Episode 54: The Leaders Who Raised Us - A Father's Day Tribute

Episode 54: The Leaders Who Raised Us - A Father's Day Tribute

Episode Summary In this special Father's Day episode, Dr. JBT is joined by her husband, Dr. Paul Turgeon, for one of the most personal conversations ever recorded on the Leadership and Learning Podcast. Together, they pay tribute to their fathers — both of whom have passed away — and reflect on the leadership lessons passed down through presence, example, and the way two men lived their lives. This one is for the dads who shaped us. And for everyone still carrying their lessons forward. Key Leadership Takeaways 1. Leadership is caught, not just taught. Some of the most powerful leadership lessons were absorbed at the dinner table, on long drives, and in the quiet way someone you love handled something hard without complaining. 2. Presence is its own kind of leadership. Our fathers' generation didn't talk about leadership; they lived it. Through consistency, integrity, and showing up the same way every day, regardless of who was watching. That kind of leadership never goes out of style. 3. The complicated parts shape us too. Great leaders aren't built only by the highlights. The things we had to unlearn, the gaps we had to fill, the moments that were hard, those are part of the formation too. Owning that honestly is itself a leadership act. 4. What you carry forward is the tribute. The greatest honor we can give the people who shaped us is carrying their best into how we lead, how we treat people, and how we show up every single day. A Moment to Reflect * What did your father — or a father figure in your life — teach you about leadership without ever using that word? * Is there something you do as a leader today that is unmistakably them? * What would you want to say to them if you could? This Week's Action Step If your father or the person who stood in for that role is still here, call him. Tell him what he gave you. Don't wait for the right moment. This is the right moment. And if he's gone, carry it forward. Live it out. That's the tribute that never ends. This episode is dedicated to our fathers. Thank you for everything you poured into us; we're still learning from you. Happy Father's Day from Leadership and Learning with Dr. JBT and Dr. Paul Turgeon. Touched by this episode? Share it with someone who needs to hear it. And subscribe so you never miss an episode of the Leadership and Learning Podcast.

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.