In this episode, James is joined by longtime Table Group Principal Consultant Rick Packer and former Principal Consultant and bestselling author Jim Brown to discuss Jim’s new book, The Imperfect CEO. Together, they explore why great CEOs don’t need to have all the answers, but they do need the humility to go first, admit limitations, build trust, and create the conditions for true collaboration.

The conversation centers on Jim’s four peaks of organizational health: collaborative culture, leadership accountability, strategic momentum, and talent magnetism—and how each one depends on a leader’s willingness to embrace imperfection, model vulnerability, and guard the health of the organization.

In this episode, Keith and James explore one of the most important mindset shifts leaders can make: to see yourself as a victim of circumstances or as an agent of change.

The conversation centers on three simple but powerful questions: What is our current reality? What needs to change? And what is my responsibility in making that happen?

What does “Working Genius” look like at the leadership level? In this episode, Keith and James explore which types of work leaders must personally own—and which they can delegate.

They make the case that leaders don’t need to excel at all six Working Genius areas, but they must take responsibility for three critical roles: creating space for wonder, driving discernment to clear decisions, and ensuring teams stay focused through galvanizing.

Along the way, they unpack common leadership pitfalls—like skipping strategic thinking, overvaluing personal ideas, or failing to maintain momentum after decisions are made—and offer practical ways to lead more intentionally based on your strengths.

A sharp, thought-provoking conversation for leaders looking to better understand their role in driving clarity, focus, and execution.