr. Tracy Christopherson Missing Logic Website – https://www.missinglogic.com/ Polarity Intelligence Book – https://www.polarityintelligence.com/ LinkedIn – https://linkedin.com/in/tracy-christopherson YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@missinglogicllc Jay Abbasi Website – https://jayabbasi.me/ LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayabbasi/ Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jayabbasi_/ Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/thejayabbasi/ YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@jayabbasipodcast Join Us Next Time Join Jay on Friday as he explores what it truly means to lead with courage. You'll learn how courageous leaders navigate difficult conversations, make hard decisions without losing compassion, and build trust while still holding people accountable. If you want to become a leader who inspires confidence instead of fear, you won't want to miss this episode.

183: 9 Questions to Reset Your Year

What if one hour of reflection could change the rest of your year? In this solo episode, Jay shares a powerful midyear reflection exercise designed to help you reset, refocus, and finish the year strong. As 2026 reaches its halfway point, he encourages listeners to step back from the busyness of life and evaluate what’s working, what isn’t, and where to focus their energy moving forward. Through nine thoughtful questions, Jay walks you through a practical process for identifying wins, learning from setbacks, clarifying priorities, and creating a meaningful plan for the months ahead. Rather than approaching goal-setting from a place of pressure or self-criticism, he emphasizes reflection, intentionality, and action. If you want to make the most of the remainder of the year, this episode provides a simple framework to help you do exactly that. Notable Quotes “You live life looking forward. You understand life looking backward.” — Søren Kierkegaard “What’s the biggest lesson I learned in the first half of 2026?” — Jay Abbasi “Pause, reflect, look back, look ahead, and make 2026 your best year.” — Jay Abbasi Resources and Links Jay Abbasi Website: https://jayabbasi.me/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayabbasi/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayabbasi_/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thejayabbasi/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayabbasipodcast Join Us Next Time On Monday's episode, you'll meet Hector, a General Manager at a wholesale building materials company who is beginning to lose the trust of his team. Although he is driven, accountable, and focused on results, his leadership style is creating distance and impacting performance. Jay is joined by Michelle Troseth and Tracy Christopherson, co-founders of Missing Logic, co-authors of Polarity Intelligence, and hosts of the Burnout Proof Leadership Podcast, to explore how leaders can balance people and performance without sacrificing either.

182: The Hidden Cost of Fake Peace

Avoiding conflict doesn't create peace. It creates distance. Meet Amy. Three months into her new role as Senior Director of Quality, she's already exhausted. Every attempt to improve processes is met with resistance from a fellow leader who ignores her emails, avoids collaboration, and publicly undermines her in meetings. Amy wants alignment, trust, and results, but instead finds herself bracing for the next conflict. What she wants most is to lead with confidence without constantly feeling like she's fighting an uphill battle. Today, Jay sits down with Jenn Whitmer, leadership expert, TEDx speaker, and creator of Joyosity. Jenn helps leaders navigate conflict, strengthen communication, and build healthier workplace cultures. Together, they explore why avoiding difficult conversations creates "fake peace," how to handle challenging personalities, and what it takes to create genuine collaboration. Notable Quotes "If you avoid conflict, you manufacture fake peace." — Jenn Whitmer "Sandpaper people will always be around." — Jenn Whitmer "Everything good is on the other side of a hard conversation." — Jenn Whitmer About Our Guest Jenn Whitmer is a leadership expert, TEDx speaker, author, and founder of Joyosity. She helps organizations create healthier cultures by improving communication, emotional intelligence, and conflict resolution. Drawing on her background in education and leadership, Jenn teaches practical strategies that help teams thrive through change and complexity. Resources & Links Jenn Whitmer Joyosity Book – https://jennwhitmer.com/books Website – https://jennwhitmer.com/ LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennwhitmer/ YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2-DJeF4oY7ImMFDryRZZ-A Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jenn_whitmer/ TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@jenn_whitmer Jay Abbasi Website – https://jayabbasi.me/ LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayabbasi/ Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jayabbasi_/ Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/thejayabbasi/ YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@jayabbasipodcast Join Us Next Time Join Jay on Friday as he guides listeners through a powerful mid-year reflection and planning exercise. Whether 2026 is going exactly as planned or feels completely off track, this episode will help you assess where you are, realign your priorities, and build momentum for the second half of the year. If you want to finish 2026 strong, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

181: My Top 10 Communication Techniques (Part 2)

One communication habit can change the trajectory of a conversation. In this solo episode, Jay concludes his countdown of the 10 most impactful communication techniques he has learned throughout his career as a speaker, coach, and leader. These are practical tools designed to help you build trust, strengthen relationships, increase your influence, and communicate with greater confidence. In Part 2, Jay reveals his top five techniques, including how to gain buy-in before offering feedback, project confidence through body language, slow down your speech for greater impact, strengthen connections through eye contact, and use a single word that can transform the way you lead conversations. These subtle but powerful practices can dramatically improve how others receive your message and respond to your ideas. Notable Quotes “If you just communicate, you can get by. But if you communicate skillfully, you can work miracles.” — Jim Rohn “Brevity is confidence. Length is fear.” — Axios “Hold your eye contact just a bit more than what you're comfortable doing.” — Jay Abbasi “You can acknowledge someone as a human and continue to discuss what needs to improve.” — Jay Abbasi Resources and Links Jay Abbasi Website: https://jayabbasi.me/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayabbasi/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayabbasi_/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thejayabbasi/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayabbasipodcast Join Us Next Time On Monday's episode, you'll meet Amy, Senior Director of Quality for a global food distribution company, who finds herself locked in a frustrating conflict with a fellow leader whose resistance is making collaboration nearly impossible. Jay is joined by Jenn Whitmer, leadership expert and TEDx speaker, to explore how leaders can navigate tension, improve communication, and create a culture where people genuinely want to work together.

180: You're Not Your Thoughts

You don’t need to believe every thought you have. Meet Zayd. He's a successful attorney, but lately success feels more like survival. Long hours, constant pressure, and one piece of critical feedback can consume his mind for days. Even when he's home with his wife and four children, he's mentally somewhere else. He wants to stop overthinking, reconnect with his work, and finally be present for the people who matter most. Today, Jay sits down with Dr. Gregory T. Obert, licensed psychologist, therapist, and podcast host. Together, they explore why high achievers often become trapped by their own thoughts, how mindfulness can interrupt destructive patterns, and practical strategies to manage stress, improve decision-making, and prevent burnout. Notable Quotes "It's paying attention on purpose to the present moment, non-judgmentally." — Dr. Gregory T. Obert "Just shoving your emotions down isn't going to make them go away." — Dr. Gregory T. Obert "You don't have to attach yourself to the hardship of the now." — Dr. Gregory T. Obert About Our Guest Dr. Gregory T. Obert is a licensed psychologist, therapist, speaker, and podcast host who specializes in helping high-performing professionals manage stress, prevent burnout, and improve emotional well-being. His work combines practical psychology with evidence-based strategies to help people build healthier, more fulfilling lives. Resources & Links Gregory T. Obert Royal Oasis Psychotherapy Institute Website – https://www.royaloasispi.com/ Website – https://gregorytobert.com/ LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregorytobert YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@DrGOBERT Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/drgtobert/ X – https://x.com/DrGTObert Jay Abbasi Website – https://jayabbasi.me/ LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayabbasi/ Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jayabbasi_/ Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/thejayabbasi/ YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@jayabbasipodcast Join Us Next Time On Friday, Jay shares his Top 5 Communication Techniques that have had the greatest impact on his life and career. These are the strategies that have helped leaders become more influential, build stronger relationships, and communicate with greater confidence. If you want practical techniques you can immediately apply at work and in life, you won't want to miss this episode.