The Love Monday Podcast

Ryan Houmand
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Management
  • Updated Weekly

This podcast is devoted to showing people how to improve their lives by taking specific steps to love Monday just like Friday. Join host Ryan Houmand, author of "A Passion for Monday" as he and his guests break down exactly how you can love Monday just like Friday but for a different reason. For more information on how to Love Monday just like Friday go to: LoveMondayLikeFriday.com

  1. 6d ago

    145. The Real Problem Isn't the Employee—It's the Handoff

    Send us Fan Mail A manager was struggling with a promotion decision because one of his employees became emotional and frustrated when work went wrong. At first, it looked like a performance issue. But after asking a few more questions, the real problem emerged. The employee wasn't creating the frustration—she was reacting to poor-quality work being handed off from another team. The issue wasn't emotional maturity. It was a broken process and a lack of communication between managers. In this episode, I explain why great leaders resist the urge to solve the obvious problem first. Instead, they dig deeper to uncover the root cause before making important decisions about promotions, performance, or accountability. If you've ever dealt with cross-functional conflict, poor handoffs, or teams blaming one another, this episode will help you have better conversations that solve the right problem—not just the visible one. In this episode you'll learn:  Why managers often misdiagnose performance problems.  How to identify the root cause before making promotion decisions.  A practical approach for improving communication between teams and managers.  How better cross-functional leadership prevents recurring performance issues. If you want stronger collaboration, fewer recurring problems, and better leadership decisions, this episode is for you. Support the show For more information on how to love Monday just like Friday, got to: LoveMondayLikeFriday.com. Find more information from Ryan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-houmand/ Get the book! "A Passion for Monday"

    11 min

  2. Jun 29

    144. HR vs Leadership: Why They See Different Problems

    Send us Fan Mail Employee engagement, company culture, manager effectiveness, employee experience, leadership development, HR strategy—who actually owns these outcomes? In this Real-Life Sitch episode, Ryan shares a coaching conversation with an HR leader frustrated that her CEO didn't seem concerned about culture, compliance, organizational risk, or employee relations. The deeper they explored the issue, the more important the question became: Are HR and leaders solving different problems, or are they approaching the same problem from different angles? Ryan examines the growing tension between HR and leadership, the role managers play in shaping the employee experience, and why many organizations struggle to align culture, performance, and accountability. Drawing on Gallup research, the Service-Profit Chain, and years of leadership consulting experience, Ryan explores whether employee engagement is primarily driven by HR initiatives or by manager effectiveness—and why that distinction matters for organizational performance. If you're an HR professional, manager, executive, business owner, or leadership coach, this episode will challenge the way you think about employee engagement, workplace culture, leadership responsibility, and the future role of HR. This episode is for HR leaders, managers, executives, business owners, and leadership coaches who want to improve employee engagement, strengthen workplace culture, develop better managers, and create a more effective employee experience. Support the show For more information on how to love Monday just like Friday, got to: LoveMondayLikeFriday.com. Find more information from Ryan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-houmand/ Get the book! "A Passion for Monday"

    16 min

  3. Jun 22

    143. The Problem Isn't Communication. It's Courage

    Send us Fan Mail Most managers think they have a communication problem. They don't. In this episode, Ryan shares a coaching conversation with a manager who believed poor communication was at the root of a difficult workplace issue. But as the conversation unfolded, a deeper truth emerged: the challenge wasn't communication at all—it was courage. Why do managers avoid feedback? Why do leaders delay difficult conversations? Why do organizations hide behind emails, processes, and meetings instead of talking directly to people? If you've ever struggled to deliver bad news, give corrective feedback, address performance issues, or have a conversation you knew needed to happen, this episode is for you. You'll learn:  Why communication is often blamed for leadership problems  The difference between communication and courage  How fear disguises itself as professionalism  Why delayed feedback damages trust  The conversation you're probably avoiding right now Leadership isn't about avoiding difficult conversations. It's about having the courage to step into them. #leadership #management #managertraining #employeeengagement #leadershipdevelopment #feedback #communication #courageousleadership Support the show For more information on how to love Monday just like Friday, got to: LoveMondayLikeFriday.com. Find more information from Ryan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-houmand/ Get the book! "A Passion for Monday"

    12 min

  4. Jun 15

    142. The One Question That Reveals Real Leadership

    Send us Fan Mail What makes someone a true leader? Is it a title, authority, experience, or results? In this episode of the Love Monday Podcast, Ryan Houmand explores the simplest test of leadership: Would people willingly follow you if your title disappeared tomorrow? Learn the difference between compliance and commitment, why employee engagement is really a followership issue, and what great managers do differently to earn trust, loyalty, and discretionary effort. If you're a manager, executive, HR professional, or aspiring leader, this episode will challenge how you think about leadership, employee engagement, workplace culture, trust, coaching, and influence. Support the show For more information on how to love Monday just like Friday, got to: LoveMondayLikeFriday.com. Find more information from Ryan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-houmand/ Get the book! "A Passion for Monday"

    8 min

  5. Jun 8

    141. The 3 Manager Blind Spots That Quietly Kill Engagement

    Send us Fan Mail Why do good employees disengage, burn out, or quietly quit even under “good” managers? In this episode of the Love Monday Podcast, Ryan Houmand breaks down the three biggest leadership blind spots he sees in management today: emotional disconnect, coaching avoidance, and lack of employee advocacy. Learn how these management behaviors impact employee engagement, retention, culture, and performance — often without leaders realizing it. If you’re interested in leadership development, employee engagement, manager coaching, Gallup research, or workplace culture, this episode gives practical insight into the hidden patterns that quietly damage teams. Support the show For more information on how to love Monday just like Friday, got to: LoveMondayLikeFriday.com. Find more information from Ryan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-houmand/ Get the book! "A Passion for Monday"

    8 min

  6. Jun 1

    140. Employees Told You What's Wrong. Why Hasn't Anything Changed?

    Send us Fan Mail Most leadership assessments stop at awareness. A manager gets a score, glances at a report, and nothing changes. In this episode of the Love Monday Podcast, Ryan Houmand explains why the real value of the Love Monday Manager QB Rating™ isn’t the score itself — it’s the coaching and action that happen afterward. Learn how dimension-level feedback reveals leadership blind spots, improves employee engagement, and helps organizations build better managers instead of simply rating them. If you care about leadership development, management coaching, employee retention, workplace culture, or Gallup-style engagement, this episode is for you. Support the show For more information on how to love Monday just like Friday, got to: LoveMondayLikeFriday.com. Find more information from Ryan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-houmand/ Get the book! "A Passion for Monday"

    8 min

  7. May 27

    139. Why Some Managers Get Followed and Others Get Tolerated

    Send us Fan Mail What actually makes a manager effective? In this episode of the Love Monday Podcast, I break down the 9 core dimensions that define great management—based on real-world experience, employee engagement data, and what actually drives team performance. Most companies either don’t measure managers at all… or they measure the wrong things. The result? Inconsistent leadership, disengaged teams, and missed performance. Building on the idea of a “QB Rating” for managers and the evolution into the Love Monday Manager System™, this episode introduces the framework behind how great managers are evaluated and developed. You’ll learn: The 9 dimensions that separate average managers from great onesWhy most managers aren’t failing across the board—but in just a few key areasHow identifying specific gaps can unlock performance, engagement, and retentionIf you lead managers—or are one—this episode will challenge how you think about leadership and give you a clearer picture of what actually matters. Because great management isn’t random. It’s measurable. And it’s developable. #Leadership #ManagerDevelopment #EmployeeEngagement #LeadershipDevelopment #PerformanceManagement #LoveMonday Support the show For more information on how to love Monday just like Friday, got to: LoveMondayLikeFriday.com. Find more information from Ryan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-houmand/ Get the book! "A Passion for Monday"

    10 min

  8. May 19

    138. Why Most Leadership Scorecards Fail

    Send us Fan Mail What if measuring manager performance isn’t enough? In this episode of the Love Monday Podcast, I build on last week’s concept of a “QB Rating” for managers—a simple, objective way to evaluate how effectively a manager is leading their team. But after pressure-testing the idea with a leader experienced in 360 feedback systems, something became clear: A score alone doesn’t develop managers. And feedback without a score lacks clarity and comparability. So what’s the answer? In this episode, I introduce the next evolution of the Love Monday Manager System™—a shift from measuring managers to actually developing them through a combination of:  Clear performance scoring  Dimension-based diagnosis  Actionable coaching guidance If you’re a CEO, CHRO, or leader responsible for manager effectiveness, this episode will challenge how you think about manager evaluation, employee engagement, and leadership development. Because the real question isn’t:  “How do we measure managers?” It’s:  “How do we make them better?” #ManagerDevelopment #Leadership #EmployeeEngagement #PerformanceManagement #LeadershipDevelopment #LoveMonday Support the show For more information on how to love Monday just like Friday, got to: LoveMondayLikeFriday.com. Find more information from Ryan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-houmand/ Get the book! "A Passion for Monday"

    12 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
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About

This podcast is devoted to showing people how to improve their lives by taking specific steps to love Monday just like Friday. Join host Ryan Houmand, author of "A Passion for Monday" as he and his guests break down exactly how you can love Monday just like Friday but for a different reason. For more information on how to Love Monday just like Friday go to: LoveMondayLikeFriday.com

Information

  • Creator
    Ryan Houmand
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    145
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Love Monday Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Love Monday Podcast