The Change Agent Podcast

The Change Agent Podcast

THE CHANGE AGENT PODCAST Most leadership content is built around the assumption that you have time to reflect, space to course-correct, and a margin for error. This show is for when you don't. The Change Agent is a podcast about leadership in consequential environments where the decisions are hard, the resources are never enough, and getting it wrong means something. Guests aren't theorists. They're operators: people who have actually led through the mess; through failed projects, fractured teams, missed windows, and moments where the only path forward ran straight through the thing they were most afraid to do. Every episode is a real conversation about the real work. Not what the textbook says. Not what the keynote sounds like. What it actually took to hold the line, move the team, and deliver on something that mattered. You'll hear from people who've commanded units under fire and people who've rebuilt cultures from near collapse. From project managers who turned around initiatives written off as lost causes, to executives who've had to make calls that couldn't be undone. What they share isn't a framework. It's the thing they learned after the framework stopped working. The conversation is practical and intentionlly though provoking. We talk about how leaders make decisions when information is incomplete, how you maintain credibility when things are falling apart around you, and what good communication looks like in an environment where trust is thin and stakes are high. How you hold a team together when the mission feels impossible and what you take away from it when you get to the other side. If you've ever led something that genuinely mattered and felt the weight of that, this podcast will feel like a conversation you didn't know you needed. If you're still building toward that kind of leadership this is the map that doesn't get handed out in class. The Change Agent Podcast is hosted by Eric Adams, an experienced leader with more than 26 years in combat, commercial, and senior level leadership experience. His work has been centered in high-pressure, mission-critical environments spanning complex operations, geospatial intelligence programs, and organizational change. He holds the PMP and SAFe Agile certifications. New episodes drop regularly. Subscribe wherever you listen, and if an episode hits, share it with someone in the thick of it. The work continues so stay tuned and make sure you subscribe! Our Website: https://www.thechangeagent.studio Our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/thechangeagentpodcast/posts YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheChangeAgentPodcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-change-agent-podcast/id1794550342 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4LoAakYrrg60ld766wKqto?si=OjaQfNF9RbiRH1GCzxOtsw

  1. Dr. Kevin Mays - Upgrade Your Leadership

    1 DAY AGO

    Dr. Kevin Mays - Upgrade Your Leadership

    Dr. Kevin Mays returns to The Change Agent Podcast for a third conversation, and this one gets uncomfortably honest. The episode explores why capable leaders crack under pressure, why authority becomes a trap, and what the inner work of real leadership actually demands. Dr. Mays draws on his new book, Upgrade Your Leadership, to explain the neuroscience behind reactive behavior and the practices that can change it. If this conversation makes you think differently about how you show up as a leader, subscribing and leaving a review helps the show reach more people who need it. The conversation opens with a question Dr. Mays keeps encountering: why do high performers fail the moment they have to lead people? Their identity is built around being right. That attachment blocks curiosity, breeds reactivity, and creates a blind spot no framework fixes. He introduces the robot brain and the caveman brain to explain how neural programming formed in early childhood gets reactivated under pressure decades later, producing the anger and defensiveness that leaders mistake for strength. Disengagement in an organization is a mirror. If people are checked out and the person at the top is pointing fingers, they are looking in the wrong direction. The fear that building capable, independent people makes you redundant is just the old scripting running the show again. The episode closes with the one discipline everything else depends on: presence. Two minutes of focused breathing, done consistently, rewires the circuitry. That is where the upgrade begins 00:00 Introduction and context 05:30 Self-awareness as the prerequisite for leadership 10:07 The genius brain and the caveman brain explained 17:44 Pressure exposes what frameworks cannot fix 22:13 Emotional regulation as a daily practice, not a moment skill 29:00 Why authority produces diminishing returns 33:15 The fear behind failing to develop other leaders 38:00 Executive presence and the practice of presence 46:07 Control masquerading as responsibility 52:00 Planting seeds and the inside job of leadership Dr. Kevin Mays Website: https://www.upgradeyourleadership.com Dr. Kevin Mays Website: https://maysleadership.com/ Dr. Kevin Mays LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-kevin-mays Our Stuff Our website: https://www.thechangeagent.studio Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheChangeAgentPodcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-change-agent-podcast/id1794550342 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4LoAakYrrg60ld766wKqto?si=OjaQfNF9RbiRH1GCzxOtsw Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thechangeagentpodcast?igsh=OXRoZmp5Z2FhdjJm Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1WtowvBVkr/?mibextid=wwXIfr Music licensed via Soundstripe Song: Studied Abroad Artist: Neon Beach ContentID: NEKHIFV6MKWF7OVE

    52 min
  2. Dr. Valentina Schneider - Know Your Empathy

    20 APR

    Dr. Valentina Schneider - Know Your Empathy

    Dr. Valentina Schneider returns to The Change Agent for a second conversation, and this one gets into the research that most leadership advice skips. Valentina recently moved from her PhD work at London Business School into applied leadership advisory, and she brings both the data and the real-world context to bear on a single, uncomfortable question: what if the empathy leaders are praised for is actually making them less effective? The episode centers on the difference between cognitive and affective empathy, two distinct processes that science has long separated but leadership training still treats as one. Valentina walks through what each type looks like in practice, why one produces better outcomes across nearly every leadership scenario her research examined, and what happens neurologically when a leader absorbs the emotional state of the room rather than reading it. The conversation also covers narcissism, vulnerability, anger management, and the specific pressures female leaders face. If you lead people or work alongside leaders, this episode is worth your time. 00:00 Introduction and Valentina's transition to industry 05:00 Why empathy became a top leadership demand after COVID 08:00 Cognitive vs affective empathy explained 12:00 How each type of empathy plays out when letting someone go 16:00 Emotional contagion and why it makes leaders change course 20:00 The bias problem inside affective empathy 27:00 Cognitive empathy as the leadership superpower 33:00 Empathy, gender labels, and the authority double standard 38:00 Using empathy to defuse anger in the room 43:00 Vulnerability at work and when it backfires 48:00 One thing every leader should take away Dr. Valentina Schneider LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valentina-sara-schneider-phd/ Our Stuff Our website: https://www.thechangeagent.studio Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheChangeAgentPodcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-change-agent-podcast/id1794550342 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4LoAakYrrg60ld766wKqto?si=OjaQfNF9RbiRH1GCzxOtsw Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thechangeagentpodcast?igsh=OXRoZmp5Z2FhdjJm Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1WtowvBVkr/?mibextid=wwXIfr Music licensed via Soundstripe Song: Studied Abroad Artist: Neon Beach ContentID: LQIWHSG1OOG3LI3I

    52 min
  3. Behind It All - with Eric Adams

    18 APR ·  BONUS

    Behind It All - with Eric Adams

    Eric Adams started The Change Agent Podcast in February 2025 with a conviction that leadership had a personal side most shows were ignoring. In this episode, the camera turns around. Producer Tonya sits down with Eric to ask the questions he normally asks everyone else: why he built this, what it costs, and where he intends to take it. The podcast began as an audio-only experiment in basic management principles. But somewhere in that first year, Eric noticed he kept gravitating toward something harder to teach: what actually makes a person worth following. The episodes shifted. Empathetic leadership. Leading under conflict. The structural content gave way to the personal, and the show found its footing. The move to video in early 2026 was not just a format change. Eric describes it as a shift in the relationship with the listener. Video demands your eyes. That demand, they found, matched the weight of the conversations they were starting to have. Tonya pulls back the curtain on what one episode actually takes: roughly 40 hours of work before a single frame records. Guest research. Question development. One-sheets. Pre-conversations. The workflow that holds it together. Eric talks about what keeps that effort going across more than a year, and the answer has two parts. The first is mission. The second is competitive: he wants this to be the best podcast out there, and he means it. The conversation lands on what Eric believes every guest on the show has shared, regardless of their field or their stakes. He names Valentina Schneider, Oleksandra Matviichuk, Olga Rudnieva as examples. Not one of them, he says, led with process. Every single one led with care. That thread, running through every episode, is what the show is really about. What Eric wants in two years is not a follower count. He wants the Change Agent Podcast to be the name that comes to mind when someone hears about consequential leadership and asks where they can learn more. If you have never listened before, this is the episode that shows you exactly what you would be signing up for. 00:00 Introduction and why this episode is different 02:25 From audio only to video and what changed 04:20 The hardest part of hosting: research and tonal switching 06:18 What every great guest has had in common 08:13 How the show filters and sometimes turns away guests 11:45 Where the show is headed in two years 13:27 Why this podcast matters to Eric personally 15:16 What keeps the work going after more than a year 18:17 Every episode is a different canvas. Our Stuff Our website: https://www.thechangeagent.studio Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheChangeAgentPodcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-change-agent-podcast/id1794550342 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4LoAakYrrg60ld766wKqto?si=OjaQfNF9RbiRH1GCzxOtsw Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thechangeagentpodcast?igsh=OXRoZmp5Z2FhdjJm Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1WtowvBVkr/?mibextid=wwXIfr Music: Studied Abroad - by Neon Beach ContentID (Soundstripe): ARAFPVTBKIQCY9ZD

    24 min
  4. The Art of Neuro-Focused Leadership - with Gillian Nycum

    13 APR

    The Art of Neuro-Focused Leadership - with Gillian Nycum

    Gillian Nycum works at the intersection of neuroscience, neurodiversity, and systems thinking. In this episode, she argues that effective leadership starts with understanding how the nervous system shapes behavior under pressure, not just in theory but in the moments when it matters most. If this conversation is useful to you, subscribing and leaving a review helps The Change Agent Podcast reach more people doing this kind of work. She opens with the distinction between neurodiversity and neuropluralism, and the cost of organizations built around a single dominant neurotype. Neurodivergent employees spend their energy conforming rather than contributing what makes them distinctive. From there she walks through what happens when fear activates in a leader who knows they should act, her framework of practice, skill, and humility for closing that gap, and why shared vision consistently outperforms command and control when complexity increases. The closing argument is about presence. Leaders running on chronic urgency gradually lose the ability to sense what is actually happening around them. Staying regulated is not a wellness add-on. It is what makes effective leadership possible. 00:00 Introduction 05:04 Neuropluralism and the cost of conformity 10:33 Practice, skill, and humility framework 15:08 Where traditional leadership models break down 19:46 Trauma-informed leadership in practice 25:00 Internal Family Systems and reactive patterns 29:40 Systems thinking and what leadership training misses 37:20 Identity transitions and imposter syndrome 41:19 Presence as a structural leadership strategy 45:22 What neuropluralist organizations look like Gillian's Links: Gillian Nycum LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gillian-nycum/ Gillian Nycum Website: https://www.gilliannycum.com Gillian Nycum Substack: https://gillianaltanycum.substack.com/ Gillian Nycum Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gillian_nycum/ Our Stuff Our website: https://www.thechangeagent.studio Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheChangeAgentPodcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-change-agent-podcast/id1794550342 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4LoAakYrrg60ld766wKqto?si=OjaQfNF9RbiRH1GCzxOtsw Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thechangeagentpodcast?igsh=OXRoZmp5Z2FhdjJm Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1WtowvBVkr/?mibextid=wwXIfr Music licensed via Soundstripe Song: Lost in Paradise Artist: In This World ContentID: IXOLUDW3OSR6ZVZM

    49 min
  5. Beyond the Comfort Zone - Jo Tarnawsky

    5 APR

    Beyond the Comfort Zone - Jo Tarnawsky

    Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheChangeAgentPodcast Our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheChangeAgentPodcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-change-agent-podcast/id1794550342 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4LoAakYrrg60ld766wKqto?si=OjaQfNF9RbiRH1GCzxOtsw What does leadership look like when power, pressure, and personal integrity collide? In this episode of The Change Agent, Eric sits down with former senior government leader Jo Tarnawsky to examine what really happens inside high-stakes leadership environments—from diplomacy and politics to challenging organizational environments. Drawing on her experience at the highest levels of public service, Jo shares what most people never see: the informal power dynamics, the hidden negotiations, and the difficult leadership decisions that happen far from public view.  This conversation explores the realities of institutional leadership, why high-performing ethical leaders are often targeted in unhealthy cultures, and what courage actually requires when silence feels safer than action. Jo also discusses her personal experience navigating adversity after challenging powerful systems, and how leaders can protect their identity and purpose when titles and positions change. This is a discussion about consequential leadership—what it demands, what it costs, and why integrity often requires difficult choices. Topics discussed include:How power actually works behind the scenes in government and institutionsWhy leadership success often depends on unseen influence and negotiationEarly warning signs of toxic organizational culturesWhy high-performing leaders can become targets in unhealthy systemsThe real meaning of courage in leadership environmentsThe professional and personal risks of speaking truth to powerLeadership identity beyond titles and positionsHow small acts of courage shape culture over timeTimestamps:00:00 Introduction 01:05 What leadership inside government really looks like 12:08 How power and influence actually shape decisions 15:12 Recognizing toxic cultures early 20:01 Courage and the risks of speaking up 35:18 Leadership identity after adversity 40:42 Purpose-driven leadership after crisis 41:40 The long-term cost of leadership silence 43:58 Final leadership lessons on courage About Jo Tarnawsky:Jo Tarnawsky is a former senior government leader and advisor who has worked at the highest levels of diplomacy, politics, and public administration. Today she focuses on leadership advocacy, speaking, and advising organizations on power dynamics, workplace culture, and ethical leadership. Connect with Jo Tarnawsky:Jo's Tarnawsky's Website: https://www.jotarnawsky.com/Jo's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-t-94568417a/ Jo's Substack: https://substack.com/@jotarnawsky

    46 min
  6. Discipline Over Comfort - JD Tremblay - Ultra-endurance Athlete

    30 MAR

    Discipline Over Comfort - JD Tremblay - Ultra-endurance Athlete

    JD Tremblay is one of only three people in the world to complete the EpicDeca - ten Ironman-distance triathlons in ten consecutive days over the Hawaiian Islands and the only Canadian to do so. In this episode of The Change Agent Podcast, we examine what extreme endurance reveals about consequential leadership, resilience under sustained pressure, and the psychology of high-performance identity. A military veteran, engineer, author of Hunger for More in Life, and recipient of the Ohana Award for sportsmanship at Ultraman Canada, JD shares how discipline, systems thinking, and humility shape elite performance — and how leaders can apply those principles outside sport. This conversation explores: Leading yourself when quitting is rationalMilitary discipline in civilian ambitionEngineering resilienceEgo, humility, and recognitionResponsibility that comes with extreme capabilityBuilding legacy through youth athletics and philanthropy If you are interested in leadership under adversity, endurance psychology, and high-stakes personal growth, this episode offers practical and philosophical insight. Visit JD Tremblay's Website: https://hunger4more.com Links Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheChangeAgentPodcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-change-agent-podcast/id1794550342 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4LoAakYrrg60ld766wKqto?si=OjaQfNF9RbiRH1GCzxOtsw Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thechangeagentpodcast?igsh=OXRoZmp5Z2FhdjJm Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1WtowvBVkr/?mibextid=wwXIfr Website: https://www.thechangeagent.studio Song: Memory State Artist: REMEDEE Sourced on Soundstripe ContentID: DKA2ODOS8SJMRAHX

    33 min
  7. Own Your Niche - Dennis Meador

    16 MAR

    Own Your Niche - Dennis Meador

    In this episode The Change Agent Podcast, Eric and Dennis examine how professionals differentiate themselves in crowded, price-driven markets and why authority, trust, and precision positioning matter more than raw visibility. Dennis “DM” Meador has spent more than two decades working alongside attorneys and professional service firms, observing how digital search and market saturation have reshaped how expertise is perceived and purchased. His work now focuses on helping legal professionals move away from commoditized competition and toward authority-driven positioning through targeted podcasting and content ecosystems designed to attract the right clients rather than the most attention. The conversation explores the strategic use of podcasting not as a vanity metric exercise but as a trust-building mechanism. Dennis explains why highly specific content aimed at narrowly defined audiences consistently outperforms broad messaging, and why a smaller, highly qualified audience often produces better business outcomes than mass exposure without conversion. This discussion also addresses how trust is built through audio, why intimacy and consistency matter in long-form conversations, and how answering real client questions in practical terms creates credibility before the first direct interaction ever occurs. The episode highlights how thoughtful content strategy can move relationships from discovery to confidence before a single sales conversation begins. This is a conversation about influence built on clarity, the economics of trust, and what it takes to stand out when expertise alone is no longer enough. ----------------- Dennis Meador and LPN Website Dennis Meador on LinkedIn Send us a message and let’s connect! Support Our Show On Apple Podcasts! Support Us On YouTube by Subscribing! Support Our Show On Spotify! Learn More On Our Website!

    44 min
  8. Leadership in Transition - Zoe Price

    16 MAR

    Leadership in Transition - Zoe Price

    Executive careers are not stalling because leaders lack capability. They are stalling because the rules have changed. In this episode of The Change Agent, I sit down with Zoe Price, CEO of Resume Pilots, to explore what is really happening in today’s leadership market. This is not a tactical conversation about CV formatting. It is a deeper discussion about generational transition, shrinking decision timelines, succession gaps, and the unintended consequences of short-term thinking inside organizations. We discuss why many Gen X leaders are experiencing a loss of traction despite strong performance, how internal talent acquisition has replaced traditional recruitment models, and why institutional knowledge is quietly eroding in large companies. We examine the risks of external “borrowed credibility,” the disappearance of long-term succession planning, and what happens when experience is undervalued in favor of speed.We also explore: - Why the traditional career “playbook” no longer works. - The danger of pushing experienced leaders out too early - The hidden cost of replacing maturity with lower salary - The shift from execution to strategic leadership in the C-suite  - Why emotional resistance to change can stall capable leaders - How velocity of change is reshaping hiring and promotion decisions This conversation is for leaders navigating redundancy, stalled promotions, generational shifts, or the move into executive management. It is also for organizations questioning whether short-term thinking is undermining long-term stability. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 02:00 Why capable leaders are losing traction 05:30 Generational differences in career progression 07:00 Contracted timeframes and velocity of change 10:15 The shift to internal talent acquisition 14:00 Unlocking the hidden job market 16:00 LinkedIn, visibility, and signal 18:30 Being interviewed by younger leaders 22:30 What happens when experience leaves organisations 27:00 The military drawdown analogy and succession gaps 30:00 The true cost of replacing experience 36:00 Why companies hire externally If leadership is about judgement, context, and long-term thinking, this episode asks a difficult question: are we undervaluing the very experience that protects organizations from repeating costly mistakes? ⁠Resume Pilots Website⁠⁠Resume Pilots on LinkedIn⁠ ⁠Find us at our website⁠. ⁠Support the show! ⁠ Subscribe to the podcast! Music: Neon Beach - What Actually Happened ContentID: VCXLCFZIIDZADT25 Sourced from Soundstripe Support Our Show On Apple Podcasts! Support Us On YouTube by Subscribing! Support Our Show On Spotify! Learn More On Our Website!

    46 min

About

THE CHANGE AGENT PODCAST Most leadership content is built around the assumption that you have time to reflect, space to course-correct, and a margin for error. This show is for when you don't. The Change Agent is a podcast about leadership in consequential environments where the decisions are hard, the resources are never enough, and getting it wrong means something. Guests aren't theorists. They're operators: people who have actually led through the mess; through failed projects, fractured teams, missed windows, and moments where the only path forward ran straight through the thing they were most afraid to do. Every episode is a real conversation about the real work. Not what the textbook says. Not what the keynote sounds like. What it actually took to hold the line, move the team, and deliver on something that mattered. You'll hear from people who've commanded units under fire and people who've rebuilt cultures from near collapse. From project managers who turned around initiatives written off as lost causes, to executives who've had to make calls that couldn't be undone. What they share isn't a framework. It's the thing they learned after the framework stopped working. The conversation is practical and intentionlly though provoking. We talk about how leaders make decisions when information is incomplete, how you maintain credibility when things are falling apart around you, and what good communication looks like in an environment where trust is thin and stakes are high. How you hold a team together when the mission feels impossible and what you take away from it when you get to the other side. If you've ever led something that genuinely mattered and felt the weight of that, this podcast will feel like a conversation you didn't know you needed. If you're still building toward that kind of leadership this is the map that doesn't get handed out in class. The Change Agent Podcast is hosted by Eric Adams, an experienced leader with more than 26 years in combat, commercial, and senior level leadership experience. His work has been centered in high-pressure, mission-critical environments spanning complex operations, geospatial intelligence programs, and organizational change. He holds the PMP and SAFe Agile certifications. New episodes drop regularly. Subscribe wherever you listen, and if an episode hits, share it with someone in the thick of it. The work continues so stay tuned and make sure you subscribe! Our Website: https://www.thechangeagent.studio Our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/thechangeagentpodcast/posts YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheChangeAgentPodcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-change-agent-podcast/id1794550342 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4LoAakYrrg60ld766wKqto?si=OjaQfNF9RbiRH1GCzxOtsw