Do Something Different: A Leadership Podcast

Rusty Gaillard
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Management
  • Updated Weekly

Do Something Different is a podcast for high-achievers who want to grow their impact. Each week, former Apple executive Rusty Gaillard helps you build the skillset and mindset to break free from the conventional corporate leadership model and create meaningful, lasting impact for your company, your team, and your career. Come away empowered and inspired to put these simple, practical leadership tools to use: share your honest opinion, give candid feedback, delegate effectively while maintaining high standards, and take back control of your schedule.

  1. 6d ago

    Why Smart People Are Passed Over For Promotion

    Send us Fan Mail Are you being passed over at work? Learn the specific career blind spot that keeps high performers from getting a promotion. Many smart people struggle with career advancement because their own intelligence masks a critical professional issue: executive presence. If you are doing everything right but still not getting promoted, earning the recognition you deserve, this breakdown helps identify the exact behavior holding you back -- and how your own intelligence makes you more likely to do it.  If you've ever been told "just keep doing what you're doing" or "you're not quite ready yet" — this is the explanation no one gave you. Link to episode: Stop Asking for Feedback Rusty Gaillard is an executive coach, helping mid-level corporate leaders create more career success while working less and enjoying it more. That's real freedom. Get more leadership tips to grow your skillset and mindset at rustygaillard.com, and follow Rusty on LinkedIn.

    9 min

  2. Jun 10

    How to Build Confidence

    Send us Fan Mail Most confidence advice is designed to help you look confident to other people. That's the wrong game. In this video, I break down why the three most common confidence tips — prepare more, fake it till you make it, and stack small wins — are either incomplete or actively working against you. Then I share what actually changed confidence for me, through two of the hardest seasons of my life. If you're a high-achiever who does everything right on paper but still feels like you're living a smaller life than you're capable of, this is the shift you've been missing. What you'll learn: → Why over-preparing is really about controlling the uncontrollable → Why "fake it till you make it" keeps you playing a small, external game → Why building confidence on wins creates a life you're afraid to risk → What real confidence actually is — and why it has nothing to do with your track record Rusty Gaillard is an executive coach, helping mid-level corporate leaders create more career success while working less and enjoying it more. That's real freedom. Get more leadership tips to grow your skillset and mindset at rustygaillard.com, and follow Rusty on LinkedIn.

    13 min

  3. May 18

    The Invisible Pattern: Why the Same Problem Keeps Happening

    Send us Fan Mail If you're feeling stuck in your career, the problem may be invisible to you, but everyone else sees it. Until you see it, working harder, executive presence skills, or personal development won't help you move forward. In this episode, I share the story of a client who had four bad bosses in a row and never figured out he was the common factor. From there, we look at the four ways people answer the question "why is this happening to me" — and why only one of those four answers actually gives you a path forward in your career. This is an episode about professional development at its deepest level: not the tactics of getting promoted, but the inner shifts that determine whether anything you do externally actually works. If you've hit a ceiling you can't explain, if you're working hard without being recognized, or if you've started to wonder whether the problem is your environment or something else — this one is for you. Rusty Gaillard is an executive coach, helping mid-level corporate leaders create more career success while working less and enjoying it more. That's real freedom. Get more leadership tips to grow your skillset and mindset at rustygaillard.com, and follow Rusty on LinkedIn.

    11 min

  4. May 6

    Executive Presence: Command Any Room Without Saying a Word

    Send us Fan Mail If you've ever wondered why some people command the room the moment they walk in — and others don't — it's not about what they're saying. Your executive presence speaks for itself, before you even open your mouth. Learn the behaviors that quietly undermine your authority in every meeting, every hallway conversation, every moment someone is watching — and learn what to do instead.  The answer isn't about doing more. It's about stopping the damaging behaviors. Rusty Gaillard is an executive coach, helping mid-level corporate leaders create more career success while working less and enjoying it more. That's real freedom. Get more leadership tips to grow your skillset and mindset at rustygaillard.com, and follow Rusty on LinkedIn.

    12 min

  5. Apr 23

    How to Get Promoted After Age 30

    Send us Fan Mail If you're working hard but still not getting career growth, nobody told you the rules changed.  After 30, getting promoted at work has nothing to do with doing more. It requires the professional development to become the leader your organization actually needs. In this episode, I break down why the habits that built your career — reliability, responsiveness, the "I'll handle it" attitude — quietly become the things that keep you stuck. This isn't a motivation problem or a skills gap. It's an identity gap. And until you see it, no amount of hard work will close it. I share the pattern I've seen across dozens of coaching clients (and my own experience as a Director at Apple): smart, driven people doing everything right — and hitting a ceiling they can't explain. I'll show you where the real shift happens and the three places it's hiding in your day-to-day work right now. If you've been passed over, plateaued, or just feel like your effort isn't translating, this one's for you. Listen Next to Season 2, Episode 2: Stop Asking For Feedback. Follow Rusty on YouTube.  Rusty Gaillard is an executive coach, helping mid-level corporate leaders create more career success while working less and enjoying it more. That's real freedom. Get more leadership tips to grow your skillset and mindset at rustygaillard.com, and follow Rusty on LinkedIn.

    12 min

  6. Apr 2

    Stop Asking For Feedback. Do This Instead.

    Send us Fan Mail Most professionals think feedback is essential to self improvement. But what if feedback limits your personal growth? This episode challenges one of the most common practices in professional development and gives you a 3-step framework that will transform how you think about self improvement, leadership development, and building confidence. If you're a business leader focused on career planning, executive presence, and personal development, this episode will change your approach to professional growth. Whether you're navigating a promotion, stepping into a bigger leadership role, or simply want to stop second-guessing yourself, this framework puts you in control. Next Up: Season 1 Episode 19: More Strategic Decisions in 3 Steps Or listen / subscribe on YouTube.  Rusty Gaillard is an executive coach, helping mid-level corporate leaders create more career success while working less and enjoying it more. That's real freedom. Get more leadership tips to grow your skillset and mindset at rustygaillard.com, and follow Rusty on LinkedIn.

    12 min

  7. Mar 25

    How to Prepare for Executive Meetings

    Send us Fan Mail Most leaders think executive presence in high-stakes meetings comes from being well prepared. But they prepare the wrong thing. In this episode, I share the 3-step formula I use with my coaching clients to help them walk into high-stakes meetings as a contributor, not just a survivor. You'll hear the question that completely changed how one of my clients prepared for a meeting with a demanding SVP — and why the best-prepared person in the room is often the least impressive. If you've ever over-prepared, second-guessed yourself, or held back your best ideas in front of senior leadership, this one's for you. What you'll get from this episode: - Why your current preparation might be working against you - The one question to ask yourself before every high-stakes meeting - The post-it note trick that keeps you from reverting to old habits under pressure - Why bombing a meeting might actually be the best thing for your career Listen next: How to Speak Like a Leader, Episode 34 from June 23, 2025. Or find it on YouTube. Rusty Gaillard is an executive coach, helping mid-level corporate leaders create more career success while working less and enjoying it more. That's real freedom. Get more leadership tips to grow your skillset and mindset at rustygaillard.com, and follow Rusty on LinkedIn.

    12 min

  8. 08/18/2025

    Stop Overthinking and Trust Your Gut: How Executives Make Good Decisions

    Send us Fan Mail Executive presence isn’t just about communication. It’s also about making good decisions. In this episode, we discuss how to use leadership intuition in decision making when the stakes are high. Featuring Samyr Qureshi, CEO and co-founder of Knack, this conversation dives into the internal compass behind career growth, how to trust your gut when data falls short, and what it really takes to lead with clarity, confidence, and conviction in today’s fast-moving world. Key Points: 🔑 Why Jeff Bezos trusts intuition over analysis in his biggest decisions 🔑 How to distinguish between fear and intuition 🔑 What happens when you ignore your gut, and how to recover 🔑 Pushing back on powerful voices with respect and clarity 🔑 Small, calculated risks vs. the all-in leap 🔑 Why storytelling and mindset are central to building trust in yourself 🔑 A simple but powerful lens for prioritizing what matters most in your career 🎯 Whether you're operating in a high-growth startup or navigating the politics of a large corporation, your ability to tap into intuition may be your greatest edge in leadership and personal development. Follow Samyr on LinkedIn  https://linkedin.com/in/samyrq Rusty Gaillard is an executive coach, helping mid-level corporate leaders create more career success while working less and enjoying it more. That's real freedom. Get more leadership tips to grow your skillset and mindset at rustygaillard.com, and follow Rusty on LinkedIn.

    24 min
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About

Do Something Different is a podcast for high-achievers who want to grow their impact. Each week, former Apple executive Rusty Gaillard helps you build the skillset and mindset to break free from the conventional corporate leadership model and create meaningful, lasting impact for your company, your team, and your career. Come away empowered and inspired to put these simple, practical leadership tools to use: share your honest opinion, give candid feedback, delegate effectively while maintaining high standards, and take back control of your schedule.

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