Most leaders focus on processes and technology because they're easy to see and measure. But what if the real competitive advantage lies in something completely different?

Olga Violett, Vice President of Operations turned Product Management and CX Principal, shares why creating workplace happiness isn't soft skills—it's strategic leadership. She reveals how trust accelerates results, why vulnerability builds credibility rather than exposing weakness, and the ripple effect that occurs when you invest in people instead of just managing them.

This conversation challenges everything you thought you knew about feedback, team building, and what it truly takes to develop leaders, rather than just directing employees.

Key Discussion Points

03:06 - The Agile Happiness Catalyst: What It Really Means

04:27 - Why People Matter More Than Process

07:04 - Building Trust That Accelerates Results

09:06 - Developing People vs. Directing Them

12:27 - The Real Power of One-on-Ones

14:16 - Letting Teams Choose Their Own Work

16:43 - Making Feedback a Daily Tool, Not an Annual Event

20:28 - Turning Weaknesses Into Advantages

22:12 - Using Vulnerability to Build Team Trust

24:26 - Why You Should Hire for Unknown Problems

25:24 - The Ripple Effect of Mentorship

27;16 - Why Growing Your Team Grows You Faster

28:27 - The Micromanagement Trap

31:01 - The Secret to Creating Lasting Impact

33:19 - From Budapest to Building Leaders

35:10 - Growth Mindset Origins

39:13 - How to Connect with Olga

If you're still treating leadership like a title instead of a relationship, you're leaving so much on the table.

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Connect with Olga Violett

• LinkedIn: Olga Violett
• Email: olgaviolett@gmail.com

#Leadership #Mentorship #WorkplaceCulture #AgileLeadership #PeopleFirst #TrustInLeadership #VulnerabilityInLeadership #TeamDevelopment #LeadershipDevelopment #TransformationalLeadership #BuildingLegendaryLeaders #ExecutiveCoaching #OrganizationalCulture #GrowthMindset #EmployeeEngagement

What happens when you walk away from being the expert and step into a role where credibility isn’t guaranteed?

This conversation explores what leadership really looks like when titles don’t carry authority, KPIs can either help or hurt, and progress depends more on listening than speaking. From engineering and quality to product marketing and P&L thinking, Warren Bryant shares what it takes to lead at a higher altitude—without losing trust, speed, or yourself in the process.

This one is for leaders navigating career pivots, complex stakeholder environments, and moments where clarity matters more than control.

Key Discussion Points

00:00 – Why leadership breaks when people are ignored

02:00 – Leading at a higher altitude: tradeoffs, roadmaps, revenue

03:45 – Why people management matters more than technical mastery

05:00 – Turning failure into momentum instead of morale loss

06:30 – Learning from what worked, not just what failed

08:00 – Setting expectations and eliminating business surprises

09:10 – When everything goes sideways despite doing “everything right”

10:45 – The KPIs that actually matter (and the ones that quietly destroy culture)

13:10 – Why bad KPIs create bad behavior

14:40 – Walking away from mastery into a completely new role

17:00 – How to rebuild credibility when you’re the outsider

19:15 – Listening past the PowerPoint to find real customer pain

21:05 – Career pivots: when to move, how to stay the course

23:00 – Leading without authority in full crisis mode

24:45 – Delegation that scales instead of bottlenecks

26:10 – Running your product line like you’re the CEO

28:00 – Early curiosity, failure, and building instincts as a leader

30:30 – Leadership lessons from racing, mentoring, and teaching others

33:40 – Why success should still be fun

If this conversation challenged how you think about leadership:

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#LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveLeadership #CareerGrowth #ProductLeadership #LeadingWithoutAuthority #BusinessStrategy #EngineeringLeadership #Management #ProfessionalDevelopment #BuildingLegendaryLeaders

Speed isn’t just a metric; it’s a leadership advantage.

In this episode, Chris Nelson breaks down how urgency, tighter feedback loops, transparency, and empowered decision-making reshape culture and accelerate execution. From shifting away from command-and-control structures to creating a cadence teams can rely on, this conversation reveals what it takes to build momentum inside fast-moving organizations.

If you're navigating transformation, scaling a team, or trying to reduce friction in communication and alignment—this conversation is going to feel uncomfortably relatable.

Key Discussion Points

• 01:06 — Why Speed Is a Leadership System
• 02:05 — Short Loops & Behavior Change
• 04:07 — The 60% Decision Rule
• 06:21 — Planning vs. Responsiveness
• 07:08 — Urgency → Purpose → Prioritization
• 09:52 — Iteration Over Escalation
• 10:59 — Transparency as a Cultural Shift
• 12:39 — Empowerment vs. Information Hoarding
• 15:45 — When Transparency Slows Things Down (Before It Speeds Up)
• 17:29 — The Feedback Flywheel
• 19:49 — Multi-Channel Communication Strategy
• 22:09 — What People Want to Hear (Hint: Strategy, Recognition & Impact)
• 23:27 — Cadence + Rhythm + Iteration
• 25:52 — Keeping Stakeholders Aligned
• 26:30 — Agile Without Chaos
• 27:57 — Experimentation: The Advantage in the AI Era
• 30:47 — Serendipity, Curiosity & Career Growth
• 33:20 — Books, Learning & Leadership Habits
• 34:31 — Empathy, Trust & Distributed Decision-Making
• 35:53 — Closing Thoughts + Connection Info

Before you move on to the next thing—pause and reflect.

Speed becomes a habit only when we act with intention.

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#Leadership #ExecutiveMindset #DecisionMaking #OrganizationalCulture #BusinessStrategy #LeadershipDevelopment #HighPerformanceTeams #DigitalTransformation #AgileLeadership #FutureOfWork

Bridging two brands, two cultures, and two ways of working isn’t for the faint of heart—but it’s where growth truly lives.

In this conversation, Lauren McTiernan, Senior Director of Customer Operations & Fulfillment at Crocs, breaks down what it really takes to align fast-moving teams, build shared priorities, experiment your way forward, and keep people energized when customer expectations never stop evolving.

From the realities of merging Crocs and HEYDUDE to the leadership lessons that shaped her 17-year journey, this episode delivers grounded insights for leaders navigating complexity, change, and rapid growth.

KEY DISCUSSION POINTS

• 00:00 – Why this conversation matters for leaders navigating growth
• 01:14 – Lauren’s 17-year journey at Crocs and what kept her energized
• 03:46 – Inside the acquisition of HEYDUDE
• 04:39 – Culture differences: stable processes vs. startup experimentation
• 05:34 – Fun at work and why it’s often misunderstood
• 06:53 – The power of celebrating wins (and why leaders don’t do it enough)
• 08:11 – Recognizing teams in a remote-first world
• 09:03 – Bridging cultures: where things stand today
• 10:20 – The “one team” North Star for Crocs and HEYDUDE
• 11:19 – Setting priorities when every function has its own agenda
• 12:24 – The leadership program shaping Crocs’ future
• 13:19 – Support vs. collaboration: the difference that moves organizations
• 14:21 – When subsidizing becomes a trap
• 15:57 – Survival through positivity and opportunity-spotting
• 16:33 – How Crocs does continuous improvement
• 17:01 – Experiments, pilots, and quick wins
• 18:02 – In-person vs. virtual collaboration
• 19:17 – Bringing teams together: cadence and strategy
• 20:06 – Advice for leaders facilitating cross-team alignment
• 21:30 – Helping teams stay steady during increased customer demand
• 22:56 – Why communication must match personality (Insight Colors)
• 24:20 – The Crocs collection we had to ask about
• 25:40 – Childhood insights: values, twin dynamics, and finding joy in work
• 27:45 – People, happiness, and the energy we feed off at work
• 29:59 – Family, communication, and learning to navigate conflict
• 30:26 – Leadership advice: change is your greatest teacher
• 31:21 – Closing and next steps for listeners

Before you run to your next meeting full of “priorities,” remember to:

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#LeadershipDevelopment #CultureBuilding #ChangeManagement #TeamAlignment #ContinuousImprovement #BusinessGrowth #CustomerExperience #LeadershipPodcast #Crocs #HEYDUDE #OperationalExcellence #PeopleLeadership #ScalingTeams

A conversation that cuts through the noise and goes straight to the part most people avoid—self-trust. Not the motivational-poster version, but the kind that forces you to sit still long enough to hear your own voice instead of the one telling you you’re not enough.

Sir Shefik Macauley shares how he navigated a 30+ year career spanning mass communications, Olympic tech, music, television, NASA Space Apps, global community service, and even six international knightings—all while grounding everything in presence, purpose, and the discipline of self-trust.

This episode explores presence, purpose, and what it truly means to measure success without relying on numbers. It's a reminder that the journey doesn't stop until we do—and that trusting the process is less about confidence and more about commitment.

KEY DISCUSSION POINTS

00:28 – Introducing Sir Shefik Macauley

01:15 – Emmy wins, six knightings & a career across impossible industries

02:24 – Framing today’s conversation: trust, reinvention, creativity & service

03:40 – How Shefik connected worlds: Olympics tech, NASA, NBC, community service

06:20 – Pivoting after rejection & building a career from scratch

09:05 – Longevity lessons from working with legendary artists

11:10 – Pivoting across industries while carrying relationships forward

13:05 – What trust really requires—and why it begins with self-trust

15:02 – The “voice in your head”: how to identify where it actually comes from

17:10 – Understanding your environment: the inner and outer landscape

19:30 – Trusting the destination even before you understand the path

21:48 – Navigating denial, setbacks, and expectations that collapse

24:32 – Trial, error, and experimentation as a leadership discipline

27:20 – Living in a constant state of incubation: always learning, always growing

29:05 – How Shefik earned 1,000+ LinkedIn Learning certificates

31:50 – Arriving with the right mindset & elevating everyone around you

33:42 – Balancing left brain and right brain as a creative technologist

36:10 – Why creativity + engineering aren’t opposites

37:40 – Service without burnout: how he keeps giving without collapsing

40:02 – Carrying others’ stories and baggage—and letting them carry yours

42:15 – Practical lessons for emerging leaders

44:50 – Two ears, one mouth: listening between the lines

47:30 – The journey behind being knighted six times

53:15 – Becoming a UN Special Envoy & representing a royal house

55:08 – Childhood roots: where the journey truly began

57:10 – Obstacles, denials, and how they shaped his leadership path

59:44 – Losing his first corporate job & what it taught him about loyalty

1:02:10 – How to reach Shefik + NASA Space Apps Yonkers

1:03:05 – Closing reflections and next steps for listeners

You’ll walk away with perspective-shifting lessons on failure, reinvention, managing energy, left-brain/right-brain leadership, and how to build credibility without losing yourself in the process.

If this conversation expanded your perspective:

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🔗 Share this with a leader who’s navigating reinvention, trust, or a big pivot right now

#SelfTrust #MindsetShift #PurposeDrivenLife #PersonalGrowthJourney #LeadershipMindset #TheProcess #InnerVoice #Authenticity #GrowthCulture #ContinuousImprovement

What does it take to lead when you don't have the title? Julia Elliott, Director of Product Strategy and Operations at Google, shares her unconventional path from electrical engineering to enterprise product leadership.

In this episode, you will discover:

• How an engineering mindset translates to business leadership

• The art of influencing without authority across startups and big tech

• Why understanding motivations is the key to stakeholder alignment

• How to scale from 10 to 600 people without losing agility

• The role of purpose in building legendary leadership

Leadership isn't about the title on your business card—it's about the clarity you bring and the purpose you inspire. Julia Elliott proved that influence comes from understanding people, empowering teams, and leading with intention.

So here's the question: What's the one thing you bring to the table that no one else does? Once you know that answer, you're already leading.

🔔 Subscribe to Building Legendary Leaders so you never miss an episode.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction: Meet Julia Elliott

01:18 - Leading Without Authority: What We're Covering Today

03:26 - From Engineering to Product Leadership

05:18 - Why Engineers Struggle with Communication (And How Julia Bridged the Gap)

07:12 - The Group Project Advantage: Organizing Chaos Early

08:29 - Influencing Without a Title: Finding Your Brand

10:07 - Taking Enterprise to Upwork: Convincing a Consumer Company

11:21 - Advice for Early Leaders: Know Yourself First

14:17 - The Google Transition: Startup Agility Meets Tech Giant

16:35 - Navigating the Sea of Stakeholders

18:20 - Understanding Motivations: The WIIFM Principle

21:03 - Shaping Your Leadership Identity Through Purpose

23:17 - Drive: Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose

24:29 - Engaging Talent at Scale: Empowerment Through Clarity

26:18 - Growing Up in Hershey: The Immigrant Legacy

28:15 - Carrying Forward the Legacy of Gratitude

30:24 - Parenting with Purpose: Teaching Kindness and Community

31:17 - Final Takeaway: Lead with Purpose

32:58 - How to Connect with Julia Elliott

#Leadership #ProductManagement #GoogleCareers #CareerAdvice #TechLeadership

What does it take to build a telehealth empire from scratch? Dr. Pamela Ograbisz, VP of Clinical Operations at Locum Tenens, shares the unfiltered truth about hiring, firing, and leading teams through explosive growth.

In this comprehensive episode of Building Legendary Leaders, Dr. Ograbisz takes us behind the scenes of building a multimillion-dollar-per-month telehealth division that now serves six states. From her first hire that didn't work out to successfully merging teams from an acquired company, she reveals the leadership lessons most executives learn the hard way.

Key Timestamps:

00:02:33 - How the telehealth division started and building from a team of one

00:03:23 - The story of the first hire and what went wrong

00:05:51 - The three questions every hiring manager needs to answer

00:07:03 - When to recognize a hire isn't the right fit

00:08:47 - How team dynamics change when scaling from 1 to 6 people

00:10:50 - Successfully merging teams from a sister company without losing anyone

00:14:17 - The biggest hurdle: managing a client panel in disarray

00:17:18 - The experiment that failed: unspoken expectations breeding resentment

00:19:06 - Setting clear career paths and making promotions transparent

00:22:47 - Working across multi-functional teams and becoming a better leader

00:24:02 - The evolution from telling to asking questions

00:26:21 - Why asking questions gets more buy-in than giving orders

00:28;46 - Advice for leaders starting out: get honest 360 feedback

00:30:25 - Childhood lessons: watching mom lead with grace and accountability

00:33:04 - Balancing career and family with two daughters

00:36:08 - How to connect with Dr. Pamela Ograbisz

What You'll Learn:

Dr. Ograbisz shares the three-question framework for evaluating every hire: Can they do the job? Will they love the job? Can you stand working with them? She explains why cultural fit often matters more than credentials and how to spot the warning signs when someone isn't adapting to your business model.

You'll hear the honest story of her first hire that didn't work out after a year, and why making an internal hire proved more successful. She breaks down the concept of ROI for team members—every person is an investment that needs to produce returns.

Learn how small teams evolve as they grow, the challenges of maintaining friendships while respecting hierarchy, and why change management is the hardest part of leadership. Dr. Ograbisz successfully absorbed a sister company's team without losing a single person using a "push and pull" feedback system.

Discover what happens when expectations are left unspoken during rapid growth, why even successful teams need clear North Star vision, and how to create transparent promotion paths that eliminate favoritism.

The most powerful shift in Dr. Ograbisz' leadership? Moving from telling to asking. Coming from high-pressure cardiothoracic surgery where answers needed to be immediate, she learned that asking probing questions gets more buy-in and develops stronger leaders. Her favorite question: "I know you've been thinking about this—catch me up on your thoughts."

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#Leadership #TeamBuilding #ExecutiveLeadership #Telehealth #HealthcareLeadership #ManagementTips #CareerGrowth #BusinessStrategy #WomenInLeadership #HiringTips #ScalingTeams #ChangeManagement #LeadershipDevelopment #NursePractitioner #BuildingLegendaryLeaders

Welcome to the very first episode of Building Legendary Leaders! In this special debut episode, host Jim Saliba gets put in the hot seat as producer Nick asks the questions. Discover the inspiration behind the podcast, Jim's unique approach to leadership development, and the personal journey that shaped his philosophy on building legendary leaders.

What You'll Learn:

• The Leadership Impact Ladder: The 3 levels that matter more than your title

• Why it takes 10 years for most leaders to get proper training (and what they're doing wrong)

• The 4 fears of leadership that every leader faces

• How to turn childhood fears into leadership superpowers

• The experiment-based approach to leadership development

• Real case studies from telehealth, tech, and healthcare industries

Chapters

01:25 - The shocking 10-year leadership training gap

03:58 - Introduction to the Leadership Impact Ladder

08:18 - Team building challenges in growing companies

18:21 - The risk-taking revelation from college friends

25:39 - The scientific approach to leadership experiments

33:05 - From fear to lifelong learning transformation

Jim Saliba is a leadership expert, executive coach, and author of the upcoming book "Leading Like a CEO." With decades of experience in transformation and change management, Jim specializes in helping directors, VPs, and C-suite executives navigate the messy reality of leadership growth.

"Your Leadership Journey Starts Monday Morning"

🎯 Ready to stop struggling and start leading like a legend?

SUBSCRIBE to Building Legendary Leaders and DOWNLOAD my free Leadership Impact Assessment at jamessaliba.com/assessment

Your team is waiting for the leader you're becoming. Let's build something legendary together! 🚀