LeaderSHOP

Dr. Rodger Dean Duncan
  • 5.0 (27)
  • EDUCATION
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

LeaderSHOP is where top leaders share real-world insights on trust, leadership, and impact. Hosted by Dr. Rodger Dean Duncan, each episode delivers practical strategies to help you lead with authenticity, inspire teams, and navigate today’s challenges. podcast.leadershop.net

  1. 3D AGO

    Ep 60: Paige Velasquez Budde – key strategies to build influence without big marketing dollars

    Challenging the typical approach to influence, Paige emphasizes authenticity, consistency, and targeted visibility over flashy tactics. She’s a digital strategist, CEO of a marketing firm, and author of The Strategic Business Influencer: Building a Brand with a Small Budget. If you’re a leader looking to grow your personal or company brand but you’re working with limited resources, this episode is packed with practical advice. Paige outlines a strategic framework for creating an influential brand that doesn’t rely on viral fame or large-scale marketing. Instead, she focuses on credibility, aligning your leadership with your values, and using your visibility to make an impact. Feeling overwhelmed by the idea of building influence or think it’s reserved for the famous or the rich? Paige’s insights will change your approach. * Influence ID Framework Paige’s Influence ID is a five-step process that helps leaders clarify their personal brand, define their value, and stay consistent in their messaging. It acts like a “passport” for your leadership brand, ensuring that all your content and visibility align with your values and goals. * Visual Impressions Matter First impressions now happen online in just milliseconds. Leaders must ensure their online presence is visually compelling and reflects their professional identity. * Future-Proofing Influence To secure long-term influence, leaders must own their audience data, control their digital first impressions, and stay consistent in their content delivery, even as platforms and trends evolve. * Build Your Influence ID Take a moment to articulate who you are, where you’ve been, and where you’re going with your leadership brand. Consider using Paige’s Influence ID framework to develop clarity and direction in your personal branding. * Invest in Your First Impressions If you don’t already, take time to review your website and social media profiles. Are they visually engaging and reflective of your leadership? Make small adjustments to ensure they leave a strong, positive first impression. * Repurpose Content Take one piece of content you’ve already created (a blog post, article, podcast, etc.) and upcycle it into several formats—social media posts, newsletters, or videos. Maximize its reach and effectiveness. Get full access to LeaderSHOP at podcast.leadershop.net/subscribe

    49 min

  2. FEB 24

    Ep 59: Heather Linchenko – when “I meant well” can make things worse

    Most people don’t set out to damage their relationships—but they often do it with the very words they believe are harmless or even helpful. In this eye-opening episode, Heather Linchenko, author of “I Meant Well,” and Other Words That Kill Relationships reveals how “good intentions” can quietly erode trust, safety, and emotional connection. She explains why phrases rooted in defensiveness, past mistakes, and negative energy can slowly suffocate relationships of all kinds—marriages, families, friendships, teams, and workplace cultures. Rather than offering communication theory, Heather provides a practical roadmap for building encouragement-based relationships where words become tools of growth instead of weapons of discouragement. From “forward-facing words,” to the surprising power of treating everyone like a volunteer, to the art of doing relational “retakes,” Heather shares actionable insights that leaders, parents, and partners can implement immediately. Her stories—including breakthroughs with her own children and dramatic turnarounds within troubled workplaces—show how simple shifts in mindset and language can turn discouragement into trust and resistance into willing contribution. * Good intentions don’t repair harm—only behavioral change does. “I meant well” is often an excuse that shifts responsibility away from the speaker and places blame on the listener’s perception. * Leaders gain influence by treating people like volunteers, not subordinates. When people feel valued, safe, and free from subtle power cues, they willingly contribute more than coercion or authority could ever extract. * Two simple questions can transform any relationship. Asking “How valued do you feel by me?” and “How safe do you feel to tell me anything?” reveals blind spots and provides the clearest path to relational improvement. * Volunteer Mindset Reset: For 24 hours, treat every person—child, spouse, coworker, or employee—as if they are an unpaid volunteer freely giving you their time. Notice how your tone and assumptions shift. * Retake Practice: When you catch yourself saying something discouraging or reactive, pause and say, “Oops, let me try that again.” Then restate using positive, forward-facing words. * Go-Solo Commitment: For one week, stop teaching, correcting, or fixing others. Instead, model the behavior you wish others would emulate—especially during conflict or stress. Get full access to LeaderSHOP at podcast.leadershop.net/subscribe

    45 min

  3. FEB 17

    Ep 58: Rajeev Kapur – from fear to fluency: how smart leaders partner with AI

    Artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept—it’s a daily leadership tool. Rajeev Kapur, author of AI Made Simple and Prompting Made Simple, cuts through the hype, fear, and confusion surrounding AI. With decades of global executive experience and deep expertise in generative intelligence, Rajeev reframes AI not as a threat to human thinking, but as a powerful partner that can elevate it. Rajeev explores how leaders can use AI to sharpen decision-making, enhance creativity, reduce burnout, and build more adaptable organizations. From practical prompting strategies to big-picture insights about leadership in an AI-enabled future, this conversation offers a grounded, hopeful, and highly actionable roadmap for anyone who wants to stay relevant—and human—in a rapidly changing world. * AI Should Augment Thinking, Not Replace It The real danger isn’t AI—it’s outsourcing our critical thinking to it. Used well, AI strengthens judgment rather than dulling it. * AI Can Dramatically Reduce Burnout Automating low-value tasks can reclaim 5–10 hours a week—time leaders can reinvest in strategy, creativity, and life outside work. * The Future Belongs to Curious, Emotionally Intelligent Leaders No one fully knows where AI is headed. Leaders who lead with curiosity, clarity, empathy, and learning agility will thrive. * Automate One Low-Value Task This Week Identify a manual task you dislike and use AI to help automate or streamline it. * Simulate a Leadership DecisionUse AI to explore multiple options for a real decision you’re facing—then compare its thinking to your own. * Explore a Creative “What If?” Ask AI to help you imagine a new angle, product, or idea you haven’t seriously considered before. Get full access to LeaderSHOP at podcast.leadershop.net/subscribe

    35 min

  4. FEB 10

    Ep 57: Tim Schurrer – why the most successful leaders rarely seek recognition

    Our culture relentlessly tells us that success looks like visibility, recognition, and applause. But what if that story is not only incomplete—what if it’s quietly exhausting us? Tim Schurrer challenges the spotlight-driven definition of achievement that leaves so many leaders burned out and unfulfilled. Drawing from his personal journey, leadership experience, and the often-overlooked stories of people who make meaningful impact behind the scenes, Tim invites us to rethink what success really means. Through powerful examples—from the “third astronaut” of Apollo 11 to modern leaders who model humble confidence—this conversation explores how fulfillment grows when we shift our focus from being noticed to being useful, from personal recognition to collective contribution. * Chasing the Spotlight Often Leads to Burnout, Not Fulfillment The relentless pursuit of recognition and validation can leave leaders depleted, disconnected, and dissatisfied—even when they appear “successful.” * Humble Confidence Is the Mark of Exceptional Leadership The strongest leaders don’t deny their abilities, but they also don’t need the spotlight. They know who they are—and they point attention toward the team. * Fulfillment Grows When Identity Is Rooted in Service, Not Achievement Achievement isn’t the enemy—but when identity is tied solely to outcomes, leaders become fragile. Anchoring identity in contribution creates resilience and peace. * Redefine Success for Your Current Season Complete the sentence honestly: “Success for me right now looks like…” Then evaluate whether your daily choices align with that definition. * Practice Specific Recognition This Week Thank at least three people and clearly name what they did and why it mattered. Don’t generalize—be precise. * Shift from Comparison to Self-Assessment At the end of each day, reflect on three questions: What did I do well? What did I learn? How can I act on what I learned? Get full access to LeaderSHOP at podcast.leadershop.net/subscribe

    49 min

  5. FEB 4

    Ep 56: Colin Fisher – from solo brilliance to collective intelligence

    Dr. Colin Fisher challenges the individual-centric mindset that dominates most leadership thinking and invites us to explore the untapped potential of groups. His research reveals that the real edge in performance comes not from solo brilliance but from the structures, norms, and shared purpose that allow teams to think and act collectively. Fisher also dismantles one of the most persistent myths in group decision-making: that advocacy—especially from leaders—is the key to better outcomes. Instead, he shows how advocacy often undermines collaboration and leads to dysfunctional dynamics. If you’ve ever wondered why smart teams still make poor decisions, this conversation offers a compelling answer—and a roadmap for building groups that truly outperform. * The “collective edge” is what groups can achieve together that individuals cannot—but it requires intentional design and leadership. * Group effectiveness is often overlooked in favor of managing individual performance, which limits organizational potential. * Effective group decisions emerge when teams treat problems as shared challenges, not as battles of persuasion. * Resist the urge to advocate early: Instead, invite diverse perspectives and let the group explore before settling on positions. * Model curiosity over persuasion: Ask questions that surface hidden information rather than pushing your own agenda. * Design group rituals that reinforce shared purpose: Start meetings with a reminder of the collective goal. Get full access to LeaderSHOP at podcast.leadershop.net/subscribe

    45 min

  6. JAN 29

    Ep 55: Bob Chapman – from managing numbers to caring for people: a leader’s awakening

    What if leadership was never meant to be about managing people—but about stewarding lives? In this powerful episode of the LeaderSHOP Podcast we visit with Bob Chapman, CEO of Barry-Wehmiller and co-author of Everybody Matters, to explore a radically human-centered approach to leadership. Bob shares the personal revelation that transformed how he viewed his role as a CEO—from overseeing functions and numbers to caring for thousands of human beings entrusted to his leadership. Under Bob’s guidance, Barry-Wehmiller grew from a $20 million manufacturing firm into a global $3.6 billion enterprise spanning more than 30 countries—without routine layoffs and with an unwavering commitment to dignity, trust, and listening. This conversation goes far beyond theory, revealing how truly human leadership not only fuels extraordinary business results, but also profoundly shapes employees’ marriages, families, health, and communities. * Leadership Is Stewardship, Not Management Chapman draws a sharp contrast between management—manipulating people for results—and leadership, which he defines as the stewardship of the lives you have the privilege of leading. * People Are Not Functions—They Are Someone’s Precious Child A single moment at a wedding led Chapman to realize that every employee represents a life profoundly shaped by how they are treated at work. * Caring Is Contagious When people feel valued and safe, they naturally care for others—creating accountability rooted in mutual responsibility rather than fear. * Practice Judgment-Free Listening Have one conversation where your sole goal is to listen—no interrupting, correcting, or advising. Simply validate the person’s experience. * Celebrate What’s Right, Not Just What’s Broken Identify and recognize specific behaviors that demonstrate care, service, or teamwork. Make recognition personal and meaningful. * Build a TGIM Mindset Ask: What would need to change for people on my team to say, “Thank goodness it’s Monday”? Get full access to LeaderSHOP at podcast.leadershop.net/subscribe

    45 min

  7. JAN 27

    Ep 54: John Amaechi – why ordinary skills create extraordinary leaders

    Great leadership often gets wrapped in mystery—charisma, confidence, or some elusive “it factor.” organizational psychologist and former NBA player John Amaechi dismantles that myth. Drawing on research, lived experience, and hard-earned insight, John argues that exceptional leadership isn’t magical at all. It’s built from ordinary, learnable skills—practiced deliberately and applied consistently. From the outsized influence managers have on employee well-being, to the power of presence, listening, and emotional self-regulation, this conversation is a masterclass in what leadership really looks like in practice. John challenges leaders to move past comfort, confront their blind spots, and recognize that the smallest behaviors—how you listen, how you respond, how you show up—can profoundly shape performance, trust, and culture. * Leadership Is Learned, Not Innate Exceptional leaders aren’t born—they’re built through ordinary skills practiced with intention and discipline. * Managers Shape Lives More Than They Realize Research shows managers account for the majority of an employee’s work experience—and even impact mental health more than doctors or therapists. * Comfort Is the Enemy of Performance Leaders frequently choose personal comfort over organizational effectiveness, avoiding hard conversations that fuel growth. * Audit Your Presence In your next five conversations, eliminate distractions. Close the laptop. Turn your body. Make presence unmistakable. * Choose Discomfort Once This Week Have the feedback conversation you’ve been avoiding—and notice how it strengthens clarity and trust. * Practice “Help Me Understand” Use this phrase sincerely in a disagreement and observe how it changes the tone and quality of the discussion. Get full access to LeaderSHOP at podcast.leadershop.net/subscribe

    50 min

  8. JAN 22

    Ep 53: Natalie Nixon – why slowing down may be the fastest way to lead better

    In a culture that equates busyness with value, productivity with exhaustion, and rest with reward, Dr. Natalie Nixon offers a radically human alternative. A creativity strategist and trusted advisor to C-suite leaders, Natalie challenges the outdated, industrial-era assumptions that still govern how we work, measure success, and relate to time. Her work invites leaders to reimagine productivity not as relentless output, but as a dynamic rhythm of movement, thought, and rest. In this episode, we explore why invisible work—daydreaming, reflection, listening, and stillness—is not wasted time but essential fuel for creativity, insight, and sustainable performance. Drawing on neuroscience, organizational design, and real-world leadership examples, Natalie makes a compelling case that the future of high performance is not faster—but wiser, more spacious, and deeply human. * Traditional Productivity Models Are Outdated Most modern work systems still reflect first–industrial-revolution thinking—optimized for machines, not human cognition or creativity. * Invisible Work Is Essential Work Observation, reflection, mind-wandering, and deep listening may be hard to measure, but they are the foundation of insight and innovation. * Busyness Is Often Productivity Theater Full calendars and long hours can mask diminishing returns, burnout, and a lack of meaningful impact. * Design a 90-Second Daydream Break Step away from screens, look out a window, and let your mind wander—no phone, no podcast, no agenda. * Reframe One Meeting This Week Begin with “question storming” instead of problem-solving. Generate questions before jumping to answers. * Rest Without Apology Take a walk, a nap, or a quiet pause without explaining or justifying it to anyone. Get full access to LeaderSHOP at podcast.leadershop.net/subscribe

    49 min
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5
out of 5
27 Ratings

About

LeaderSHOP is where top leaders share real-world insights on trust, leadership, and impact. Hosted by Dr. Rodger Dean Duncan, each episode delivers practical strategies to help you lead with authenticity, inspire teams, and navigate today’s challenges. podcast.leadershop.net

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. Rodger Dean Duncan
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    60
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Rodger Dean Duncan
  • Show Website
    LeaderSHOP