Take The Hill - A Leadership Podcast

Purposeful Leadership
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Business

Illuminating the Human Experience of Leadership.

  1. Sep 7

    Courage Has a First Move

    Leadership rarely begins with complete confidence or a formal invitation. More often, it begins in an uncertain moment when someone chooses to step forward. In this episode, we explore the relationship between courage, initiative, vulnerability, and everyday leadership. You’ll consider why discomfort can be an important part of leadership development, how courage can be expressed quietly, and why meaningful action often begins with one small first move. As you listen, consider: What might be possible if you were willing to step forward more often?

  2. Aug 31

    The Moment You Step Forward: Where Leadership Really Begins

    Leadership doesn’t begin with a title, a promotion, or permission. It begins in the everyday moments when someone chooses to pay attention, step forward, speak honestly, or help another person feel seen. In this episode, we explore why leadership is often smaller, and more courageous, than we imagine. We’ll examine how self-awareness creates better choices, why courage does not require fearlessness, what authenticity looks like when the ground keeps shifting, and how ordinary acts of influence can leave a lasting impact. The episode concludes with a simple leadership experiment: intentionally make someone else’s day better and reflect on what the experience teaches you about the leader you are becoming.

  3. Jun 14

    The World Cup, Systems Thinking, and Why Success Is Never an Accident

    In this episode of This Might Be on the Test, we explore how nations function as complex systems and why success on the world stage is rarely the result of individual talent alone. Using the World Cup as our backdrop, we'll examine how culture, leadership, education, economics, infrastructure, and national priorities work together to shape outcomes over time. Whether you're leading a business, nonprofit, government agency, or global team, this episode offers a fresh perspective on how interconnected systems influence success and what leaders can learn from countries competing on the world's biggest stage.

  4. Jun 1

    Communication & Sensemaking in Organizations

    In this episode of This Might Be On The Test, we explore communication and information systems through the lens of organizational systems thinking. We'll explore how information flows through formal and informal networks, why communication breakdowns are often failures of meaning rather than language, and how leaders can create environments that foster transparency, learning, and adaptability.

  5. May 25

    Organizational Systems: Culture, Values, and the Invisible System

    What really drives behavior inside organizations? In this episode of Will This Be on the Test, we'll explores organizational culture as the invisible operating system that shapes decision-making, communication, leadership, and change. Through stories from aviation and contemporary business examples such as Southwest Airlines, Netflix, and Pixar, you'll discover why culture often determines whether strategy succeeds or fails, and how leaders shape culture through what they model, reward, and tolerate.

  6. May 19

    Organizational Systems: Structure & Design

    Why do some organizations thrive while others struggle to adapt? In this episode, we explore how organizational structure shapes communication, decision-making, innovation, and performance. From traditional hierarchies to agile networks, we examine why there is no perfect organizational design, only structures that fit (or misfit) their environment, strategy, and culture.

  7. 06/30/2025

    Educating with Purpose featuring Gregg Behr

    What happens when a leader believes that curiosity is not just a trait, but a responsibility? Gregg Behr, CEO of The Grable Foundation, has spent his life channeling the quiet wisdom of Fred Rogers into bold action for the children of Pittsburgh. In a city built on steel and reinvention, Gregg reminds us that the strongest foundations are those rooted in kindness, imagination, and the courage to ask, 'What if?'

  8. 05/22/2025

    EP37: Leading Through Uncertainty with Dr. Mitchel Nickols

    I sit down with Dr. Mitchel Nickols for a powerful conversation on leadership in divided times. In a world wrestling with division and fading trust, Dr. Nickols illuminates leadership traits we need now more than ever to build confidence within our teams and organizations and shares practical advice on how to amplify these characteristics within the next generation of emerging leaders. 00:00  Welcome to Episode 37 01:00  Leaders Need to Be Risk Takers 05:00  Integrity and the impact of Rationalizing Decisions 06:30  What is your Northern Star? 08:30  The importance of Vision and Mission Statements 10:40  Perception Checking and Unconscious Bias 12:25 Patience, Young Grasshopper! 13:40 Dr. Nickols – Reflects upon developing his foundation of Leadership 15:50   The role of Human Centered Leadership 18:50   Dr. Nickols – Pivotal Moment 21:00   Closing Credits

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5
out of 5
4 Ratings

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Illuminating the Human Experience of Leadership.

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