Most leaders think their job is having all the answers. But what if the real power lies in asking the right questions?
In this episode, host Jason Stonehouse sits down with JR Briggs, founder of Kairos Partnerships and author of The Art of Asking Better Questions, to explore why the best leaders might not be the ones with all the solutions. JR has spent over a decade coaching everyone from business owners to college presidents to Black Hawk helicopter operators, and he's discovered something that could flip your entire approach to leadership.
JR reveals there are four levels of questions, and most of us are stuck at level one. He explains why humility, curiosity, and courage are essential to asking better questions, and how moving from "answer person" to "question asker" can transform your team's trust, creativity, and ownership. You'll discover why questions create connection in ways answers simply can't, and learn one practical thing you can start doing today to become a better question asker.
Jason and JR also flip the script mid-episode, with JR coaching Jason live on the podcast, demonstrating exactly how powerful questions unlock deeper insights and genuine connection.
If you've ever wondered why your team isn't being more honest with you or how you could lead with more influence, this conversation is for you.
Links:
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What if being "too compassionate" is actually the most profitable thing you could do as a leader?
Most entrepreneurs think compassion makes you weak. That caring too much about your team means lower standards, missed goals, and a business that runs you instead of the other way around. But what if that's completely backwards?
In this episode, host Jason Stonehouse sits down with Cal Riley, combat veteran, entrepreneur, leadership coach, and author of Entrepreneurial Compassion: An Entrepreneur's Journey Through Combat, Suicide, and the Discovery of Compassionate Leadership. Cal is on a mission to develop 1 million compassionate leaders by 2035 and prevent 100,000 suicides by helping leaders build healthier companies and more humane systems.
Cal challenges the biggest myths about compassionate leadership, including why tolerating poor performance isn't compassionate at all, how the most driven entrepreneurs can pair their intensity with compassion to get better results, and why your team matters more than your clients. He shares why apologizing might be the most underrated leadership skill, how systems like EOS work best when leaders do their inner work first, and practical steps any leader can take today to build more self-awareness and show up better for their team.
This conversation gets real about the mirror every entrepreneur faces and what it takes to become the kind of leader people actually want to work for.
Resources mentioned:
If this episode challenged how you think about leadership, subscribe to the Calm and Confident Leader podcast, share it with another entrepreneur who needs to hear this, and leave a like. Life is a process, so don't do it alone.
What if the most productive thing you could do today is slow down?
Most leaders are running on empty, convinced that busier equals better. But what if that equation is completely backwards? What if your anxiety isn't the fuel driving your success...it's actually burning you out?
In this episode, Jason Stonehouse sits down with Alan Fadling, founder of Unhurried Living and author of An Unhurried Leader and A Non-Anxious Life, to explore a counterintuitive truth: the most influential leaders aren't the ones moving fastest. Alan helps leaders around the world rest deeper, live fuller, and lead better, and he's about to challenge everything you thought you knew about productivity.
We dig into the difference between making a splash and bearing fruit that lasts, why busy people might actually be lazy, and how to lead from overflow instead of deficit. Alan shares the squirrel-on-a-bike-trail analogy that perfectly captures how anxiety hijacks our leadership, practical strategies for creating space to think and reflect, and why having time for people is your greatest point of influence.
This conversation is for every leader who's tired of the treadmill, who wants to stop managing their image and start leading from a place of peace.
Resources mentioned:
If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to the Calm and Confident Leader podcast, share it with another leader who needs to hear this, and leave us a like. Leadership starts from the inside out...let's do this journey together.
Ever set a goal that had everyone fired up for three days, then by week two the energy vanished and you're awkwardly reminding people about it in meetings? Turns out the very systems designed to motivate high performers are actually killing momentum and creating what Radhika calls "performance theater."
What if everything we've been taught about goal-setting is backwards? In this eye-opening conversation, host Jason Stonehouse sits down with Radhika Dutt, author of Radical Product Thinking and upcoming book "Escaping the Performance Trap," to unpack why traditional goal-setting creates perverse incentives that crush curiosity, collaboration, and real progress.
Radhika reveals how high performers end up gaming the system, why reflection beats optimization, and introduces her OHL framework (how well is it working, what have we learned, what will we try next) that's already transforming teams in over 40 countries. This isn't just theory - she breaks down exactly what leaders can do differently in their next team meeting to move from performance theater to meaningful progress.
Links:
If this episode challenges how you think about leadership and progress, hit that share button and let others in on the conversation. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss insights that could transform how you lead from the inside out.
Ever wonder why your best employee just handed in their two weeks notice without warning, while that person who drives everyone crazy is still hanging around?
Join host Jason Stonehouse and management expert Nick Agnoli as they tackle the real-world challenge every leader faces: keeping your top 10% performing at their peak while dealing with that 80% who do just enough to get by.
This isn't your typical leadership fluff. Nick breaks down why high performers often get ignored (spoiler: they're not on autopilot), reveals the hidden danger of rewarding great work with more work, and shares practical, non-monetary ways to keep your stars engaged when raises aren't an option. Plus, discover how to handle that team member who technically does their job but makes everyone else brace for impact.
You'll walk away with specific questions to ask in one-on-ones, strategies for creating advancement without building an exclusive inner circle, and Nick's game-changing concept of "negative work" that every manager needs to understand.
Ready to transform how you manage your team?
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Stop Leading Alone: Why Shared Leadership Changes Everything
What if the problem isn’t your calendar but your operating system? In this episode of The Calm and Confident Leader Podcast, host Jason Stonehouse sits down with Dr. Eun Strawser to unpack why leadership is not meant to be a solo act and how shifting from control to collaboration can transform the way we lead.
We explore:
Why shared leadership isn’t about delegating tasks but about redefining power
The pitfalls of traditional “power over” and “power through” leadership models
How creating psychological safety and process accountability builds stronger, more sustainable organizations
What leaders can do this week to begin practicing shared leadership
How Eun’s book You Were Never Meant to Lead Alone gives both practical tools and fresh perspective
If you’ve ever felt the weight of leadership pressing down on you, or wondered if there’s a healthier, more sustainable way to lead, this conversation will give you hope and a roadmap forward.
Learn more about Eun at ekstrawser.com
Learn more about Jason’s work at JasonStonehouse.com
If this episode encouraged you, please share it with a friend, like it, and subscribe so you never miss the next conversation on living and leading from the inside out.
Ever feel like you're managing spreadsheets instead of people?
In this episode of The Calm and Confident Leader, host Jason Stonehouse sits down with Chris Hallberg, ranked #9 on Inc. Magazine’s Top 50 Leadership & Management Experts (just ahead of Simon Sinek) and a coach who’s helped over 100 teams win “Best Places to Work” honors.
Chris brings the heat with battle-tested wisdom, zero fluff, and the kind of candor leaders actually crave. From breaking the cycle of “ghost accountability” to handling breakdowns without blame, this episode is packed with practical tools for leaders who want results without losing their people or themselves.
If you're tired of leadership theory that only works in a vacuum, this one’s for you.
Mentioned in the episode:
bizsgt.com - Chris’s leadership coaching and consulting
goexpand.com - Free trial of his AI-powered leadership platform
totalpackageplaybook.com - A free tool for leading from the inside out
jasonstonehouse.com - Coaching, resources, and connection with Jason
If this episode helped you lead a little better, share it with someone who needs it and subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next.
What if the secret to winning at work and in life isn’t looking stronger but becoming more real?
In this episode of The Calm & Confident Leader Podcast, host Jason Stonehouse sits down with Dennis Edwards, author of Humility Illuminated, to explore why humility might be the most overlooked leadership superpower. We tackle the tough questions leaders are actually wrestling with:
Can humility thrive in a culture that rewards competition and self-promotion?
How do you champion your team without sabotaging your own career?
What’s the difference between being a humble leader and being a pushover?
How do we start listening to the voices we have been trained to ignore?
Dennis brings more than 30 years of experience leading in demanding environments, from planting churches in Brooklyn to serving as dean at North Park Seminary. He shows how humility is not weakness but strength that multiplies. This conversation will challenge how you think about success and give you practical steps you can take this week to lead with humility that builds stronger teams and healthier cultures.
Links from this episode:
Learn more about Jason’s coaching and resources: jasonstonehouse.com
Get Dennis Edwards’ book: Humility Illuminated
👉 If this episode challenged or encouraged you, share it with a friend and subscribe so you do not miss the powerful conversations coming in the weeks ahead.
Ever catch yourself being one person in the boardroom and someone completely different at home? You're not alone, and it's slowly killing your leadership.
In this episode of The Calm and Confident Leader, host Jason Stonehouse sits down with Jason Jensen, Vice President of Spiritual Foundations for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and author of the new book "Formed to Lead," to tackle the dangerous split many leaders experience between their public persona and private reality.
Jensen reveals why the pressure to perform creates two different people, the early warning signs that you're living divided, and practical steps to bring your being, becoming, and calling back into alignment. This isn't about becoming perfect. It's about becoming whole.
You'll discover why tender humility and bold faith actually need each other, how to ask the scary questions that unlock growth, and when it might be time to get some professional help for your inner world.
If you've ever felt like you're wearing a mask in leadership or wondered what would happen if people really knew the real you, this conversation will show you a better way forward.
Resources mentioned:
Found this helpful? Share it with another leader who needs to hear this, hit that like button, and subscribe for more conversations that go beneath the surface of leadership.
Ever feel like you are supposed to grow as a leader but have no idea what that actually means for your emotional life?
In this episode of The Calm and Confident Leader, host Jason Stonehouse talks with Matthew Stafford about the role emotions play in leadership growth. They explore how self-awareness shapes decisions, how to balance confidence with humility, and why true growth is more about consistency than perfection. Matthew shares personal stories, practical examples, and ways to handle tough conversations while staying emotionally connected.
Links mentioned in this episode:
JasonStonehouse.com – connect with Jason for leadership coaching and resources
BuildGrowScale.com – resources and strategies for scaling your business
If you found this episode helpful, please like, share, and subscribe so more leaders can grow with us.
Are you accidentally training yourself to be fragile?
We live in a world designed for comfort and predictability, but retired Navy SEAL Commander Rich Diviney says this culture of convenience is creating a hidden vulnerability. We're losing our ability to handle uncertainty. In this episode, host Jason Stonehouse explores why your comfort zone might be your biggest weakness and how to turn uncertainty from your enemy into your advantage.
Rich Diviney is a retired Navy SEAL Commander and bestselling author who spent over 20 years in the military completing 13 overseas deployments. He was in charge of SEAL selection and training, created the first-ever MIND Gym to help special operators perform under extreme stress, and has since worked with organizations like American Airlines, the San Francisco 49ers, and Deloitte on leadership and performance.
You'll discover the difference between peak performance and optimal performance, why anxiety is always fiction, and Rich's powerful "moving horizons" technique that Navy SEALs use to maintain control in chaotic environments. Plus, learn the simple question framework that can help you regain control when everything feels uncertain: "What do I know? What can I control?"
Links mentioned:
If this episode helped you see uncertainty differently, hit subscribe, share it with a leader who needs to hear this, and leave us a like. Remember, leadership starts from the inside out.
What if your gut is getting it all wrong?
We’ve been told to trust our instincts, think positively, and overanalyze every move. But what if those habits are actually sabotaging your leadership?
In this episode of The Calm and Confident Leader, host Jason Stonehouse sits down with elite mindset coach Gary Chupik to uncover the truth about fake confidence, the danger of positivity without preparation, and how overthinking keeps you stuck. You’ll learn the two real ways to build lasting confidence, and why most leaders are doing it backwards.
Want to grow your confidence the right way?
Take Gary’s Elite Mindset Assessment for free at EliteMindsetAssessment.com with code: ELITE100
Learn more about Gary’s live event at OneDayElevate.com
Follow him on Instagram: @EliteMindset (look for the blue dot)
If this episode challenged or helped you, like, share, and subscribe and let someone else grow because of you.
Why do smart leaders keep getting stuck in the same patterns, even when they know better?
In this episode, Jason Stonehouse sits down with Dr. Sharon Spano to explore what’s really going on beneath the surface. It's more than just mindset. We're talking invisible patterns, hidden trauma, and what Sharon calls meta-awareness: the ability to notice what’s actually driving you in the moment, not just after the fact.
You’ll learn:
Why self-awareness alone doesn’t lead to change
How success can be fueled by unresolved trauma
What “mapping” your patterns looks like and why it matters
How your relationship with time and money might be sabotaging you
Simple steps to start spotting and shifting your own leadership defaults
If you've ever thought, “Why do I keep doing this?” or “Why isn’t this working anymore?” this conversation is your next move.
Grab Sharon’s free tool for Calm and Confident Leader listeners at sharonspano.com/calm&confidentleader
Check out Jason's resources, including lots of free tools:
(We SINCERELY apologize for softer audio on this episode)
If you found this episode helpful, share it with a fellow leader, subscribe to the podcast, and leave a quick review.
What if your leadership training is sabotaging your future?
The skills that got you promoted might be the exact things keeping you stuck. In this game-changing conversation, leadership expert Todd Bolsinger reveals why our best instincts often backfire and what it actually takes to lead transformation instead of just managing change. Todd drops serious truth bombs about why the three hardest words for any leader aren't "I love you" but "I don't know," and how Google discovered that psychological safety beats expertise every time. You'll learn the Lewis and Clark leadership lesson about dropping your "canoes," why people resist loss (not change), and how to move from being the expert to becoming the learner your organization actually needs.
Todd Bolsinger is the founder of AE Sloan Leadership and author of Canoeing the Mountains and the Practicing Change series. Check out his work at AESloanLeadership.com and find more leadership resources at JasonStonehouse.com.
This episode will challenge everything you think you know about leadership. If it shifts your perspective like it did ours, share it with another leader who needs to hear this message and subscribe to The Calm and Confident Leader podcast for more insights that transform how you lead from the inside out.
Is your church really stuck, or are you just seeing things the wrong way?
In this solo episode of The Calm and Confident Leader, Jason Stonehouse gets honest with church leaders. No guests. No fluff. Just a straight-talking, hope-filled challenge to rethink how we lead the local church.
Now, let’s address the obvious. This episode is specifically for church leaders. If you're a pastor, staff member, elder, or part of a church that's trying to figure out what's next, you need this.
Jason draws from over 30 years of pastoral ministry (and way too many awkward staff meetings) to explain why what feels like “stuck” might actually be misdiagnosed. From nostalgic glasses to complexity confusion to leadership fatigue, he unpacks the lenses that distort our view and how to swap them out for clarity, presence, and purpose.
Visit www.jasonstonehouse.com for coaching resources and tools to lead with greater confidence and calm.
If this episode helps you, don’t keep it to yourself. Subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone else who’s sitting in the middle seat of ministry right now.
Busy Work Trap
Ever notice how your hardest-working people seem to accomplish the least? Host Jason Stonehouse sits down with Michelle Niemeyer, former burned-out attorney turned productivity expert, to expose why busyness has become the enemy of real progress. Michelle reveals her "Art of Bending Time" framework and explains why work-life balance is a dangerous myth that's keeping your best people exhausted and underperforming.
In this episode, you'll discover the difference between someone who's genuinely swamped versus someone addicted to being busy, how to use Michelle's SWORD technique to cut through meaningless tasks, and why clarity beats hustle every time. Michelle shares practical tools for both personal breakthrough and team alignment, including her proven method for helping high performers connect their purpose with your company's mission.
Whether you're leading a team that's spinning their wheels or finding yourself trapped in endless busy work, this conversation will help you identify what actually moves the needle and give your people permission to stop mistaking motion for progress.
If this episode helped you see leadership differently, share it with another leader who needs to hear it. Hit subscribe so you don't miss the conversations that could change how you lead, and leave a rating to help us reach more leaders who are ready to ditch the fluff and get real results.
The strongest men in history never fought alone, yet somehow we bought into the lie that real masculinity means going it solo.
Join Jason Stonehouse on The Calm and Confident Leader podcast as he sits down with Frank Schwartz, CEO of F3 Nation, to expose the dangerous myth of the "lone wolf" that's leaving successful men secretly miserable.
What you'll discover in this episode:
Whether you're a man struggling with isolation or you love someone who is, this conversation reveals a better path forward through authentic connection and servant leadership.
Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE, LIKE, and SHARE this episode with someone who needs to hear this message!
#Leadership #Masculinity #Brotherhood #F3Nation #MentalHealth
What if your greatest leadership strengths are actually your deepest blind spots?
In this episode of The Calm and Confident Leader, host Jason Stonehouse sits down with lawyer turned counselor, author, and leadership coach Dave Wiedis, founder of Serving Leaders Ministries and author of The Spiritually Healthy Leader: Finding Freedom from Self-Sabotage. Together, they explore the unconscious commitments we make early in life that quietly drive our decisions, derail our relationships, and sabotage even our best leadership efforts.
If you're leading well on the outside but feeling stuck, exhausted, or disconnected on the inside, this conversation will help you uncover what's really going on beneath the surface. Because true calm and confidence start from the inside out.
You'll learn why self-awareness is essential for healthy leadership, how to identify the emotional patterns that shape your decisions, and one powerful place to start if you're ready to grow.
To contact Dave, visit www.servingleaders.org or email him at dwiedis@servingleaders.org.
If this episode resonates, subscribe, like, and share so more leaders can experience the transformation that comes from leading inside out.
What does it take to lead yourself before you can lead others? An Olympic gold medalist reveals the game-changing mindset that transformed him from champion athlete to world-class leader.
Join host Jason Stonehouse as he sits down with Brandon Slay, Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling from the 2000 Sydney Olympics and newly appointed Executive Director of Sports Life Wrestling. In this powerful conversation, Brandon breaks down the five transformational principles from Mark Miller's "The Heart of Leadership" that he's implemented in elite athletics, team building, parenting four kids, and developing future leaders.
You'll discover why the toughest opponent you'll ever face isn't on the mat or in the boardroom but in the mirror. Brandon shares raw insights about moving from victim mentality to ownership thinking, why "it starts with me" became his life motto, and how authentic leadership requires the courage to be vulnerable with your failures. Whether you're leading a team, raising a family, or trying to lead yourself better, this episode will challenge you to take inventory of what's really holding you back.
From Olympic pressure to coaching young wrestlers at his new G1 Training Center in Arkansas, Brandon proves that true leadership isn't about perfection. It's about being real, taking responsibility, and putting others first.
Subscribe to The Calm and Confident Leader Podcast, hit that like button, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear Brandon's message about leading from the inside out.
What if the very thing that got you to the top of your organization is actually keeping you from the relationships that could make you truly unshakeable as a leader?
On today's episode of The Calm and Confident Leader Podcast, host Jason Stonehouse dives into a fascinating paradox with Dr. Erin Moniz, author of the groundbreaking book 'Knowing and Being Known.' The most successful executives often struggle with the most basic human need - genuine connection.
They're exploring how vulnerability isn't weakness but currency, how your existing business skills can actually create deeper relationships, and why the loneliness at the top might be revealing something crucial about leadership that nobody talks about.
Erin shares practical insights on how leaders can apply the same strategic tools they use professionally to build the intimate relationships that don't just make life meaningful - they make you a more resilient leader.
You can learn more about Erin's work at erinfmoniz.com.
