The Climb: Leadership Development and Confident Leader Podcast

Rahul Karan Sharma | Leadership Development
  • 5.0 (8)
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The CLIMB Leadership Development & Confident Leader Podcast helps emerging leaders and first-time managers build confidence, earn trust, and lead teams effectively. Hosted by Rahul Karan Sharma, a leadership advisor and organizational-development strategist, the podcast features story-led interviews with CEOs, coaches, and authors that offer practical lessons on communication, decision-making, and workplace culture. Learn from their mistakes and apply their insights to your team. Your title may open the door. Your leadership determines whether people follow.

  1. 6d ago

    Why AI Adoption Actually Fails

    Why does AI adoption fail even when companies invest in the latest technology? Businesses are spending money on AI tools, automation, and digital transformation. Yet many struggle with employee adoption, unclear strategies, and disappointing results. What if the biggest challenge isn't the technology, but how leaders implement it? In this episode of The CLIMB: Leadership Development & Confident Leader Podcast, Rahul Karan Sharma sits down with Mykel Salomon, Founder of Human Protocol Group, to explore why AI adoption fails and why keeping humans at the center of AI implementation is critical to business success. Drawing on his experience leading global customer support teams, Mykel explains why AI implementation is a business transformation challenge, not simply an IT project. Together, they discuss how leaders can improve AI adoption, empower employees, protect customer relationships, and use artificial intelligence to create meaningful business value. What You'll Discover Why AI adoption fails when leadership strategy is unclear How poor communication and insufficient training affect employee adoption Why AI implementation is a leadership and change management challenge How to preserve human judgment and empathy in AI-driven customer experiences Why upskilling and reskilling employees matter during AI transformation How AI can help businesses increase revenue, not just reduce costs Why successful AI implementation requires both technology and human involvement About Mykel Salomon Mykel is the Founder of Human Protocol Group, where he advises organizations on AI adoption, customer experience, and human-centered business transformation. 🌐 https://humanprotocolgroup.com About Rahul Karan Sharma Rahul is a Leadership Advisor to Staffing CEOs, organizational development strategist, keynote speaker, and author. Through The CLIMB, he explores leadership development, organizational transformation, and building confident leaders. 🌐 https://www.rahulkaransharma.com Join the Conversation What's the biggest obstacle to successful AI adoption: technology, leadership, or employee readiness? Share your perspective in the comments. 🔔 Subscribe to The CLIMB for conversations on leadership, business transformation, and the future of work. #AIAdoption #AILeadership #BusinessTransformation #ChangeManagement #LeadershipDevelopment

  2. Oct 20

    When High-Performing Leaders Become Toxic

    Can a leader deliver exceptional results and still be toxic to their team?Some leaders consistently hit targets, exceed expectations, and earn promotions. But behind those results, employees may experience burnout, declining trust, and emotional exhaustion.What happens when organizations reward performance but overlook leadership behavior?In this episode of The CLIMB: Leadership Development and Confident Leader Podcast, Rahul Karan Sharma sits down with Diana Lowe, Founder and CEO of Blue Light Leadership, to explore the hidden emotional cost of high performance.Drawing on her experience with toxic workplaces and her expertise in emotional intelligence and positive psychology, Diana challenges leaders to ask one important question:"What is it like to be led by me?"What You'll Discover:Why high-performing leaders can create toxic work environmentsThe hidden cost of employee burnout, stress, and turnoverWhy emotional intelligence matters beyond hitting KPIsHow inconsistent leadership behavior damages psychological safetyThree questions leaders can ask to build trust and receive honest feedbackWhen organizations should intervene with a high-performing but damaging leaderWhy emotional intelligence remains essential in the age of AIAbout Diana LoweDiana is the Founder and CEO of Blue Light Leadership, an ICF-certified coach, speaker, and author of Hard to Handle. She helps leaders strengthen emotional intelligence and create healthier workplaces.Connect with Diana- https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianaelowe/The First Three Chapters of Hard to Handle – ⁠https://hardtohandlebook.com/first3free/About Rahul Karan SharmaRahul Karan Sharma is a Leadership Advisor to Staffing CEOs, Organizational Development Strategist, author, and host of The CLIMB and The Staffing Truth podcasts.Through leadership conversations and practical insights, Rahul explores how leaders build stronger teams, develop leadership capacity, and create organizations that can grow beyond individual dependency.Explore more: https://rahulkaransharma.comSubscribe for conversations on leadership development, staffing industry growth, and organizational transformation. #ToxicLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #EmotionalIntelligence #EmployeeBurnout #TheCLIMB

  3. Oct 13

    The Expertise Trap: Why Talent Alone Isn't Enough

    Being great at what you do doesn't guarantee you'll be recognized for it. Some of the most talented professionals remain unnoticed, while others turn their expertise into influence, recognition, and career opportunities. What makes the difference? In this episode of The CLIMB: Leadership Development & Confident Leader Podcast, Rahul Karan Sharma sits down with Antoniette Roze, business and speaking strategist at WPC Speakers Global, to explore why expertise alone isn't enough and how professionals can communicate their value, build credibility, and create meaningful opportunities. Drawing on decades of experience in the professional speaking industry, Antoniette shares why even highly accomplished experts struggle to get noticed, while others build successful careers through clear positioning, strong relationships, and consistent action. What You'll Discover Why talent and expertise don't automatically translate into recognition How communicating your ideas can strengthen your professional influence Why clarity and positioning matter more than impressive credentials How speaking can accelerate career growth and open new opportunities Why relationships and trust matter more than simply promoting yourself What separates successful professional speakers from those waiting to be discovered How organizations can make better decisions when hiring speakers and trainers One powerful takeaway: If people don't understand or remember the value you bring, they are unlikely to recommend you no matter how talented you are. Rahul also reflects on his own journey from corporate leadership to professional speaking, and why sharing what you know can multiply your impact. Your expertise has value. The question is whether the right people can see it. About Our GuestAntoniette Roze is a business and speaking strategist at WPC Speakers Global, helping accomplished professionals transform their expertise into compelling messages and speaking opportunities. 🎙️ Speak Pact Podcast: https://speakpact.com Connect on Linkedin- www.linkedin.com/in/1AntonietteSpeaker Revenue Lab - https://speakerrevenuelab.com/About Your HostRahul Karan Sharma is a Leadership Advisor to Staffing CEOs, organizational development strategist, keynote speaker, author, and host of The CLIMB. Through Steady Steps, he helps leaders and organizations strengthen leadership capacity and build sustainable growth. 🌐 https://www.rahulkaransharma.com What's harder in your experience — building expertise or getting recognized for it? Share your thoughts below. #LeadershipDevelopment #CareerGrowth #ProfessionalSpeaking #LeadershipInfluence #TheCLIMB

  4. Oct 7

    Why People Don’t Listen to You (And How to Change It)

    You explained it clearly. So why aren't people listening or taking action? For leaders, communicating the message is often the easy part. Getting people to trust it, buy into it, and act on it is much harder—especially when you don't have the authority to simply tell them what to do. In this episode of The CLIMB: Leadership Development & Confident Leader Podcast, Rahul Karan Sharma sits down with entrepreneur, author, and human behavior expert Joe Rocky Jr. to explore how to influence people without authority, communicate with different personalities, build trust, and turn a message into action. And Joe challenges a piece of advice almost every leader has heard: “Treat others the way you want to be treated.” What if that's part of the problem? Leaders can unknowingly communicate based on how they think, what motivates them, and what worked for them. But the person on the other side may think, respond, and make decisions very differently. Rahul and Joe explore: How to influence people without title or authorityWhy people don't listen—even when your message makes senseWhy the Golden Rule can become a leadership blind spotHow curiosity and better questions create influenceWhy assumptions can weaken communication and trustHow to communicate with different personalitiesWhy listening can be more powerful than speakingHow ownership creates stronger buy-in during changeHow genuine relationships can strengthen teams and performanceOne idea captures the conversation: Authority may get you compliance. Influence earns commitment. Because leadership isn't simply about making people hear your message. It's to understand people well enough that the message matters to them. So the next time your team isn't responding the way you expected, instead of asking: “Why aren't they listening?” Try asking: “Do I understand them well enough for my message to land?” About Joe Rocky Jr. Joe Rocky Jr. is an entrepreneur, author, sales and human behavior expert, and owner of Elite Business Cruises. He has built 29 businesses and focuses his work on understanding what motivates people and strengthening relationships with employees and customers. Connect with Joe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joerockey/About Rahul Karan SharmaRahul Karan Sharma is a Leadership Advisor to Staffing CEOs, organizational development strategist, keynote speaker, author, and host of The CLIMB. His work focuses on strengthening leadership capacity, accountability, and the organizational systems companies need to grow. Connect with Rahul: https://linkedin.com/in/rahulkaransharma #LeadershipDevelopment #InfluenceWithoutAuthority #LeadershipCommunication #ConfidentLeadership #TheCLIMB

  5. Sep 29

    Your Turnover Problem May Actually Be a Leadership Problem

    What if employee turnover isn't the real problem—but a symptom of something deeper inside the organization? When people keep leaving, the typical response is to recruit faster. But hiring more people into the same environment others have already rejected doesn't solve the problem. It simply continues the cycle. In this episode of The CLIMB: Leadership Development & Confident Leader Podcast, Rahul Karan Sharma sits down with Clark Ingram, Founder and President of People Profits and author of CHURN, to challenge some conventional thinking around employee turnover, retention, and leadership. Clark brings an unusual perspective. He began his career in finance before his CEO asked him to take over HR during a serious workforce-retention problem. That experience changed how he thought about people, performance, and the systems behind both. In this conversation: Why you can't recruit your way out of a turnover problemWhy turnover needs an organization-specific diagnosisThe hidden business cost of an unstable workforceWhy people and profits aren't competing prioritiesWhat Clark calls the “VP disease”Why industry-average turnover can create false comfortHow HR leaders can speak the language of the businessWhy listening to employees matters only when leaders actOne of the most important ideas from our conversation: People don't always leave because of one bad manager. Sometimes they leave because the system around them no longer works. And when leaders stop chasing symptoms and start fixing the system, retention can become an outcome—not another initiative. About Clark Ingram:Founder and President of People Profits, executive consultant, keynote speaker, and author of CHURN: Proven Strategies to Overcome Failing Conventional Talent Management and Achieve Zero Turnover.Connect with Clark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clark-ingram-mba-shrm-scp-cebs-cpcu-06385111/ About Rahul Karan Sharma:Leadership Advisor to Staffing CEOs, organizational development strategist, author, and host of The CLIMB and the Staffing Truth. Connect with Rahul: https://linkedin.com/in/rahulkaransharma 🎙️ What would you fix inside your organization before hiring the next person? #LeadershipDevelopment #EmployeeRetention #TheCLIMB

  6. Sep 22

    How Confident Leaders Learn to See What Others Miss

    What if leadership confidence isn't something you either have or don't have but something you can intentionally build? And what if one of the biggest differences between confident leaders and everyone else is their ability to see patterns others miss? In this episode of The CLIMB: Leadership Development and Confident Leader Podcast, leadership advisor Rahul Karan Sharma sits down with leadership educator, organizational consultant and Sheppard Partners founder Charlie Sheppard to explore where real confidence comes from—and why it goes much deeper than appearing certain. Charlie makes an important distinction: genuine confidence isn't false bravado. It develops as leaders expand their capabilities, understand their patterns and become more intentional about how they respond. One of the most interesting ideas in the conversation is the connection between confidence and systems thinking. Rahul and Charlie also explore why leadership is a choice, how presence affects leadership, why ownership matters more than blame, and what organizations can learn by studying low performers instead of only trying to replicate high performers. In this episode: Why confidence can be intentionally developedThe difference between genuine confidence and projected confidenceWhy competence often comes before confidenceHow systems thinking helps leaders navigate complexityWhy seeing patterns can increase leadership confidenceWhat organizations can learn from studying low performers?Why presence gives leaders greater choice in how they respondInternal vs. external locus of controlHow our stories and unconscious patterns can either serve or sabotage usWhy taking ownership changes the way we lead Episode Highlights: 00:00 What If Confidence Begins With a Choice?01:55 Can Confidence Actually Be Developed?03:55 Charlie's Journey Into Leadership Development06:41 Why Charlie Started Studying Low Performers09:28 Leadership Is a Choice12:33 Why Presence Matters in Leadership15:15 Creating the Human Presence Institute19:46 Are Our Stories Sabotaging Our Confidence?23:22 Why Leaders Need to Take Ownership27:38 Internal vs. External Locus of Control28:24 What Makes Someone Genuinely Confident?28:41 The Connection Between Confidence and Systems Thinking30:55 Seeing What Others Miss31:25 How Sheppard Partners Develops Leaders34:08 Rapid-Fire Leadership Round35:40 Rahul's Biggest TakeawaysAbout Charlie Sheppard Charlie Sheppard is the founder of Sheppard Partners and an experienced leadership educator and organizational-development practitioner. His work includes behavioral modeling, leadership development, organizational culture, influence and performance. He is also the author of Save Your Drama for Your Mama: Drama or Leadership Is a Choice. Connect with Charlie: 🌐 Website: https://www.sheppardpartners.com/ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charliesheppard/ About Rahul Karan Sharma Rahul Karan Sharma is a Leadership Advisor to Staffing CEOs, organizational development strategist, author and host of The CLIMB: Leadership Development & Confident Leader Podcast. His work focuses on helping organizations develop confident leaders who can influence, take ownership and create sustainable performance. Connect with Rahul: 🌐 Website: https://rahulkaransharma.com 💼 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/rahulkaransharma Question for you:What has built more confidence in your career—learning something new or successfully navigating something difficult?#LeadershipDevelopment #ConfidentLeadership #SystemsThinking #TheCLIMB #rahulkaransharma

  7. Sep 15

    Your Best Leadership Hire May Not Have the Best Résumé

    A great résumé can tell you where someone has been. It can't tell you whether they can lead your company where it's going. So why do so many founders still make one of their most important leadership decisions based primarily on experience, interviews and gut instinct? In this episode of The CLIMB: Leadership Development & Confident Leader Podcast, leadership strategist Rahul Karan Sharma sits down with Alec Broadfoot, Founder & CEO of VisionSpark and author of Hiring Your Right #2 Leader, to explore why hiring the wrong leader can quietly become one of the biggest constraints on growth. Alec learned this lesson through experience. In an earlier business, he was firing 7 out of every 10 people he hired. Introducing structured assessments helped completely change his approach to hiring—and eventually contributed to the creation of VisionSpark. But this conversation goes beyond recruiting. Rahul and Alec explore a question every growing founder eventually faces: Can you build an organization that performs without you being involved in everything? In this episode, you'll learn: Why experience and a strong résumé aren't enough when hiring leadersWhat founders should evaluate beyond qualifications?Why mental acuity, adaptability, and people skills matterHow hiring the wrong leader creates invisible organizational costsWhy founders struggle to delegate and how trust affects delegationHow to determine whether a leader can support 3X or 5X growthWhy your best salesperson may not be your best managerWhat to look for in a strong #2, COO or IntegratorWhy being indispensable may actually limit your organization's growthAbout our Guest: Alec Broadfoot is Founder & CEO of VisionSpark, an executive search firm focused on helping entrepreneurial and growth-oriented companies hire critical leaders. He is also the author of Hiring Your Right #2 Leader. Connect on LinkedIn with Alec: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alecbroadfoot/About our Host Rahul Karan Sharma is a leadership strategist, organizational development practitioner, author, and host of The CLIMB. Through Steady Steps and the CLIMB Framework™, his work focuses on developing confident leaders and helping organizations strengthen leadership capability and performance. Connect on LinkedIn with Rahul: https://linkedin.com/in/rahulkaransharma Key Highlights from the episode: 00:00 The Leadership Mistake That Can Change Everything01:48 Alec Broadfoot's Entrepreneurial Journey03:25 The Hiring Failure That Changed Alec's Career04:40 When the Assessment Said “Don't Hire Her”07:23 The Invisible Cost of a Bad Hire09:13 Why Founders Struggle to Delegate10:31 Will Your Leaders Handle 3X–5X Growth?11:00 Why a Résumé Isn't Enough12:28 Are You Hiring Through the Halo Effect?13:48 What If the Right Person Is in the Wrong Seat?17:23 Authority vs. Influence18:53 Why Founders Need the Right #222:06 The Hidden Cost of Doing Everything Yourself26:01 What Founders Should Stop Doing29:07 Rapid-Fire Leadership Round30:08 Rahul's Biggest Leadership Takeaways Question for you: If you disappeared from your business for two weeks, would your leadership team keep moving or would decisions start waiting for you? #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveHiring #FounderLeadership #TheCLIMB

  8. Sep 8

    How Confident Leaders Turn Failure Into Feedback

    A leadership setback doesn't have to destroy your confidence. What if failure isn't evidence that you're failing—but feedback showing you what to do differently? In this episode of The CLIMB: Leadership Development & Confident Leader Podcast, leadership advisor Rahul Karan Sharma sits down with entrepreneur, leadership teacher and A Mindful CEO host Aaron Hendon to explore how leaders recover from failure, rebuild confidence and use mindfulness to respond rather than react. Aaron offers a powerful reframe: Failure is feedback. An action may fail to produce the result you wanted. But that doesn't make you a failure. It gives you information—and the opportunity to choose a different action. Rahul and Aaron take that idea into the realities leaders face every day: a presentation that goes badly, a business decision that doesn't work, a first-time manager trying to prove themselves, or a mistake made in front of the team. And sometimes, trying to hide the mistake creates more damage than the mistake itself. In this episode, you'll discover: Why failure should be treated as feedbackHow leaders can rebuild confidence after a setbackWhy adaptability matters more than getting everything rightHow mindfulness can become a leadership performance toolWhy leaders should own mistakes instead of hiding themHow self-kindness can strengthen leadershipWhy meditation isn't about “emptying your mind”What first-time managers can learn before trying to reinvent the wheelHow to stay centered when things don't go according to planEpisode Highlights 00:00 – Why Leaders Need to Talk About Failure02:17 – Aaron's Biggest Business Failure03:40 – Stop Reinventing the Wheel Too Early06:50 – Why Failure Doesn't Mean You're Incapable07:12 – Failure Is Feedback09:25 – Mindfulness as a Leadership Performance Tool12:00 – How to Rebuild Confidence After Failure14:49 – What Successful Leaders Understand About Mindfulness16:40 – How to Start Practicing Mindfulness18:49 – Why Owning Mistakes Builds Credibility20:11 – You Can't Give What You Don't Have21:23 – Aaron's Work & Upcoming Book22:59 – Inside A Mindful CEO Podcast24:04 – Rapid-Fire Leadership Round24:38 – Rahul's Biggest Leadership Takeaways About Guest Aaron Hendon Aaron Hendon is an entrepreneur, leadership teacher, speaker and host of A Mindful CEO Podcast. His work explores the intersection between mindfulness, leadership performance, business results, and living intentionally. Connect with Aaron:🌐 Website: https://www.thegratefulbreath.com/ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronhendon/ About our Host Rahul Karan Sharma is a leadership advisor, organizational development strategist, keynote speaker, author, and host of The CLIMB: Leadership Development & Confident Leader Podcast. Rahul's work focuses on developing confident leaders, strengthening leadership pipelines, and helping organizations build leaders who can create influence, accountability, and sustainable performance. Connect with Rahul: 🌐 Website: https://rahulkaransharma.com 💼 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/rahulkaransharma 🎙️ What's one failure that ultimately taught you something success couldn't? Share your perspective in the comments. Keep learning. Keep evolving. Keep climbing. #LeadershipDevelopment #ConfidentLeadership #LeadershipMindset #Mindfulness #TheCLIMB

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The CLIMB Leadership Development & Confident Leader Podcast helps emerging leaders and first-time managers build confidence, earn trust, and lead teams effectively. Hosted by Rahul Karan Sharma, a leadership advisor and organizational-development strategist, the podcast features story-led interviews with CEOs, coaches, and authors that offer practical lessons on communication, decision-making, and workplace culture. Learn from their mistakes and apply their insights to your team. Your title may open the door. Your leadership determines whether people follow.

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