The Executive Appeal with Alex D. Tremble

Alex D. Tremble

The Executive Appeal is the show for CEOs of early eight‑figure, operations‑heavy companies who feel like the business only really moves when they push. If you’re running a $10M–$25M company and every big decision still rolls up to you… your leaders are smart but misaligned… and you’re tired of being the hero that keeps everything moving… this is your room. Host Alex D. Tremble – Industrial‑Organizational Psychologist, bestselling author, and CEO of GPS Leadership Solutions – sits down with CEOs and senior leaders (especially from multi‑location and logistics / industrial services businesses) to talk about what it actually takes to: Stop being the bottleneck in every major decision Build leaders who own problems and bring solutions Install a simple leadership operating system so the company runs fast without you in every fire You’ll hear unfiltered stories about wins, misses, and the behavior changes that made the biggest difference – not canned talking points. Alongside CEO interviews, Alex releases occasional short solo episodes breaking down specific leadership behaviors, operating rhythms, and 90‑day plays you can apply directly in your company. New episodes available on all major podcast platforms and YouTube. If you want a company that can run without you carrying it on your back, hit play.

  1. EP 218: For CEOs Tired of Slow Execution | Build Teams That Act Without You

    HACE 6 DÍAS

    EP 218: For CEOs Tired of Slow Execution | Build Teams That Act Without You

    If you’re leading a $10M–$25M, multi-location, operations-heavy business, you’ve likely felt it: revenue slows down unless you step in and push. In this episode, Alex D. Tremble sits down with Lara Shackelford, CEO of Hawksmoor.ai, where she architects AI-driven go-to-market systems for enterprise and mid-market companies. With deep experience across Oracle, Microsoft, and high-growth environments, Lara breaks down why most teams fail to act on the signals right in front of them and how that creates hidden bottlenecks at the top. This conversation focuses on a core issue many operators face: a lack of proactive ownership across teams, leading to slow execution, misalignment, and too many decisions rolling back to the CEO. You’ll learn: How to get your leaders to own revenue, not just their functionWhy sales, marketing, and operations must act as one coordinated systemHow to use real-time signals to trigger action without waiting for directionWhat it takes to build teams that move faster without constant oversightHow better alignment reduces decision fatigue and execution delays This episode is for you if: You’re still the one pushing revenue forward every weekYour teams are smart, but not acting fast enough without youExecution across locations or departments feels uneven Take the free Executive Leadership Diagnostic here: https://gpsleadership.org/diagnostic/ Listen now to learn how to build a business that moves without everything running through you.

    41 min
  2. EP 217: How Leaders Eliminate Backchannel Decisions and Build Real Trust

    8 ABR

    EP 217: How Leaders Eliminate Backchannel Decisions and Build Real Trust

    If you’re leading a $10M–$25M, multi-location, operations-heavy business, you’ve likely seen it: your team aligns in the meeting… then decisions get questioned, reshaped, or quietly undermined afterward. In this episode, Alex Tremble sits down with Laurie J. Fitzmaurice, Independent Board Member and Consultant, who brings 30+ years of experience building and leading $7.5B+ in energy infrastructure projects across the U.S. and Latin America. She’s led companies, sat on 8 boards, and currently serves on the board of Saavi Energía, the largest private power generator in Mexico. This conversation gets real about trust breakdowns at the leadership level—and how CEOs unintentionally create them. You’ll learn: Why executive teams say “yes” in the room but disagree in the hallwayHow side conversations and small-group alignment quietly erode trustHow to force productive disagreement in the room, not after the factPractical ways to build transparency so decisions actually stickHow to structure communication so your team owns decisions without you re-stepping in This is for you if: You feel like decisions don’t hold once the meeting endsYour leadership team is strong—but not fully alignedYou’re still the one reconciling conflicts and re-making decisionsThere’s more politics or hesitation than you’d like at the top This episode will help you build the kind of trust that speeds up execution—and gets decisions to stick the first time. Listen now and share this with another operator who’s tired of carrying every decision. Take the free Executive Leadership Diagnostic here: www.gpsleadership.org/diagnostic

    44 min
  3. EP 216: Leading with Strategic Optimism and Stewardship

    1 ABR

    EP 216: Leading with Strategic Optimism and Stewardship

    If you’re leading a $10M–$25M, multi-location, operations-heavy organization, you likely have a strong team but still feel like too many decisions come back to you. In this episode, Alex sits down with Suzanne Devenport, CEO of Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) and lifelong advocate for rural and Indigenous communities. Suzanne has spent decades building organizations that bridge resources to underserved communities across 45 states and now leads a 275-person team serving 13 Western states. The conversation goes beyond nonprofit leadership and into a challenge every CEO faces: how your own leadership habits can quietly create bottlenecks and slow execution. Suzanne breaks down how even highly experienced leaders can unintentionally limit team ownership by trying to solve too many problems themselves, over-optimizing, or stepping in before their leaders have fully thought things through. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why seeing yourself as a steward, not just a CEO, changes how your team respondsHow “strategic optimism” helps you focus on what you can control without reacting to every challengeThe link between professional maturity and building trust in your leadership teamHow lessons from rural culture—and even rodeo life—can sharpen leadership and decision-makingWhy showing up authentically for your team and community accelerates impact This is for you if: You still feel like the final decision-maker on too many issuesYour leaders bring problems, but not fully thought-out solutionsExecution slows down because everything routes back through you If you want a team that thinks, owns, and executes without constant oversight, this episode will show you where to start. Take the free Executive Leadership Diagnostic here: www.gpsleadership.org/diagnostic

    44 min
  4. EP 215: How Multi-Location CEOs Accidentally Kill Ownership by Solving Too Fast

    25 MAR

    EP 215: How Multi-Location CEOs Accidentally Kill Ownership by Solving Too Fast

    If you’re leading a $10M–$25M, multi-location, operations-heavy business, you likely have a strong team but still feel like too many decisions come back to you. In this episode, Alex sits down with Court Lorenzini, Founder & CEO of FounderNexus and a serial entrepreneur behind companies like DocuSign, who has raised over $300M and built multiple startups across decades. The conversation goes beyond startup success and into a problem every operator CEO faces: how your own leadership habits can quietly reduce ownership on your team. Court breaks down how even high-performing CEOs unintentionally limit proactivity by solving too quickly, optimizing too early, or stepping in before their leaders fully think things through. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why “being the smartest problem-solver in the room” reduces team ownershipHow to identify your leadership superpower and its hidden downsideA simple mental pause that increases team contribution and initiativeHow to structure roles around strengths to drive better executionWhy the right community accelerates better decisions (and reduces costly mistakes) This is for you if: You still feel like the final decision-maker on too many issuesYour leaders bring problems, but not fully thought-out solutionsExecution slows down because everything routes back through you If you want a team that thinks, owns, and executes without constant oversight, this episode will show you where to start. Listen now and share this with another CEO who’s ready to step out of the bottleneck and build a team that runs faster without them. Take the free Executive Leadership Diagnostic here: www.gpsleadership.org/diagnostic

    40 min
  5. EP 214: How Executives Align Teams Faster Through Strategic Communication with Darrin Kayser

    18 MAR

    EP 214: How Executives Align Teams Faster Through Strategic Communication with Darrin Kayser

    Strong communication isn’t about saying things clearly. It’s about being understood the way you intend. In this episode of The Executive Appeal, Alex D. Tremble sits down with Darrin Kayser, Executive Vice President at Edelman, the world’s largest communications firm. With over 30 years of experience across government, military, and global organizations, Darrin shares what most executives misunderstand about communication at the highest levels. Together, they unpack why communication failures, not capability, are often the root cause of misalignment, resistance, and slow execution inside executive teams. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why communication must be two way, not just top downHow empathy and listening build trust across stakeholdersWhy misalignment often comes from how messages are receivedHow to structure communication that actually drives actionWhy avoiding hard conversations creates bigger execution problems This episode is for you if: Your executive team is capable but not fully alignedConversations feel harder than they shouldYou’re still clarifying decisions after meetingsMiscommunication is slowing execution across your organization If you want to better understand where trust, proactivity, and productivity may be breaking down on your team, take the free executive leadership diagnostic at gpsleadership.org/diagnostic. Listen now to learn how strategic communication builds trust, reduces friction, and helps your executive team move faster without everything rolling up to you. Follow and share this episode with another senior leader working to align their team.

    40 min
  6. EP 213: How CEOs Build Scalable Businesses with Stephen Hightower

    11 MAR

    EP 213: How CEOs Build Scalable Businesses with Stephen Hightower

    Scaling a company is rarely about doing more work yourself. It’s about building the right people, partnerships, and systems that allow the business to grow without everything depending on you. In this episode of The Executive Appeal, host Alex D. Tremble, founder of GPS Leadership Solutions, sits down with Stephen Hightower, Chairman and CEO of Hightower EV Solutions and President and CEO of Hightowers Petroleum Co. Stephen built his company from a small family business into a nationwide operation serving major enterprise customers across the United States. Together they explore what it really takes to scale a company over decades while navigating market shifts, supply chain challenges, and the pressure of leading at the top. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why great companies are built on high performing teams, not individual effortHow trusted industry relationships create scalable supply chainsWhy executives must learn to work on the business instead of inside itHow to build resilience when markets, economies, and industries shiftWhy leaders must continuously pursue new opportunities while protecting existing customers This episode is for you if: You’re still the primary problem solver in your organizationGrowth feels limited by your own time and attentionYour team is capable but not fully owning outcomes yetYou want to scale your company without increasing your personal workload Listen now to learn how strong teams, trusted relationships, and strategic supply chains help executives build organizations that grow far beyond the leader. Follow and share this episode with another senior leader navigating the challenge of scaling their organization.

    42 min

Acerca de

The Executive Appeal is the show for CEOs of early eight‑figure, operations‑heavy companies who feel like the business only really moves when they push. If you’re running a $10M–$25M company and every big decision still rolls up to you… your leaders are smart but misaligned… and you’re tired of being the hero that keeps everything moving… this is your room. Host Alex D. Tremble – Industrial‑Organizational Psychologist, bestselling author, and CEO of GPS Leadership Solutions – sits down with CEOs and senior leaders (especially from multi‑location and logistics / industrial services businesses) to talk about what it actually takes to: Stop being the bottleneck in every major decision Build leaders who own problems and bring solutions Install a simple leadership operating system so the company runs fast without you in every fire You’ll hear unfiltered stories about wins, misses, and the behavior changes that made the biggest difference – not canned talking points. Alongside CEO interviews, Alex releases occasional short solo episodes breaking down specific leadership behaviors, operating rhythms, and 90‑day plays you can apply directly in your company. New episodes available on all major podcast platforms and YouTube. If you want a company that can run without you carrying it on your back, hit play.