Lead the Team (Top 2% of Podcasts)

Ben Fanning
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Careers
  • Updated weekly

Real CEOs. Real Stories. Hosted by Ben Fanning—2025 Gold Stevie Award winner for Best Business Podcast and ranked in the Top 2% globally—Lead the Team draws on over 600 CEO interviews to take you inside the minds of leaders from brands like Honeywell, HP, IBM, Dunkin’, and L’Oréal. In each episode, you’ll hear raw, unfiltered stories of leading through rapid growth, high-stakes decisions, and make-or-break moments—plus the CEO-tested tools and strategies they use to build high-performing teams. From turning around billion-dollar brands to sparking innovation at scale, these leaders share lessons you can put into action right now to lead your own team better. Subscribe now. ------------- https://www.benfanning.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfanning/

  1. 1 day ago

    Why This CEO Became an Intern | Puneet Raj, Fieldwire

    When Puneet Raj became CEO of Fieldwire after its acquisition by Hilti, he inherited a successful 250-person startup facing a pivotal transition: the founders were leaving, employees were worried about losing the startup culture, and a new leader was walking in. Instead of arriving as the new boss with all the answers, Puneet introduced himself as an intern. For six months, he rotated through Fieldwire’s teams, learned the business from the ground up, listened to the people who had made it successful, and even failed the company’s demo certification twice. The approach helped him earn trust, opened a direct channel with employees, and gave him a deeper understanding of the company before trying to change it. Puneet shares what that experience taught him about humility, listening, organizational trust, leading experts, and creating alignment at scale. He also explains why he now treats his leadership team as his most important “product”, and why leaders in the AI era need to know when NOT to use AI. His warning: when leaders outsource their thinking to AI, they can lose the ability to debate, question, and think deeply about the decisions that matter most. In this episode: Why a new CEO deliberately became an “intern”How listening before leading can earn trustWhy great leaders don't need to know everythingHow to align hundreds of people around one directionWhy your leadership team may be your most important “product”The danger of outsourcing critical thinking to AI Leadership starts with learning and sometimes the best way to lead is to become a student first. ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires Subscribe to my Youtube channel LinkedIn Instagram Twitter

    Why This CEO Became an Intern | Puneet Raj, Fieldwire

  2. 1 Sept

    HP Solutions President Manoj Leelanivas - How to Lead Through Uncertainty

    How do you lead through uncertainty when the path forward isn’t clear? Manoj Leelanivas has done it at extraordinary scale. Today he’s President of HP Solutions. Before HP, he helped lead a major transformation at Juniper Networks, moving into new markets, building belief across thousands of employees, and helping build a new enterprise business approaching $3B in revenue in 5 years! In this episode, Manoj shares the leadership lessons behind that transformation, including why people don’t resist change...they resist uncertainty, how small wins can create momentum for massive change, and why speed with learning beats waiting for certainty. He also shares the courageous question an employee asked that changed the way he leads, why he had to reinvent himself as he moved from engineer to business leader, and what he’s learning about innovation inside one of the world’s most iconic technology companies. If you’re leading a team through change, making decisions without all the answers, or trying to turn disruption into growth, this conversation is for you. ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires Subscribe to my Youtube channel LinkedIn Instagram Twitter

    HP Solutions President Manoj Leelanivas - How to Lead Through Uncertainty

  3. 30 Aug

    SAP's Mark Niemiec - The Decision That Cost the Quarter, but Saved the Business

    What happens when leaders face intense pressure to compromise short-term gains for long-term survival? In this episode of Lead The Team, host Ben Fanning sits down with Mark Niemiec, Global Chief Revenue Officer for SAP Customer Experience. Mark shares the story of a massive enterprise deal where his team walked away from a short-term commission boost to do the right thing for the business long-term—and why the customer’s head of procurement called days later to thank him for not "taking the bait." Key Takeaways & HighlightsDon't Take the Bait: Why holding the line under extreme pressure builds enduring businesses."Down and Out" Leadership: A game-changing framework learned at Cisco on pushing decision-making power to the front-line teams closest to the customer.Intellectual Honesty: The importance of holding "strong opinions, loosely held" and letting go of ideas when better facts arrive.The Premium on Judgment: Why high-level judgment and context are becoming the ultimate executive skills in the era of AI.Lead Through Influence: How to navigate culture and lead large teams without relying on command-and-control hierarchy. Episode Chapters00:00 – "Don't Take the Bait": The Deal That Missed the Quarter00:34 – Intro: Mark Niemiec (Global CRO, SAP Customer Experience)01:32 – Discovering "Down & Out Leadership" at Cisco03:36 – Front-Line Empowerment vs. Centralized Control06:58 – The High-Stakes Deal: Choosing Long-Term Survival Over Short-Term Cash08:30 – "You Didn't Take the Bait": The Call from Procurement10:35 – Lessons from a $20/hr Temp Job: Making an Impact Fast13:18 – The #1 Trait Every Leader Needs: Intellectual Honesty14:20 – Strong Opinions, Loosely Held17:10 – What to Do When the Playbook Fails19:02 – Yoga, Solitude, and Stoicism for Better Decision-Making21:34 – Leading Through Influence at SAP23:53 – AI & The Future of Leadership: Why Judgment is at a Premium27:05 – Stoic Philosophy in Modern Business Connect & FollowSubscribe to Lead The Team on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube so you never miss an episode!Get Vital Episode Insights: Join the weekly email list at benfanning.com/insight.Build Your Corporate Podcast: Learn about our profitable 5-step podcast framework for your company at BenLeads.com/schedule. ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires Subscribe to my Youtube channel LinkedIn Instagram Twitter

    SAP's Mark Niemiec - The Decision That Cost the Quarter, but Saved the Business

  4. 25 Aug

    The Leadership Rule That Changed Tony Ball's Career | CEO of Entrust

    What does it really mean to take ownership as a leader? In this episode of Lead the Team, Ben Fanning sits down with Tony Ball, CEO of Entrust, to explore the leadership lessons that shaped his career—from working alongside Intel during one of the most demanding periods in technology history to leading a global cybersecurity company with more than $1 billion in annual revenue. Tony shares how one defining experience taught him a principle he still lives by today: "When you find a problem, you own it until conclusion."Ben and Tony discuss: Why ownership is the foundation of great leadershipLeading under intense pressure and scrutinyBuilding trust with customers and teamsWhy listening is a leader's greatest advantageEmpowering teams through accountabilityReverse mentoring and staying ahead in the AI eraHow setbacks and career pivots can become your greatest opportunities Whether you're leading a team, building a business, or navigating your own career, this conversation offers practical insights on trust, ownership, resilience, and leading through change. About Tony Ball Tony Ball is the CEO of Entrust, a global leader in digital identity and cybersecurity serving organizations in more than 150 countries. With more than 25 years of leadership experience, Tony has built a career helping organizations earn trust, navigate disruption, and lead through transformational change. ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires Subscribe to my Youtube channel LinkedIn Instagram Twitter

    The Leadership Rule That Changed Tony Ball's Career | CEO of Entrust

  5. 23 Aug

    The Multi-Million Dollar Failure That Started a Billion-Dollar Company | Anthony Woods, Co-Founder of Grafana Labs

    What do you do when you inherit a problem everyone else has given up on? Before helping build Grafana Labs into one of the world's leading infrastructure software companies, Anthony Woods inherited enterprise software that had already cost millions of dollars—and concluded it was never going to work. Instead of accepting it, he spent one weekend building a better solution. That single decision became the turning point that ultimately led him to co-found Grafana Labs, now a company valued in the billions. In this episode of Lead the Team, Anthony shares the leadership lessons behind innovation, confidence, and building organizations where great people do their best work. You'll learn: Why your biggest career opportunity may be hiding inside your biggest problem.How one manager's belief can change someone's entire career.Why the best leaders create environments where people are encouraged to experiment and fail.How Grafana built a thriving remote-first culture across the globe.Why solving problems—not titles—is the fastest path to leadership. Whether you're leading a team, building a business, or looking for the confidence to take your next bold step, Anthony's story is a reminder that extraordinary careers often begin with one decision to solve a problem no one else will. ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires Subscribe to my Youtube channel LinkedIn Instagram Twitter

    The Multi-Million Dollar Failure That Started a Billion-Dollar Company | Anthony Woods, Co-Founder of Grafana Labs

  6. 18 Aug

    The Customer Conversation That Changed a Company | CEO Motus, Phong Nguyen

    When Phong Nguyen stepped into the CEO role at Modus—a technology platform processing over $2 Billion annually in driver reimbursements—he skipped the victory lap and did something his team was terrified to arrange: he got on a call with one of their biggest, angriest ex-customers. The client "ripped them a new one," exposing a hard reality: Modus had lost its innovation edge and treated them transactionally. But instead of getting defensive, Fong took a walk to cool down, gathered his leadership team, and used that uncomfortable call to recalibrate the company’s "true north". Within 12 months, they won that customer back. In this episode of Lead The Team, host Ben Fanning sits down with Phong Nguyen to discuss: The Ex-Customer Playbook: Why calling lost accounts yields the rawest, most valuable strategic data.Customer Centricity vs. Customer Success: Why true customer focus is a business strategy, not a metrics-driven department.Leading Through Perspective: How growing up as a Vietnamese refugee shaped his long-term view on work ethic, discipline, and opportunity."Liked vs. Respected": The screaming match early in his career that forced him to develop his own philosophy on modern management.Uncovering Hidden Signals: Moving past surface-level KPIs to align with actual customer business outcomes. Resources & Links Get Weekly Insights: Receive vital takeaways from every episode directly to your inbox at benfanning.com/insight.Rate & Review: Enjoying the show? Take 10 seconds to rate, follow, and drop a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help more leaders discover the show. ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires Subscribe to my Youtube channel LinkedIn Instagram Twitter

    The Customer Conversation That Changed a Company | CEO Motus, Phong Nguyen

  7. 15 Aug

    The Quarter From Hell That Created a $500M AI Company | Gong's Amit Bendov

    Every leader eventually faces a moment when the numbers stop making sense. For Amit Bendov, Co-Founder and CEO of Gong, that moment came during what he calls "the quarter from hell." Sales were collapsing, investors were asking tough questions, and every report looked normal. The CRM had data—but none of the answers. That painful experience sparked an idea that would become Gong, one of the world's leading AI-powered revenue platforms, now generating more than $500 million in annual recurring revenue. In this episode of Lead the Team, Amit shares the leadership lessons behind that defining moment and explains how AI is changing the way leaders understand customers, coach teams, and make better decisions. In this episode:Why "the quarter from hell" became the origin story of GongThe leadership blind spot that almost every executive facesWhy traditional CRM systems fail when leaders need answers mostHow AI helps leaders spot problems before it's too lateThe operating rhythm used by elite sales organizationsThe hiring traits Amit looks for in future leadersWhy ownership and curiosity separate great leaders from everyone else Whether you're a CEO, founder, executive, sales leader, or entrepreneur, this conversation offers practical lessons on leading through uncertainty, building better teams, and using AI to create a lasting competitive advantage. ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires Subscribe to my Youtube channel LinkedIn Instagram Twitter

    The Quarter From Hell That Created a $500M AI Company | Gong's Amit Bendov

  8. 11 Aug

    The AI Security Threat Leaders Aren't Ready For | Dennis Kozak, CEO of Ivanti

    AI isn't just transforming business—it's transforming cyberattacks. In this episode of Lead the Team, Ben Fanning sits down with Dennis Kozak, CEO of Ivanti, to discuss why artificial intelligence is changing cybersecurity faster than most organizations can adapt. After leading companies through cloud computing, mobile, remote work, cybersecurity, and now AI, Dennis explains the leadership principles that remain constant even as technology rapidly evolves. He shares the story of a company that unknowingly allowed attackers to remain inside its systems for more than a year—even though the security patch already existed. The lesson isn't just about technology. It's about leadership, prioritization, and preparing organizations for a future where AI accelerates both innovation and risk. You'll also learn: • Why AI is changing cybersecurity forever • How executives should think about AI adoption and risk • The leadership mistake that leaves organizations vulnerable • Why companies fail to deploy critical security patches • How to balance long-term strategy with constant operational fires • What separates future executives from everyone else • Why curiosity and adaptability matter more than expertise in the AI era If you're a CEO, executive, technology leader, or anyone responsible for navigating AI transformation, this conversation offers practical leadership lessons for one of the fastest-changing business environments in history. ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires Subscribe to my Youtube channel LinkedIn Instagram Twitter

    The AI Security Threat Leaders Aren't Ready For | Dennis Kozak, CEO of Ivanti
See All (477)

Trailer

About

Real CEOs. Real Stories. Hosted by Ben Fanning—2025 Gold Stevie Award winner for Best Business Podcast and ranked in the Top 2% globally—Lead the Team draws on over 600 CEO interviews to take you inside the minds of leaders from brands like Honeywell, HP, IBM, Dunkin’, and L’Oréal. In each episode, you’ll hear raw, unfiltered stories of leading through rapid growth, high-stakes decisions, and make-or-break moments—plus the CEO-tested tools and strategies they use to build high-performing teams. From turning around billion-dollar brands to sparking innovation at scale, these leaders share lessons you can put into action right now to lead your own team better. Subscribe now. ------------- https://www.benfanning.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfanning/

Information

  • Creator
    Ben Fanning
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    477
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Ben Fanning

You Might Also Like