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The Leadership Line

Tammy Rogers and Scott Burgmeyer

229 episodes

1 month ago

Ever been handed “one more thing” and wondered whether pushing back would help you or haunt you? We dig into the real art of saying no at work—how to protect your bandwidth without damaging trust, and how to turn tense requests into clear decisions that move the right work forward. Along the way, we share the exact phrases that keep conversations calm, the questions that reveal hidden context, and the negotiation steps that map tradeoffs without sounding defensive. We start by separating cor...

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Entrepreneurship

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Ever been handed “one more thing” and wondered whether pushing back would help you or haunt you? We dig into the real art of saying no at work—how to protect your bandwidth without damaging trust, and how to turn tense requests into clear decisions that move the right work forward. Along the way, we share the exact phrases that keep conversations calm, the questions that reveal hidden context, and the negotiation steps that map tradeoffs without sounding defensive. We start by separating cor...

Show more...

Entrepreneurship

Episodes (20/229)

The Leadership Line

The Art of Saying No at Work

Ever been handed “one more thing” and wondered whether pushing back would help you or haunt you? We dig into the real art of saying no at work—how to protect your bandwidth without damaging trust, and how to turn tense requests into clear decisions that move the right work forward. Along the way, we share the exact phrases that keep conversations calm, the questions that reveal hidden context, and the negotiation steps that map tradeoffs without sounding defensive. We start by separating cor...

1 month ago

21 minutes

The Leadership Line

The Dangers of Me-First Culture

Are we becoming workplace jerks in our quest for self-care? This provocative question frames our candid conversation about a troubling trend in modern self-help literature. When bestsellers like "The Courage to Be Disliked" and "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck" encourage readers to prioritize themselves, set rigid boundaries, and worry less about others' opinions, something valuable yet dangerous emerges. We unpack Emma Goldberg's thoughtful New York Times piece questioning whether these...

1 month ago

12 minutes

The Leadership Line

When Your True Self Shows Up at Work

Have you ever wondered if you can truly be your authentic self at work? That question lies at the heart of our conversation, sparked by a hilarious meme: "I accidentally used my real personality at work today. I'll just take myself to HR." We dive deep into the tension between authenticity and professionalism, exploring whether self-management means betraying who you are or simply choosing which aspects of yourself to emphasize in different contexts. The truth is, everyone has amazing qualit...

1 month ago

28 minutes

The Leadership Line

What Really Drives Career Satisfaction?

Have you ever felt trapped in your career, wondering if the only way up is out? This candid conversation delves into the fascinating dynamics of succession planning and career advancement within organizations. We tackle the uncomfortable truth many professionals face: the perception that meaningful career advancement often requires leaving your current employer. Our discussion explores how different organizational structures impact growth opportunities – from learning-focused environments th...

2 months ago

20 minutes

The Leadership Line

The Art of Customer Follow-Up

Have you ever been bombarded with sales calls after showing the slightest interest in a product or service? That frustrating experience is exactly what we tackle in this candid conversation about marketing follow-up strategies that actually work—and the ones that drive potential customers away forever. Carmen shares her maddening experience with a lawn service that wouldn't stop calling despite clear boundaries, while another team member describes the overwhelming vendor calls following the ...

2 months ago

15 minutes

The Leadership Line

The Myths HR Never Told You

What if many of the HR "rules" you've always followed aren't actually rules at all? This eye-opening exploration of workplace urban legends challenges common misconceptions about human resources practices that have become deeply embedded in organizational cultures. We start by tackling perhaps the biggest myth of all: that HR exists primarily to ensure employee happiness. Tracing the evolution from the old "personnel department" hostess-like function to today's strategic partner role, we rev...

2 months ago

17 minutes

The Leadership Line

The Hidden Cost of Leading: Understanding and Overcoming Decision Fatigue

Ever found yourself so mentally drained at the end of a workday that you can't even decide what to eat for dinner? That's decision fatigue in action – a leadership challenge that silently erodes effectiveness and energy. During our candid conversation, we dive deep into why so many leaders hit this mental wall and the surprising ways they often create their own exhaustion. When leaders make decisions that should rightfully belong to their team members, they not only overburden themselves but...

2 months ago

22 minutes

The Leadership Line

Leading Through Change

What happens when you're responsible for leading a change you don't fully believe in? This question sits at the heart of modern leadership challenges, where changes arrive faster than ever and often from sources beyond our control. For leaders navigating this landscape, the critical skill isn't avoiding change but transforming how we process it. The most effective approach starts with recognizing our emotional reactions—the fear, resistance, or uncertainty—and deliberately shifting to analyt...

3 months ago

23 minutes

The Leadership Line

The Double-Edged Leadership Sword

Every strength has a shadow side. That confident communication style that makes you so persuasive? It might be shutting down the very conversations you're trying to create. Those brilliant ideas constantly flowing from your mind? They could be overwhelming your team instead of inspiring them. Your nurturing approach that makes people feel safe? It might make your necessary feedback feel unexpectedly harsh. In this refreshingly honest conversation, we dive into the paradox of leadership trait...

3 months ago

22 minutes

The Leadership Line

The Hidden Power of Embracing Failure

"Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn." This simple yet profound statement encapsulates a crucial mindset for effective leadership and personal growth. Our conversation dives deep into the transformative power of embracing failure as a catalyst for development rather than a source of shame. We explore how our relationship with competition shapes our leadership style. Tammy shares insights from growing up with an ultra-competitive father who viewed drive and hustle as essential traits, whil...

3 months ago

22 minutes

The Leadership Line

Scaling Up: Leadership Lessons from SHRM 2025

What happens when you take a leap from conferences with 2,000 people to 22,700 attendees at a national event? The BecomeMore team discovered both the power of preparation and the humbling reality that what you think is mastery may only be the beginning. This honest leadership conversation takes us behind the scenes of the SHRM 2025 National Conference, where Tammy and Scott's team faced their biggest challenge yet. Through meticulous planning, clear role assignments, and deliberate preparati...

3 months ago

21 minutes

The Leadership Line

You're Wasting Excellence If...

What happens when our pursuit of excellence crosses the line into wasted effort? We dive into the psychology behind "wasted excellence" – that tendency to overcomplicate, overthink, and overdeliver when it doesn't actually serve anyone. We unpack the telling signs you might be trapped in this pattern: delivering products far beyond what clients request, documenting and re-documenting unnecessarily, doing your employees' work for them, or being unable to let decisions stand. This isn't about ...

4 months ago

20 minutes

The Leadership Line

Unmasking Our Mental Shortcuts: How Cognitive Biases Shape Our Thinking

Ever wondered why you rush to judgment, follow trends without thinking, or believe you're always right? You're not alone. In this enlightening conversation, the entire Become More team gathers to unpack the cognitive bias personas introduced in their new book "Think" and confess which bias they most identify with. Scott humorously embraces being "All-knowing Albert," while Tammy identifies as "Jumping Julia," explaining how quickly jumping to conclusions has been both her superpower and weak...

4 months ago

21 minutes

The Leadership Line

Fostering a Culture of Thought: Tactics for Modern Leaders

Diving beneath surface-level leadership advice, our conversation explores how to truly foster environments where thinking flourishes. We unpack two pivotal tactics from our new book that transform organizational culture: the power of reading and the counterintuitive approach of "staying stupid longer." Reading isn't just about information acquisition—it's about making connections between ideas that spark innovation. When leaders read deeply and encourage teams to do the same, they create neu...

4 months ago

12 minutes

The Leadership Line

Unmasking the HR Urban Legend That's Killing Your Culture

Ever wondered why that technically brilliant hire turned out to be your biggest management headache? In our fascinating conversation Scott and Tammy reveal the critical blind spot in most hiring processes that leads organizations to repeatedly bring on problematic employees. The shocking truth? Skills and experience account for just 10-12% of what determines someone's success in your organization. Yet most companies stubbornly focus their entire hiring process on these technical qualificatio...

4 months ago

16 minutes

The Leadership Line

Can "Lazy Leadership" Help You?

Leadership transitions demand fundamental shifts in how we create value. Moving from frontline supervisor to executive means evolving from performing tasks to developing others who can multiply your impact exponentially. Yet this critical transformation trips up countless leaders who remain stuck in comfortable patterns of doing rather than teaching. During our conversations with executives across industries, we repeatedly encounter the same challenge: leaders clinging to the technical exper...

4 months ago

26 minutes

The Leadership Line

There's Never Just One Right Answer: Moving Through Fear Together

Fear lies at the heart of resistance to organizational change. This revealing conversation explores how leaders can navigate the complex emotional landscape that emerges when teams face significant transitions. What makes change feel so threatening to many people? We unpack the psychology behind those fight-flight-freeze-appease responses that emerge during times of uncertainty. Rather than dismissing these reactions, effective leaders acknowledge them while maintaining forward momentum – em...

5 months ago

16 minutes

The Leadership Line

Beyond the Easy Button

Scott and Tammy return from hiatus with exciting news—they've published a book called "Think" that addresses a pervasive modern problem: our collective habit of shallow thinking. Rather than suggesting people don't think at all, they observe that many of us operate with thinking "as deep as a parking lot puddle," functioning on autopilot and habitually hitting the easy button when faced with challenges. The conversation explores several revealing examples of this phenomenon. Tammy shares a t...

5 months ago

20 minutes

The Leadership Line

Are You Thinking Hardly or Hardly Thinking?

Ever wondered why we sometimes make snap judgments, nod along without understanding, or rush into action without thinking? It's not because we're incompetent—it's because our brains love shortcuts. Cognitive biases are the brain's methodology for simplifying decision-making. They're not inherently bad—they evolved to keep us safe and help us process information quickly. But in today's complex workplace, these mental shortcuts can lead us astray when thoughtful consideration is what's actuall...

6 months ago

25 minutes

The Leadership Line

When Skimming the Surface Sinks Your Potential

Thinking patterns can make or break your career trajectory, and nowhere is this more evident than in how people approach new information. Our conversation today dives into the fascinating case of "Sal," a recent graduate whose dismissive attitude toward required reading reveals deeper issues with professional thinking. When Sal told their manager that important job documentation was "boring" and only deserved skimming, they unknowingly demonstrated one of the most career-limiting mindsets po...

6 months ago

15 minutes