The Trusted Leadership Podcast

Shaun Mader

Leadership podcasts love theory. This one puts it next to the people who had to execute it. Friction to Flow brings together leadership coaches, humanistic practitioners, and operators who've been in the room when teams broke down — and rebuilt. Hosted by Shaun Mader, every episode is a candid conversation about what actually creates high-performing teams — and what quietly destroys them. No scripts. No rehearsed answers. Just the conversations leaders need but rarely get to have.

  1. Oct 15

    E 44 The Trusted Leadership Podcast With L&S Specialist, Farhan Quasem

    Farhan Quasem believes the best learning happens in the flow of work, right when someone needs it, not in a course nobody opens. With 14 years in learning and development, Farhan has worked with startups, large companies, and everything in between. He now runs Commudemy, a workforce development consultancy based in Boston, building partnerships with companies in the US, Latin America, and the Middle East. His focus is making learning a continuous part of company culture instead of a checkbox. He holds an Ed.M. from Harvard, splits his time between Boston, Istanbul, and Mexico City, and is a new dad. What sets him apart is a practical, point-of-need approach to enablement. He shows how to surface knowledge inside the tools people already use, why content alone is no longer king, and how to use AI to digest existing SOPs and customer feedback instead of generating training from scratch. He also explains how cohort learning grows naturally once leaders make learning part of how the company runs. In this conversation, Farhan and Shaun explore how leaders can stay ahead of AI-driven change by talking directly to their people, learning from peers, and backing the AI enthusiasts on their own teams. To reach Farhan: https://www.commudemy.com/ Connect on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/farhanquasem Listen to Farhan's podcast, where he talks with leaders building learning communities: https://www.commudemy.com/podcast

  2. Sep 14

    E 43 The Trusted Leadership Podcast With Guest, Donna Hicks, PhD

    Dr. Donna Hicks is an Associate at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University and the former Deputy Director of the Program on International Conflict Analysis and Resolution (PICAR). She facilitated dialogues in numerous unofficial diplomatic efforts in the Middle East, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Colombia, Cuba, Libya and Syria. She was a consultant to the BBC in Northern Ireland, where she co-facilitated a television series, Facing the Truth, with Archbishop Desmond Tutu. She has taught courses in conflict resolution at Harvard and Columbia Universities and conducts seminars in the US and abroad on dignity leadership training and on the role dignity plays in resolving conflict. She consults to corporations, governments, schools, churches, and non-governmental organizations. Her book, Dignity: It’s Essential Role in Resolving Conflict, was published by Yale University Press in 2011. Her second book, Leading with Dignity: How to Create a Culture That Brings Out the Best in People, was published by Yale University Press in August 2018.

  3. Aug 9

    E 42 The Trusted Leadership Podcast With Guest, Victoria Pelletier

    Victoria Pelletier believes transformation fails without trust, clarity, and a compelling story — and she builds all three. Forged by early adversity, she became one of the youngest Chief Operating Officers in Canada at 24 and has since held President and CEO roles across multiple industries, leading organizations through 40+ M&A transactions and re-engineering operating models, technology, and culture to drive growth and unlock multi-million-dollar synergies. What sets her apart is storytelling — translating complexity into clarity in the boardroom, on stage, and with employees and investors, using narrative to align strategy and make change stick. Her leadership has been recognized by INvolve, CIOLook, Insight Magazine, and the South Florida Business Journal, among others. She is a sought-after keynote speaker on resilience, Whole Human Leadership, and leading through transformation. To reach Victoria: https://victoria-pelletier.com/ LINK TO The Leadership Transition Guide: Whole Human Leadership in Your First 90 Days

  4. Jun 14

    E41 The Trusted Leadership Podcast With Guest, Steve Gund, President of The Gund Company

    Steve Gund, third-generation CEO of The Gund Company, shares his leadership journey shaped by family legacy, humility, and a deep commitment to people-centric culture. With a focus on servant leadership, Steve highlights how trust, intentionality, and developmental systems drive remarkable business outcomes. He speaks candidly about coaching with compassion, transforming company culture through acquisitions, and aligning leadership with human flourishing. Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your People Like Family By Bob Chapman Start with Why 15th Anniversary Edition: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action By Simon Sinek

  5. Mar 23

    E40 The Trusted Leadership Podcast with Guest, Josh Block

    Josh Block is a Michigan native, husband, father of two, company president, leadership advocate, and author of People Matter @ Work, a new book that reimagines how workplaces can become the most transformative communities in our lives. As President of Block Imaging, a global medical imaging company, and founder of Cube Mobile Imaging, Josh leads with a simple but radical conviction: when people matter at work, everything changes — businesses grow, families thrive, and lives are transformed. His message is shaped not by theory, but by three decades of rolling up his sleeves across every level of work, from flipping burgers and selling strawberries door-to-door to leading a company through seasons of change and growth from $30M to $215M in revenue. Josh's Book: People Matter at Work: Fostering a Culture Where Team Members Thrive and Everyone Wins AMAZON LINK https://peoplematteratwork.com/

  6. Jan 7

    E39 The Trusted Leadership Podcast With Guest Jose Cruz

    Jose’s impressive, two-decade long career includes learning and development executive positions at Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and Bergdorf Goodman. Most recently, Jose led the learning and development effort at Barnes & Noble, America’s Bookstore, spanning over 23,000 book sellers across the country. In addition to his professional experience across all business sectors, Jose holds a Bachelor of Arts in industrial-organizational psychology from the City University of New York, and is certified in MBTI, SLII, 360 and HOGAN assessment. As the SVP of Learning Development and Diversity, Jose creates and leads Forrest Solutions’ world class learning and development program that is the backbone of the company’s market leading Workplace Experience (WPX) service as well as the company’s impactful Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) program.

  7. 09/30/2025

    E38 The Trusted Leadership Podcast With Guest Mark Levy

    Mark Levy is the founder of Levy Innovation LLC, a positioning and business strategy firm, which helps organizations and thought leaders differentiate by using, what he calls, a Big Sexy Idea®. The ideas Mark and his clients have created are known worldwide by hundreds of millions of people. Mark has consulted to some of the world’s most prominent companies and individuals, including CEOs of major brands, like Popeye’s; the former head of Strategy at the Harvard Business School; and thought leaders, such as Simon Sinek of “Start with Why” fame. Using the obvious to stand out in life and business | Mark Levy | TEDxCapeMay https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5BlP7klqLM

  8. 04/17/2025

    E37 The Trusted Leadership Podcast With Guest Bob Tiede

    In this illuminating episode of the Trusted Leadership Podcast, bestselling author Bob Tiede reveals how the simple act of asking questions can transform your leadership effectiveness. A self-described "former benevolent dictator," Bob shares powerful stories of leaders who increased engagement and performance by simply asking for input - including a naval commander who took his ship from lowest to highest morale in just 18 months through the power of questions. Discover why William Marriott considers "What do you think?" the four most important words in the English language, and learn practical techniques to draw out your team's best ideas while making them feel genuinely valued. This conversation offers a paradigm shift that could make you "ten times more effective" as a leader in today's complex world. Bob Tiede (pronounced “Tee-Dee”) has been on the staff of Cru (formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ) for 54 years – serving 8 years in Cru Campus and then 24 years as the CEO of Josh McDowell Ministry – a Division of Cru.  And Now 22 years on the U.S. Leadership Development Team – developing the next generation of leaders for Cru.  Bob’s blog LeadingWithQuestions.com is now in its 12th year and followed by leaders in over 200 countries.  Bob has written 6 very popular books, including “Great Leaders Ask Question – a Fortune 100 List” and “Now That’s a Great Question” and his newest book is the 3rd Edition of “LEADING WITH QUESTIONS” which has been Amazon’s #1 Best Seller in the category of Business communication!  Bob’s mission is to help leaders everywhere multiply their leadership effectiveness X10 by moving from “Let Me Tell You!” to “Let Me Ask You!”  Bob has been married to Sherry for 55 years is the proud Dad of 4 adult children – all married and 9 incredible Grandchildren – all who love to ask their “Papa Bob” questions!   https://www.amazon.com/Leading-Questions-Leaders-Discover-Powerful-ebook/dp/B0C2JNTR3K/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3QYP0D0LI60LO&keywords=leading+with+questions+bob+tiede&qid=1701281002&sprefix=leading+with+questions,aps,158&sr=8-1 https://leadingwithquestions.com/books/

See All (42)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Leadership podcasts love theory. This one puts it next to the people who had to execute it. Friction to Flow brings together leadership coaches, humanistic practitioners, and operators who've been in the room when teams broke down — and rebuilt. Hosted by Shaun Mader, every episode is a candid conversation about what actually creates high-performing teams — and what quietly destroys them. No scripts. No rehearsed answers. Just the conversations leaders need but rarely get to have.

Information

  • Creator
    Shaun Mader
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    42
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2019 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Trusted Leadership Podcast