Leadership & Learning w/Dr. JBT

Episode 53: Build the Windmill

"When the wind is strong, some people seek shelter. Others build windmills." That one proverb is the foundation of this episode. Dr. JBT unpacks what it means to face adversity as a leader. And how the most resilient, innovative leaders don't just endure the hard seasons, they find a way to use them. This episode is for every leader navigating uncertainty, pressure, or disruption right now and wondering what to do next. Key Takeaways 1. The wind is real — honor it. Great leadership doesn't skip past the hard part. The question was never whether the wind would blow. It will. The question is what you do when it does. 2. Shelter-seeking becomes dangerous when it's permanent. There are moments to pull back and protect your people. But when caution becomes a default posture, when leaders wait for perfect conditions before they move, they don't just stand still. They fall behind. And their teams learn to do the same. 3. Windmill builders ask a different question. While others ask, "How do I get through this?" windmill builders ask, "What does this make possible?" Same wind. Completely different response. That shift in question changes everything. 4. Innovation comes from constraint, not comfort. Some of the most transformative leadership moments in history came directly out of the most difficult seasons. The wind didn't change. The response did. The Three Windmill Practices 1. Reframe the question. Shift from "how do I get through this?" to "what does this wind make possible that wasn't possible before?" 2. Lead the narrative. Name the challenge honestly and pair it with a forward-facing message. "Here's what's hard. And here's what we're going to build." Both sentences matter. 3. Move before you're ready. Windmills don't get built by leaders who wait for the wind to stop. Make one move. Not the whole windmill, just one brick. This Week's Action Steps 1. Name the wind in your world right now. Clearly and honestly. Let your team see that you see it. 2. Ask the windmill question: what does this make possible? Write it down and see what comes up. 3. Make one move. One decision. One step forward that says, 'We are not hiding. We are building.' Found this episode useful? Share it with a leader in your world who needs to hear it right now. And subscribe so you never miss an episode of the Leadership and Learning Podcast.

Episode 52: Are You Pivoting Too Soon Or Waiting Too Long?

Episode Summary Every leader faces the moment when the current path isn't working. Do you stay the course or change direction? Pivot too soon and you abandon something that just needed more time. Pivot too late and you've wasted months or years on something that was never going to work. In this episode, Dr. JBT breaks down both failure modes, shares real-world examples of pivots gone wrong, and offers four practical questions to help you make the call with confidence. Key Takeaways 1. A pivot is a leadership decision like any other. It's neither heroic nor shameful. The quality of it depends almost entirely on the timing and the reasoning behind it. 2. Waiting too long is the most common failure mode. Escalation of commitment is real: once a leader has publicly backed a direction, the cost of admitting it isn't working feels enormous. By the time the data is unambiguous, your options are narrower and your competitors have moved. 3. Pivoting too soon is just as dangerous. Most good strategies look like failures in the early stages. Leaders who pivot too soon often mistake the difficulty of execution for a flaw in the direction, and their teams stop investing fully because they're not sure the new direction will last either. 4. Early struggle is not the same as strategic failure. Before you pivot, ask: Is this a strategy problem or an execution problem? These require completely different responses. The Four Questions to Ask Before You Pivot 1. Is this a strategy problem or an execution problem? If the strategy is sound but implementation has been weak, a pivot abandons the right answer for the wrong reasons. 2. What does the data say versus what does your gut say? Triangulate. Talk to customers, frontline employees, and people who will tell you what you don't want to hear. 3. Are you pivoting toward something or away from something? The best pivots are pulled by a clearer opportunity. The worst are pushed by discomfort with the current situation. 4. Have you communicated the reasoning clearly? A pivot your team doesn't understand lands as chaos. One that's explained well builds trust — even when the change is hard. This Week's Action Step Think of one initiative in your organization right now that feels stuck. Run it through the four questions from today's episode. Is it a strategy problem or an execution problem? Are you pivoting toward something or away from something? The answer might surprise you. Thank you for listening. This is Leadership and Learning with Dr. JBT, signing off. Found this episode useful? Share it with a leader in your network who's facing a pivot decision right now.

Episode 51: What a Day With My Team Taught Me About Leadership & Culture

Episode Summary What happens when you bring an entire division together to learn, connect, and invest in each other? In this personal reflection episode, Dr. JBT shares five leadership lessons from Summit — an all-hands gathering that reminded her what great culture looks and feels like when you get it right. From rap songs to real vulnerability, these aren't theories from a book. They're moments that actually happened — and lessons every leader can take back to their team. The Five Reflections 1. Never Be Afraid to Be Cheesy When a leader is willing to be silly and not take themselves too seriously, it sends a message to the whole team: this is a safe place, and we can have fun while we do hard work. 2. Invest in Each Other's Growth The most powerful learning cultures aren't built in training rooms. They're built when people look at the person next to them and say, I think you have something to teach me. 3. Experiential Learning Matters Information alone doesn't change behavior. Experience does. Don't just tell your team something — build an experience around it and let them feel it. 4. Vulnerability Matters Vulnerability isn't weakness. It's the entry point to real trust. When leaders create space for honest conversation about struggle and difference, they build teams that can weather anything. 5. Cross-Functional Relationships Break Down Silos Silos aren't broken by systems. They're broken by relationships. It starts with learning someone's name, understanding their role, and asking: how does what I do affect what you do? This Week's Action Steps 1. Do something a little cheesy with your team. Give them permission to laugh. 2. Find someone on your team who has knowledge others haven't tapped into yet. Give them a moment to share it. 3. Ask someone in a different department: How does what I do affect what you do? And actually listen to the answer. Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a leader in your life and subscribe so you never miss an episode of the Leadership and Learning Podcast.

Episode 50: Stop Solving; Start Asking: The Power of Coaching Questions

Episode Summary As leaders, we're wired to solve problems. It's how we got here. But what if that instinct is quietly holding our teams back? In this episode, we explore one of the most powerful shifts a leader can make: moving from solving to asking. You'll walk away with practical coaching questions you can use immediately to develop your team, build their confidence, and free yourself from being the bottleneck. What You'll Learn * Why leaders default to solving, and the hidden cost it has on their team * Why people are more committed to solutions they discover themselves * How to know when to coach and when to just answer * Ten coaching questions every leader should have in their toolkit (full list in the episode) A Few Questions to Get You Started "What have you already tried?" "What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail?" "What's your next step?" Tune in for all ten, and how to use them. Quotable Moments "Asking questions isn't a soft skill. It's a leadership superpower." "The best leaders aren't the ones with all the answers. They're the ones who ask the questions that help others find theirs." This Week's Action Step The next time someone brings you a problem, pause before you answer. Try asking "What do you think you should do?" and see what happens. Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a leader in your life who needs to hear it. And subscribe so you never miss an episode of the Leadership and Learning Podcast.

Episode 49: Stop Leading Change; Start Leading People

Episode Summary When everything is changing at once, leaders often focus on managing the logistics of change: the timelines, the rollout plans, the communication strategies. But what your team needs most isn't a better plan. They need to feel heard. In this episode, we explore a simple but powerful approach to leading your team through multiple changes at once, one that starts with a single question in your weekly meeting. What You'll Learn * Why change fatigue hits differently when multiple changes happen simultaneously * The one question to ask your team every week during times of change * The neuroscience behind why naming emotions helps people move forward * How to listen to your team's emotions as data, not just noise * How to hold empathy and momentum at the same time without slowing things down Key Takeaways 1. Managing change is managing people. Understanding why a change is happening and being emotionally okay with it are two very different things. Leaders who focus only on the logistics miss the most important part. 2. Create a regular space for emotions. In your weekly team meetings, ask: "What are you feeling about the changes this week?" Even ten minutes changes the dynamic. 3. Name it to tame it. When people put words to their emotions, it literally reduces the emotional charge they're carrying. You don't have to fix the feelings; you just have to make space for them. 4. Emotions are data. Anxiety may signal communication gaps. Frustration may point to a fixable process problem. Grief means something valued was lost. Resistance might be wisdom. Listen with curiosity. 5. Empathy and momentum belong together. Teams move faster through change when they feel heard, not slower. The language to hold both: "I hear you. And we're moving forward. Here's how I'll support you." Reflection Questions for Leaders * When did I last ask my team how they are feeling about the changes, not just how the work is going? * What emotions have I been noticing in my team lately, and what might those emotions be telling me? * Am I holding empathy and momentum together, or am I choosing one at the expense of the other? This Week's Action Step In your next team meeting, ask this one question: "What are you feeling about the changes this week?" Just ask it. Hold the space. Listen with curiosity. See what you learn. Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a leader in your life who's navigating a season of change. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode of the Leadership and Learning Podcast.