Crazy Enough to Win (For Those Who Love the Game of Business)
John Grubbs
179 episodes
5 days ago
Send us a text In business, not all problems wear warning labels—some sneak in wearing smiles, enthusiasm, and the appearance of hustle. I’m talking about the most seductive trap for leaders: highly motivated mediocre talent. These employees are energetic, loyal, and endlessly willing to “do.” They raise their hands, stay late, and volunteer for projects. On the surface, they seem like a dream. But scratch deeper, and you realize they’re not driving real results—they’re simply creating the mi...
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Send us a text In business, not all problems wear warning labels—some sneak in wearing smiles, enthusiasm, and the appearance of hustle. I’m talking about the most seductive trap for leaders: highly motivated mediocre talent. These employees are energetic, loyal, and endlessly willing to “do.” They raise their hands, stay late, and volunteer for projects. On the surface, they seem like a dream. But scratch deeper, and you realize they’re not driving real results—they’re simply creating the mi...
Send us a text My name isn’t really Mike. But if you work in the petrochemical industry on the Gulf Coast, you might have seen me. Maybe you’ve passed me in the control room, at the safety meeting, or in the break trailer. Maybe you already know me and don’t even realize it. I thought this job would be the dream. I went to school, studied hard, listened when people told me that being an operator was one of the best gigs a young man could land. Steady pay, good benefits, respect in the c...
Send us a text Let's say it plainly, because we've all seen it: leaders who default to telling, fixing, controlling, or judging—far more often than they default to asking. Why? Because this one thing is slow, it's uncertain. It doesn't give you that satisfying feeling of control or the rush of authority. It feels like a detour when you're paid to make decisions and drive outcomes. And let's be honest—many leaders think that if they ask too many questions, it will make them look weak or unprep...
Send us a text If you're a leader operating from a mindset soaked in pessimism, constant anxiety, or a chronic negativity bias, you might be doing more harm than you think. Not just emotionally but neurologically. And not just to yourself—but to the entire team you lead. Sound dramatic? Maybe. But science is backing it up. Let's check it out...
Send us a text Let’s get one thing straight: most organizations are not wired to win. They’re wired to survive. To get through the quarter. To avoid disruption. To keep the machine running just enough to not get fired. To wire a winning organization, you need to confront some hard truths. You need to pull apart the architecture, expose the weak circuits, and rebuild something stronger, faster, and more adaptive. And make no mistake—this is not a tech problem. It’s a leadership problem.
Send us a text The need to be liked is one of business leaders' biggest psychological hurdles. While it's natural to want to be respected and appreciated, an excessive desire for approval can lead to weak decision-making, poor boundaries, and an inability to hold others accountable. From an Adlerian psychology perspective, this struggle stems from mistaken beliefs about self-worth and interpersonal relationships. Leaders who seek validation from others often fear rejection, prioritize harmony...
Send us a text Success begins in the mind. Before any outstanding achievement can materialize, it must take root as an idea, a vision of what is possible. Imagining yourself successful is not merely daydreaming; it is a deliberate and powerful tool used by athletes, entrepreneurs, artists, and leaders throughout history. When harnessed effectively, visualization can help align your thoughts, actions, and emotions with your goals, paving the way for tangible results. Here’s how to leverage the...
Send us a text Harold Thorpe had always been a figure of admiration in the business world. With his crisp suits, sharp intellect, and a history of turning struggling companies into industry leaders, he was the epitome of corporate success. Harold's decisions had been almost prophetic for decades, guiding his companies through economic storms with unwavering confidence. But now, as he sat in his corner office on the 42nd floor of the sleek glass tower that bore his company's name, he felt an u...
Send us a text Discover a cognitive bias where people adopt behaviors or beliefs simply because others do, can significantly influence workplace dynamics. Leaders often struggle to manage team morale, perceptions, and reactions in environments where opinions can shift rapidly. A cautionary tale of this effect was the viral response to Karen Templar's blog post about India. This case illustrates how initial praise can transform into a powerful negative backlash with a single trigger.
Send us a text In the complex world of business leadership, the art of communication is one of the most powerful tools a leader can wield. But being a great communicator doesn’t mean simply delivering compelling speeches or motivating your team with inspirational words. At the heart of many organizational issues lies a simple truth: it’s not what was said that causes problems, but what was not said. Missing conversations, particularly the difficult ones, are often the root cause of most chall...
Send us a text In their seminal work, The Art of Possibility, Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander offer a transformative perspective on how individuals can redefine their lives to achieve their true potential. At the core of their philosophy is the idea that life is a construct—a creation of our own, shaped by our thoughts, beliefs, and actions. Much like a block of stone, this construct holds immense potential waiting to be unveiled. By chipping away at limiting beliefs and societal ex...
Send us a text As we look toward the future, one of the most profound changes on the horizon is the transformation of personal transportation. For Generation Z, born between the late 1990s and early 2010s, driving symbolizes independence and freedom. However, their grandchildren are poised to experience a very different reality. The rapid advancement and proliferation of autonomous vehicles, controlled by sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI), are set to revolutionize transportation, mak...
Send us a text Let's face reality: yearly reviews should be extinct. Top performers hate them, and most managers are terrible at delivering them. In business management, annual performance appraisals are standard practice for evaluating employee performance, setting goals, and making decisions about promotions, pay raises, and terminations. However, beneath their seemingly systematic structure lies a cognitive bias that often skews the evaluation process: the Peak End rule. Listen now a...
Send us a text Do you know why employees waste time at work? One concept called the learning curve profoundly influences how individuals distribute their work throughout the day, often leading to phenomena such as spreading work out to fill the day. As a leader, you can reduce wasted time by knowing the reasons you are paying for empty labor. Leadership plays a pivotal role in minimizing empty labor within an organization. Effective leadership is the cornerstone of min...
Send us a text In the complex tapestry of today's multigenerational workplace, understanding leadership goes beyond conventional management principles. It requires a nuanced comprehension of individual differences, motivations, and behaviors. The Enneagram, an ancient personality typing system, offers a profound lens through which we can explore the diverse leadership styles that emerge in modern organizational settings. Comprising nine distinct personality types, the Enneagram provides a fra...
Send us a text In the swirling currents of today's business landscape, change isn't just a ripple; it's a tidal wave. From technological breakthroughs to market shifts, organizations constantly navigate uncharted waters to stay afloat. But amidst the turbulence of change, one thing remains constant: the human element. As leaders, we're not just captains of ships but navigators of human emotions and aspirations. And when it comes to steering our teams through choppy waters of change, understan...
Send us a text Are you the most intelligent person on the team you lead? If so, the team may get held back by your knowledge. By not finding people with more intellectual horsepower, you may be the reason the team will not achieve anything more significant in 2024. When discussing the concept of a leader being the most intelligent person in the room, it's essential to consider both the potential advantages and the significant dangers and limitations that this situation can present. While inte...
Send us a text At first glance, laziness and excessive busyness appear opposites. But upon closer examination, they often arise from the same root - a lack of discipline and intentionality. Neither busyness nor laziness inherently leads to productivity and meaning. It is the discipline that directs our energies with purpose and structure. Without it, laziness manifests as distraction and avoidance of effort.
Send us a text If you feel stuck, overwhelmed or unprepared on your path to leadership, This episode will re-energize your personal and professional growth. Let’s climb to the peak of transformational leadership together! As leaders, we often feel pressure to appear competent, authoritative, and perfectly polished. But new research reveals the power of strategic self-disclosure of imperfections, mistakes, and quirks. John shares eye-opening psychological studies on the pratfall effect and a...
Send us a text The 2020s have ignited a remarkable revolution in the labor landscape, triggering a seismic shift in the status and compensation of blue-collar workers while casting a shadow over white-collar jobs tethered to conventional four-year degrees. This transformative era is occurring due to many factors, including technological innovations, the evolving skill spectrum, and the burgeoning significance of high-value aptitudes over traditional diplomas. Discover more at johngrubbs.com!
Send us a text Finding your inner voice can be a transformative journey in a world filled with noise and distractions. This journey becomes particularly crucial when we seek to overcome the limitations of small thinking. Small thinking is the self-imposed confinement of our thoughts and aspirations within the boundaries of what seems familiar and comfortable. It's the voice that whispers, "You can't," "It's too hard," or "It's not for you." However, discovering and nurturing your inner voice ...
Crazy Enough to Win (For Those Who Love the Game of Business)
Send us a text In business, not all problems wear warning labels—some sneak in wearing smiles, enthusiasm, and the appearance of hustle. I’m talking about the most seductive trap for leaders: highly motivated mediocre talent. These employees are energetic, loyal, and endlessly willing to “do.” They raise their hands, stay late, and volunteer for projects. On the surface, they seem like a dream. But scratch deeper, and you realize they’re not driving real results—they’re simply creating the mi...
