Operating Discipline - Hosted by Terri D. Wilson

Terri D. Wilson
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Management

"Complexity exposes how organizations actually operate." Operating Discipline with Terri Wilson This podcast is for CEOs and senior leadership teams navigating the structural conditions that determine whether performance scales — or drifts. Through candid conversations with CEOs, founders, and senior executives, Terri Wilson examines what actually drives execution, accountability, alignment, and leadership consistency as organizations grow. Each episode goes into the real operating challenges leaders face under complexity — and what it takes to build a system that performs consistently regardless of who is in the room. No leadership theater. No generic business advice. Just honest conversations about how organizations actually operate. New episodes drop every week. Subscribe so you never miss a conversation.

  1. 1d ago

    SE01 E14 Know Who You Serve | Michael Jalbert

    Most organizations say they're selective. Forbes Global Properties turns down a dozen companies a week to prove it. Michael Jalbert, CEO of Forbes Global Properties, has been in the real estate industry since 1998 and for the last six years has been building one of the most disciplined global networks in the business. Today Forbes Global Properties spans 600 offices across 40 countries, serving high net worth and ultra-high net worth buyers and sellers worldwide. The network didn't get there by saying yes. It got there by knowing exactly who they serve — and building everything around that. In this episode, Michael gets into what organizational discipline actually looks like when your client demands nothing less than outstanding:• Why clarity of selection criteria is the foundation of everything — culture, quality, and performance• How Forbes Global Properties evaluates fit across 40 countries and why cultural alignment matters as much as capability• Why real estate transactions are 80% the same around the world — and why the 20% difference is where the real work is• What it takes to build and sustain relationships across a global network when trust is the product• Why having the hard performance conversation is the discipline most organizations avoid longest This is a direct conversation about what it means to build a global organization around a single, uncompromising standard.Operating Discipline with Terri D. Wilson Conversations with CEOs and senior leaders about organizational performance under pressure.🎙️ Listen on all major podcast platforms🌐 opdiscipline.com/podcast Connect with Terri D. Wilson on LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/terridwilson/Visit the Operating Discipline website: http://opdiscipline.com/ Listen to Operating Discipline on these podcast platforms: YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClbUwY45jbStUKsa2v7mALQSpotify | https://open.spotify.com/show/033qMnr5bIiui03nulsvfcApple | https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/operating-discipline-hosted-by-terri-d-wilson/id1896857928Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f3e88a4a-38f4-48b1-9827-8207876d4a95 #OperatingDiscipline #TerriWilson #Leadership #OrganisationalDesign #BusinessOperations #LeadershipDevelopment #ScalingBusinesses #CompanyCulture #OperationalExcellence #HRLeadership #TeamAccountability #BusinessGrowth #ExecutiveLeadership #ManagementStrategy #FounderMindset Operating Discipline is the podcast for leaders who are ready to take a hard look at how their organisations actually work — not just what their strategy says on paper. Hosted by Terri D. Wilson, each episode is a candid conversation with founders, executives, and operators about how decisions get made, how accountability is held, and how work really flows inside growing businesses. Terri brings over 30 years of executive and entrepreneurial experience to every conversation. She's worked across industries helping leaders build the systems, structures, and cultures that allow businesses to scale without breaking — and she knows that most organisations don't struggle because of bad strategy. They struggle because of how they actually operate day to day. Whether you're navigating rapid growth, building a team you can trust, or trying to close the gap between the business you want and the one you're running, Operating Discipline gives you the frameworks and real-world examples to lead with intention. This is the show for leaders who are serious about execution, not just ideas.

  2. Sep 8

    SE01 E13 The Room Will Tell You | Amy Riordan

    Most leaders have an open door. Amy Riordan has built an environment where people actually walk through it. Amy Riordan is the CEO of Sachin Babi, a luxury occasion wear brand operating across wholesale, retail, and direct-to-consumer channels — with a new location opening in Houston. She has spent her entire career in fashion and beauty, moving deliberately from sales to marketing to operations before stepping into the CEO role. In this episode, she makes the case that a leader's most important operating decision is the environment they create — and that environment is built not through policy, but through every interaction, every conversation, and every moment where a leader chooses to listen rather than wait to speak. This episode covers:• Why an open door means nothing if people don't feel safe walking through it — and what actually creates that safety• How Amy structures her leadership team around complementary strengths rather than expecting everyone to be a Swiss Army knife• Why internal competition between divisions is a structural problem, not a culture problem — and what one unified sales meeting changed• What active listening actually requires — and why most leaders are composing their response while the other person is still speaking• Why the leader's job is to find the right people, put them in the right seats, and remove what's in their way• How to address performance issues without letting them fester — and why waiting is always more costly than the conversation The room will tell you. Most leaders just aren't letting it. Operating Discipline with Terri D. Wilson — candid conversations with CEOs and senior leaders about organizational performance under pressure. Listen: opdiscipline.com/podcast Connect with Terri D. Wilson on LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/terridwilson/Visit the Operating Discipline website: http://opdiscipline.com/ Listen to Operating Discipline on these podcast platforms: YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClbUwY45jbStUKsa2v7mALQSpotify | https://open.spotify.com/show/033qMnr5bIiui03nulsvfcApple | https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/operating-discipline-hosted-by-terri-d-wilson/id1896857928Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f3e88a4a-38f4-48b1-9827-8207876d4a95 #OperatingDiscipline #TerriWilson #Leadership #OrganisationalDesign #BusinessOperations #LeadershipDevelopment #ScalingBusinesses #CompanyCulture #OperationalExcellence #HRLeadership #TeamAccountability #BusinessGrowth #ExecutiveLeadership #ManagementStrategy #FounderMindset Operating Discipline is the podcast for leaders who are ready to take a hard look at how their organisations actually work — not just what their strategy says on paper. Hosted by Terri D. Wilson, each episode is a candid conversation with founders, executives, and operators about how decisions get made, how accountability is held, and how work really flows inside growing businesses. Terri brings over 30 years of executive and entrepreneurial experience to every conversation. She's worked across industries helping leaders build the systems, structures, and cultures that allow businesses to scale without breaking — and she knows that most organisations don't struggle because of bad strategy. They struggle because of how they actually operate day to day. Whether you're navigating rapid growth, building a team you can trust, or trying to close the gap between the business you want and the one you're running, Operating Discipline gives you the frameworks and real-world examples to lead with intention. This is the show for leaders who are serious about execution, not just ideas.

  3. Sep 1

    SE01 E12 Invite Dissent | Dr. Sunny Cooke

    Most leaders say they want honest feedback. Dr. Sunny Cooke has spent nearly two decades building an organization where people actually give it. Dr. Sunny Cooke is President Emeritus of MiraCosta College, where she served as president for nearly 20 years — first within a multi-college district, then reporting directly to a publicly elected board of trustees. In this episode, she makes the case that the most important thing a leader can do is create the conditions where dissent is not just tolerated but actively invited — and where people are called in, not called out. This episode covers:• Why surrounding yourself with yes people is the fastest way to disconnect from what's actually happening in your organization• The difference between blind loyalty and genuine commitment to an organization's values• Why consistency matters more than good intentions — and what it looks like when leaders say one thing and do another• How to call people into difficult conversations rather than calling them out• Why values that aren't lived aren't values — they're wall art• What self-awareness actually requires of a leader, and why it never stops being work• The moment Sunny had to take a public stand on social issues — and what that decision taught her about leadership under pressure This is a direct, honest conversation about what it actually takes to build an organization where people tell the truth. Operating Discipline with Terri D. Wilson — candid conversations with CEOs and senior leaders about organizational performance under pressure. Listen: opdiscipline.com/podcastConnect with Terri D. Wilson on LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/terridwilson/Visit the Operating Discipline website: http://opdiscipline.com/ Listen to Operating Discipline on these podcast platforms: YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClbUwY45jbStUKsa2v7mALQSpotify | https://open.spotify.com/show/033qMnr5bIiui03nulsvfcApple | https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/operating-discipline-hosted-by-terri-d-wilson/id1896857928Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f3e88a4a-38f4-48b1-9827-8207876d4a95 #OperatingDiscipline #TerriWilson #Leadership #OrganisationalDesign #BusinessOperations #LeadershipDevelopment #ScalingBusinesses #CompanyCulture #OperationalExcellence #HRLeadership #TeamAccountability #BusinessGrowth #ExecutiveLeadership #ManagementStrategy #FounderMindset Operating Discipline is the podcast for leaders who are ready to take a hard look at how their organisations actually work — not just what their strategy says on paper. Hosted by Terri D. Wilson, each episode is a candid conversation with founders, executives, and operators about how decisions get made, how accountability is held, and how work really flows inside growing businesses. Terri brings over 30 years of executive and entrepreneurial experience to every conversation. She's worked across industries helping leaders build the systems, structures, and cultures that allow businesses to scale without breaking — and she knows that most organisations don't struggle because of bad strategy. They struggle because of how they actually operate day to day. Whether you're navigating rapid growth, building a team you can trust, or trying to close the gap between the business you want and the one you're running, Operating Discipline gives you the frameworks and real-world examples to lead with intention. This is the show for leaders who are serious about execution, not just ideas.

  4. Aug 25

    SE01 E11 Common Sense Isn't a Standard | Josh Couts

    Josh Couts didn't walk into Arrow Electric and assume everyone understood why they showed up to work. He made them figure it out together — and then built the systems to make sure it held. Josh Couts is the President of Arrow Electric, a family-owned electrical contractor based in Louisville, Kentucky with 150–175 employees operating across commercial, industrial, and traffic markets — including Churchill Downs and major highway infrastructure across the region. He came to Arrow after 23 years at a similar company in Nashville, where he watched a culture built on genuine care for people grow a business from $5–6 million to over $100 million. He brought that same operating philosophy to Arrow — and immediately put it to work. In this episode, Josh gets into what it actually takes to build an organization where people know why they're showing up — not just what they're building.This episode covers:• Why the first thing Josh did as president was take the leadership team offsite to answer one question: why are we doing this?• How Arrow built communication norms and behavioral norms that go deeper than core values — and why that distinction matters• Why "common sense" is one of the most dangerous phrases in an organization — and what explicit standards actually require• The paycheck story — what a second-generation owner handing out checks on Friday taught Josh about what people actually remember• Why one-on-ones are sacred, birthday calls are non-negotiable, and what "my door is open" really means when someone tests it• How to scale a people-first operating model from 175 employees to 700 — and what has to be discipled down for it to hold Care. Communicate. Consistent. Three words. One operating system. Operating Discipline with Terri D. Wilson — candid conversations with CEOs and senior leaders about organizational performance under pressure. Listen: opdiscipline.com/podcast Connect with Terri D. Wilson on LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/terridwilson/Visit the Operating Discipline website: http://opdiscipline.com/ Listen to Operating Discipline on these podcast platforms: YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClbUwY45jbStUKsa2v7mALQSpotify | https://open.spotify.com/show/033qMnr5bIiui03nulsvfcApple | https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/operating-discipline-hosted-by-terri-d-wilson/id1896857928Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f3e88a4a-38f4-48b1-9827-8207876d4a95 #OperatingDiscipline #TerriWilson #Leadership #OrganisationalDesign #BusinessOperations #LeadershipDevelopment #ScalingBusinesses #CompanyCulture #OperationalExcellence #HRLeadership #TeamAccountability #BusinessGrowth #ExecutiveLeadership #ManagementStrategy #FounderMindset Operating Discipline is the podcast for leaders who are ready to take a hard look at how their organisations actually work — not just what their strategy says on paper. Hosted by Terri D. Wilson, each episode is a candid conversation with founders, executives, and operators about how decisions get made, how accountability is held, and how work really flows inside growing businesses. Terri brings over 30 years of executive and entrepreneurial experience to every conversation. She's worked across industries helping leaders build the systems, structures, and cultures that allow businesses to scale without breaking — and she knows that most organisations don't struggle because of bad strategy. They struggle because of how they actually operate day to day. Whether you're navigating rapid growth, building a team you can trust, or trying to close the gap between the business you want and the one you're running, Operating Discipline gives you the frameworks and real-world examples to lead with intention. This is the show for leaders who are serious about execution, not just ideas.

  5. Aug 18

    SE01 E10 Process is the Product | Kevin Iden

    Most service businesses hire for experience. Kevin Iden hires for potential — and trains everyone from scratch. Kevin Iden, President of Iden Dealer Services, has built a 300-person, 37-location automotive reconditioning and detailing operation across Washington state. His business runs on one operating principle: consistency at scale requires process, and process only holds when everyone follows the same recipe. In this episode, Kevin gets into what it actually takes to build and sustain a frontline workforce at scale: · Why hiring people without experience produces better long-term results than hiring people with bad habits · How SOPs become the foundation of quality, consistency, and scalability across 37 locations · Why promoting from within requires knowing who wants what — and building accordingly · What it means to support employees whether they're building a career, using this as a stepping stone, or somewhere in between · Why the manager's job is constant conversation, not periodic correction This is a direct, practical conversation about what operating discipline looks like when the product is the process — and the process has to be right every single time. Operating Discipline with Terri D. Wilson Conversations with CEOs and senior leaders about organizational performance under pressure. Listen on all major podcast platforms opdiscipline.com/podcast Connect with Terri D. Wilson on LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/terridwilson/Visit the Operating Discipline website: http://opdiscipline.com/ Listen to Operating Discipline on these podcast platforms: YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClbUwY45jbStUKsa2v7mALQSpotify | https://open.spotify.com/show/033qMnr5bIiui03nulsvfcApple | https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/operating-discipline-hosted-by-terri-d-wilson/id1896857928Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f3e88a4a-38f4-48b1-9827-8207876d4a95 #OperatingDiscipline #TerriWilson #Leadership #OrganisationalDesign #BusinessOperations #LeadershipDevelopment #ScalingBusinesses #CompanyCulture #OperationalExcellence #HRLeadership #TeamAccountability #BusinessGrowth #ExecutiveLeadership #ManagementStrategy #FounderMindset Operating Discipline is the podcast for leaders who are ready to take a hard look at how their organisations actually work — not just what their strategy says on paper. Hosted by Terri D. Wilson, each episode is a candid conversation with founders, executives, and operators about how decisions get made, how accountability is held, and how work really flows inside growing businesses. Terri brings over 30 years of executive and entrepreneurial experience to every conversation. She's worked across industries helping leaders build the systems, structures, and cultures that allow businesses to scale without breaking — and she knows that most organisations don't struggle because of bad strategy. They struggle because of how they actually operate day to day. Whether you're navigating rapid growth, building a team you can trust, or trying to close the gap between the business you want and the one you're running, Operating Discipline gives you the frameworks and real-world examples to lead with intention. This is the show for leaders who are serious about execution, not just ideas.

  6. Aug 11

    SE01 E09 Share The Scoreboard | Suresh Narayanan

    Most leaders say they're transparent. Few share the scoreboard. Suresh Narayanan, President of Maintenance at Flyhouse, has a simple belief about organizational performance: if the team can't see the score, they can't win. He makes the case that financial transparency isn't a risk — it's the most powerful alignment tool a leader has. In this episode, Suresh gets into what it actually looks like to operationalize transparency:• Why sharing financials — down to net profit — changes how employees engage with the business• How tying people to performance outcomes creates ownership that no culture initiative can replicate• Why you can never overcommunicate as a leader — and how to build the cadence that makes consistency possible• What the scoreboard reveals about whether a team is actually working together• Why getting people open to change is harder than the change itself — and where most leaders underestimate the work This is a practical, direct conversation about the gap between saying you're transparent and building the systems that prove it. Operating Discipline with Terri D. WilsonConversations with CEOs and senior leaders about organizational performance under pressure. 🎙️ Listen on all major podcast platforms🌐 opdiscipline.com/podcast Connect with Terri D. Wilson on LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/terridwilson/Visit the Operating Discipline website: http://opdiscipline.com/ Listen to Operating Discipline on these podcast platforms: YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClbUwY45jbStUKsa2v7mALQSpotify | https://open.spotify.com/show/033qMnr5bIiui03nulsvfcApple | https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/operating-discipline-hosted-by-terri-d-wilson/id1896857928Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f3e88a4a-38f4-48b1-9827-8207876d4a95 #OperatingDiscipline #TerriWilson #Leadership #OrganisationalDesign #BusinessOperations #LeadershipDevelopment #ScalingBusinesses #CompanyCulture #OperationalExcellence #HRLeadership #TeamAccountability #BusinessGrowth #ExecutiveLeadership #ManagementStrategy #FounderMindset Operating Discipline is the podcast for leaders who are ready to take a hard look at how their organisations actually work — not just what their strategy says on paper. Hosted by Terri D. Wilson, each episode is a candid conversation with founders, executives, and operators about how decisions get made, how accountability is held, and how work really flows inside growing businesses. Terri brings over 30 years of executive and entrepreneurial experience to every conversation. She's worked across industries helping leaders build the systems, structures, and cultures that allow businesses to scale without breaking — and she knows that most organisations don't struggle because of bad strategy. They struggle because of how they actually operate day to day. Whether you're navigating rapid growth, building a team you can trust, or trying to close the gap between the business you want and the one you're running, Operating Discipline gives you the frameworks and real-world examples to lead with intention. This is the show for leaders who are serious about execution, not just ideas.

  7. Aug 4

    SE01 E08 Culture Doesn't Scale Itself | Kelley Brine

    Most organizations believe they have a strong culture. Few have built the systems to prove it. Kelley Brine, President of Rose Valley Management, oversees approximately 10,000 units and $2 billion in assets under management. She came into her role during a period of significant growth — and her focus has been singular: building the operational discipline needed to scale culture without losing consistency. In this episode, Kelley gets into what it actually takes to make culture stick as an organization grows:• Why accountability is structural — and how simple, specific actions carry it further than complex leadership initiatives• How succession planning becomes a growth strategy when done deliberately• Why promoting from within requires a pipeline, not just intention• The difference between setting people up for success and setting them up to fail• Why when a hire doesn't work out, the first question should be about the organization, not the personThis is a direct conversation about the gap between saying you value people and actually building systems that prove it. Operating Discipline with Terri D. Wilson Conversations with CEOs and senior leaders about organizational performance under pressure🎙️ Listen on all major podcast platforms 🌐 opdiscipline.com/podcast Connect with Terri D. Wilson on LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/terridwilson/Visit the Operating Discipline website: http://opdiscipline.com/ Listen to Operating Discipline on these podcast platforms: YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClbUwY45jbStUKsa2v7mALQSpotify | https://open.spotify.com/show/033qMnr5bIiui03nulsvfcApple | https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/operating-discipline-hosted-by-terri-d-wilson/id1896857928Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f3e88a4a-38f4-48b1-9827-8207876d4a95 #OperatingDiscipline #TerriWilson #Leadership #OrganisationalDesign #BusinessOperations #LeadershipDevelopment #ScalingBusinesses #CompanyCulture #OperationalExcellence #HRLeadership #TeamAccountability #BusinessGrowth #ExecutiveLeadership #ManagementStrategy #FounderMindset Operating Discipline is the podcast for leaders who are ready to take a hard look at how their organisations actually work — not just what their strategy says on paper. Hosted by Terri D. Wilson, each episode is a candid conversation with founders, executives, and operators about how decisions get made, how accountability is held, and how work really flows inside growing businesses. Terri brings over 30 years of executive and entrepreneurial experience to every conversation. She's worked across industries helping leaders build the systems, structures, and cultures that allow businesses to scale without breaking — and she knows that most organisations don't struggle because of bad strategy. They struggle because of how they actually operate day to day. Whether you're navigating rapid growth, building a team you can trust, or trying to close the gap between the business you want and the one you're running, Operating Discipline gives you the frameworks and real-world examples to lead with intention. This is the show for leaders who are serious about execution, not just ideas.

  8. Jul 28

    SE01 E07 The Role Before the Position | Ron Henry

    Most organizations don't have a succession problem. They have a thinking problem — and it surfaces every time a role opens and urgency replaces strategy. Ron Henry, Chief Succession Officer at Ministry Transitions, has spent five decades in executive search and succession planning — responsible for placing over 800 people in new roles and guiding organizations through their most consequential leadership transitions. In this episode of Operating Discipline, Ron gets into what it actually takes to position an organization for leadership continuity: · Why the role you think you need filled is rarely the role you actually need filled — and what it costs when CEOs skip that conversation · The rainmaker problem: what happens when one person carries 90% of the business and the organization has never built around anything else · Why reactive hiring is a structural failure, and what succession planning demands from a CEO before a transition happens · How to hire for where the organization is going — not where it is today This is a direct conversation about the people decisions that determine whether organizations sustain performance under pressure — and what breaks down when those decisions get made reactively. Listen: opdiscipline.com/podcast Operating Discipline with Terri Wilson — candid conversations with CEOs about organizational performance under pressure.Listen: opdiscipline.com/podcast Connect with Terri D. Wilson on LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/terridwilson/Visit the Operating Discipline website: http://opdiscipline.com/ Listen to Operating Discipline on these podcast platforms: YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClbUwY45jbStUKsa2v7mALQSpotify | https://open.spotify.com/show/033qMnr5bIiui03nulsvfcApple | https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/operating-discipline-hosted-by-terri-d-wilson/id1896857928Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f3e88a4a-38f4-48b1-9827-8207876d4a95 #OperatingDiscipline #TerriWilson #Leadership #OrganisationalDesign #BusinessOperations #LeadershipDevelopment #ScalingBusinesses #CompanyCulture #OperationalExcellence #HRLeadership #TeamAccountability #BusinessGrowth #ExecutiveLeadership #ManagementStrategy #FounderMindset Operating Discipline is the podcast for leaders who are ready to take a hard look at how their organisations actually work — not just what their strategy says on paper. Hosted by Terri D. Wilson, each episode is a candid conversation with founders, executives, and operators about how decisions get made, how accountability is held, and how work really flows inside growing businesses. Terri brings over 30 years of executive and entrepreneurial experience to every conversation. She's worked across industries helping leaders build the systems, structures, and cultures that allow businesses to scale without breaking — and she knows that most organisations don't struggle because of bad strategy. They struggle because of how they actually operate day to day. Whether you're navigating rapid growth, building a team you can trust, or trying to close the gap between the business you want and the one you're running, Operating Discipline gives you the frameworks and real-world examples to lead with intention. This is the show for leaders who are serious about execution, not just ideas.

See All (14)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

"Complexity exposes how organizations actually operate." Operating Discipline with Terri Wilson This podcast is for CEOs and senior leadership teams navigating the structural conditions that determine whether performance scales — or drifts. Through candid conversations with CEOs, founders, and senior executives, Terri Wilson examines what actually drives execution, accountability, alignment, and leadership consistency as organizations grow. Each episode goes into the real operating challenges leaders face under complexity — and what it takes to build a system that performs consistently regardless of who is in the room. No leadership theater. No generic business advice. Just honest conversations about how organizations actually operate. New episodes drop every week. Subscribe so you never miss a conversation.

Information