The Fault Line

Gary Lancina & Kim Scribner

In every business, there’s a point where strategy meets stress: where plans are tested, and decisions define the outcome. The Fault Line, hosted by Gary Lancina and Kim Scribner, uncovers those moments through conversations with experts and industry leaders. From pricing strategy to go-to-market transformation, leadership, and growth, each episode explores the unseen pressures and pivotal shifts that shape the business landscape.

  1. 4d ago

    AI: Strategy or Tool Dumping

    What happens when AI shows up in your organization with no plan behind it? In this episode of The Fault Line, Gary Lancina and Kim Scribner dig into what goes wrong when leaders hand their teams AI tools and say “good luck,” and what the better path looks like. They start with how AI usually arrives: quietly, through individual experimentation, long before anyone writes a formal strategy. From there, they cover why you need to know what you’re trying to achieve before you pick up the tool, the difference between efficiency and effectiveness, and the risk of building on AI shortcuts when you don’t understand the work underneath. Along the way, they share stories from their own careers, including a system launch that took down every customer service screen, a chat experiment that outperformed the automation, and how Kim built her own AI inbox assistant. In this episode: Why AI adoption is about changing how people think about work, not just implementing a toolThe “addiction to the solution” and why teams need to keep the knowledge to work without the toolWhy AI tools need a product owner to maintain them as things changeHow leaders can find the sweet spot between over-controlling AI use and “all AI all the time”Why framing and prompting are new skills, and why AI’s tendency to flatter you is a problemHow AI-generated content is creating more noise, and why authenticity and human connection may become a competitive edgeWhere humans still matter most: emotional connection, customer experience, and knowing when to hand off from the botPractical guidelines for leaders, plus a reminder to expect the tools to keep shiftingFollow The Fault Line on YouTube, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

  2. Oct 20

    When Change Isn’t Your Choice

    Sometimes the change lands on your desk, and you didn’t ask for it. A new strategy from above. A layoff decision. A shift in hours. A competitor’s surprise move. You’re still expected to lead your team through it. In this episode of The Fault Line, hosts Gary Lancina and Kim Scribner dig into what it takes to lead through change you didn’t choose, especially when you’re not sure it’s the right call. They cover the different flavors of imposed change, from the ones you’re excited about to the ones you don’t believe in. They share stories from their own careers, including pushing back on an initiative, delivering hard news, and pivoting when events outside anyone’s control change the plan. In this episode: Why limited visibility, like seeing the world through a knothole, can lead to the wrong conclusions about a changeHow to lead with curiosity and ask “why” even when you’re several levels downWhy you need to deal with your own emotions before you communicate a change to your teamHow being transparent about what you know and don’t know builds trustWhy the way your culture handles the question “why” says a lot about itWhy change is a skill you can build, and how to practice itHow to understand your own agency: pick your battles, advocate for what you believe, and make your choiceCollaboration doesn’t mean consensus, but you always have a choice in how you respond. Follow The Fault Line wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube, and tell us what topics you’d like us to tackle next.

  3. Oct 13

    Stop Starting, Start Finishing

    It’s easy to decide what to do next. It’s much harder to decide what to stop. In this episode of The Fault Line, Kim Scribner and Gary Lancina dig into why we pile more onto our plates, and why “busy” has become a badge of honor. They cover the habits and false urgency that keep us doing work that no longer matters, the burnout risk for high performers who keep getting handed more, and the emotional pull of staying “fully loaded.” Along the way, they share stories of the weekly report nobody read, the zombie project that kept coming back, and the moment a product’s returns start to flatten. They also talk about practical ways to create space: pausing instead of quitting, reducing frequency, separating glass balls from rubber balls, and asking “what’s changed since we last said yes?” Whether you’re leading a team or trying to protect your own focus, this conversation will make you rethink what’s worth your time.

  4. Sep 29

    Moving Data to Action

    How much data is actually enough to make a call? In this episode of The Fault Line, Kim Scribner and Gary Lancina break down the difference between KPIs, leading indicators, and the metrics that actually drive action — plus why cluttered dashboards often signal busyness, not clarity. The real focus: sufficiency. Gary shares stories from CPG and hypergrowth startups where "we need more data" turned out to be fear or ego in disguise — including a price decision that took two years to approve, despite data everyone already had. They also dig into AI's growing role in decision-making and how to build a culture where people are trusted to act before the picture is perfectly complete.

  5. Sep 22

    TFL SHORTS: Consultant Client Relationships

    What happens when a consultant does too good a job? In this Fault Line Short, Kim Scribner sits down with Aniela Larson to unpack the tricky dynamic between consultants and the sponsors who hire them — and why doing less might actually be the more valuable service. Drawing on the neuroscience of change, Aniela explains why friction is essential to real behavior change, and how "expert mode" can quietly rob clients of the ownership they need to sustain results. Kim and Aniela dig into the IKEA effect (why we value what we build with our own hands more than what's handed to us), the "watch one, do one, teach one" model borrowed from medical training, and the subtle language cues — like "you" instead of "we" — that signal an engagement is headed for trouble. Whether you're a consultant navigating scope creep, a leader trying to get the most out of an outside partner, or just curious how lasting change actually sticks, this conversation offers a candid look at what it really takes to hand ownership back to the people who need it.

  6. Sep 15

    Because Someone Said So

    Kim Scribner and Gary Lancina return from a late-summer break to tackle a phrase that grates on both of them: "we're doing this because [so-and-so] said so." Is blind compliance ever the right move, or does it just let people off the hook from understanding the why behind a decision? They dig into when knee-jerk, no-questions-asked action actually makes sense (crisis situations, fire drills), and when it signals a deeper problem, like fear of asking questions or leaders failing to provide enough context. Kim and Gary also talk about the difference between healthy curiosity and being combative for its own sake, how power dynamics shape whether people feel safe pushing back, and why leaders have a responsibility to be aware of how their offhand comments get acted on. Plus: practical advice for coaching junior team members to find their own voice when they disagree.

  7. Sep 8

    TFL SHORTS: Innovators

    In this revealing short conversation, Gary Lancina and Kim Scribner dive into the subtle differences between leaders who build, innovate, and galvanize. They explore how understanding your innate strengths and blind spots can dramatically reshape your career and organizational impact. Learn why a brilliant idea alone isn’t enough, and discover the critical roles of self-reflection, vulnerability, and strategic team-building in moving from vision to execution. Whether you're leading a startup or managing a large organization, this episode unpacks why your true strength lies not just in ideas, but in knowing where and how to deploy them. You'll discover: - The key traits distinguishing builders, innovators, and galvanizers - How to identify your leadership persona through honest self-assessment - Why the right context boosts your effectiveness — and what happens when you ignore it - The importance of vulnerability and having a coach to challenge your assumptions - Actionable questions to ask yourself for sustained growth and impact

  8. Sep 1

    What Makes Great Teams

    What separates a team you tolerate from one you'd follow into a snowstorm (literally)? Host Kim Scribner reunites with four former colleagues — Scott Bane, Lindsay Smith, Nate Carney, and Riley Nevil — for a candid conversation about what makes teams click. They dig into trust as something built through follow-through rather than declared on day one, why remote teams need extra intentionality to bond, how radical candor works when psychological safety is real, and the tricky balance between titles and expertise. Along the way: stories from years of working together, a three-day snowstorm, and honest talk about office politics, humility, and why "we're not family — we're a professional team" might be the healthiest framing of all. A warm, practical conversation for anyone building or leading a team they actually want to show up for.

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

In every business, there’s a point where strategy meets stress: where plans are tested, and decisions define the outcome. The Fault Line, hosted by Gary Lancina and Kim Scribner, uncovers those moments through conversations with experts and industry leaders. From pricing strategy to go-to-market transformation, leadership, and growth, each episode explores the unseen pressures and pivotal shifts that shape the business landscape.

Information

  • Creator
    Gary Lancina & Kim Scribner
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    46
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Gary Lancina
  • Show Website
    The Fault Line