Lead with Purpose

Ron Boire
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Lead with Purpose is a long-form series featuring leaders who are building something that matters. Founders, CEOs, board members, and thinkers sit down with Ron Boire, former CEO of Barnes & Noble, Sears Canada, and Brookstone, for unscripted, unedited conversations about how leaders define their purpose, navigate crisis, and make the hard calls that shape their companies, their teams, and their lives: from strategic transformation and the future of work to the human side of leading through technological change. No soundbites. No scripts. Just real dialogue between people who have sat in the chair.

Episodes

  1. CEO of Self: Carl Tishler on Managing the One Company You Never Run [007]

    23 Jun

    CEO of Self: Carl Tishler on Managing the One Company You Never Run [007]

    About Carl Tischler Carl Tishler is the founder of the HPNA Academy, a performance academy built around the concept of high performing, non-arrogant leaders. After nine years on Wall Street as a banker and seven years as a private equity investor, Carl experienced the 2008 global financial crisis firsthand when his firm collapsed under the weight of rapid growth and cultural breakdown. That dislocation became the catalyst for building something entirely different: a curriculum and community designed to help driven, talented people learn to executively manage themselves with the same rigor they bring to their professional lives. He later spent six and a half years as COO and CFO of a deep tech AI company, where he tested and refined his framework in a live operating environment before launching the academy as a standalone business. What We Cover Ron and Carl trace Carl's journey from Wall Street banker to private equity investor to performance academy founder, and dig into one of the most overlooked problems in leadership: the complete absence of executive self-management in most high-achieving people's lives. Carl introduces the concept of CEO of Self, explains why the personal board meeting is the most important meeting most leaders never have, and makes the case that sustainable high performance has nothing to do with suffering and everything to do with structure, micro habits, and the right kind of community. Ron Boire and The Upland Group Website: http://www.ronboire.com Executive Coaching: http://www.ronboire.com/executive-coa... Keynote Speaking: http://www.ronboire.com/keynote-speaking LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronboire/ Carl Tishler Info: Website: https://www.hpna.pro LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-tishler/

    1hr 46min
  2. Bryce Hoffman: Ford, Mulally, Red Teaming and the Discipline of Assuming You're Wrong [006]

    9 Jun

    Bryce Hoffman: Ford, Mulally, Red Teaming and the Discipline of Assuming You're Wrong [006]

    About Bryce Hoffman Bryce Hoffman is a former journalist turned business strategist and author. After 20 years covering Silicon Valley, California politics, and the American automobile industry for the Detroit News, he wrote American Icon, the definitive account of Alan Mulally's turnaround of Ford Motor Company. The book became a best seller and launched his second career as an advisor and trainer to corporations, governments, and militaries around the world. He is the founder of Red Team Thinking and co-founder of an AI decision support startup. He divides his time between California and Muscat, Oman. What We Cover Ron and Bryce trace Bryce's remarkable journey from Marxist campus revolutionary to Y2K reporter to Ford insider to military strategy advisor. They dig deep into what made Alan Mulally's leadership at Ford so distinctive, why asking the right questions matters more than having the right answers, how Red Team Thinking evolved from military methodology into a framework for corporate decision making, and what AI should and should not be doing in the hands of leaders. Ron Boire Info: Ron Boire and The Upland Group Website: www.ronboire.comExecutive Coaching: www.ronboire.com/executive-coachingKeynote Speaking: www.ronboire.com/keynote-speakinghttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ronboire/ Bryce Hoffman Info: https://brycehoffman.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/brycehoffman/ American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company by Bryce Hoffman: www.amazon.com/American-Icon-Mulally-Fight-Company/dp/0307886050

    2h 3m
  3. From Math to Marketing:Usman Humayun on Proof,Brand,and the Overconfident Friend in Your Pocket[005]

    26 May

    From Math to Marketing:Usman Humayun on Proof,Brand,and the Overconfident Friend in Your Pocket[005]

    About Usman Humayun Usman Humayun is a data scientist and marketing executive whose career spans nearly two decades at the intersection of analytics and consumer marketing. He began his career at Sears Holdings in data analytics, later served as chief of staff to the president of Kenmore, Craftsman, and DieHard brands, and most recently spent six years at Albertsons leading all digital marketing functions including CRM, paid media, organic, marketing technology, and analytics. What We Cover Ron and Usman dig into the evolution of marketing measurement from the early days of last-click attribution to today's unified attribution models powered by AI. They discuss where retail is headed, why TV is having an unlikely resurgence, and how AI is quietly reshaping how consumers discover and buy products. The conversation shifts to leadership, what it means to truly invest in people, and how both Ron and Usman have approached their personal health as a foundation for professional effectiveness. Full Youtube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h--kb_EWiC0&list=PLLYIF0JU1GHJzeihQhb_tMidGWt4CuDEj&index=5 Full Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/17ZwXSirbN17PVdaejrfaT Full Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/from-math-to-marketing-usman-humayun-on-proof-brand/id1894954385?i=1000769631651 Ron Boire and The Upland Group Website: www.ronboire.comExecutive Coaching: www.ronboire.com/executive-coachingKeynote Speaking: www.ronboire.com/keynote-speakingLead with Purpose framework: www.ronboire.com/blog/how-i-help-leaders-build-their-purpose-vision-and-principles-pvp Ron Info: https://www.ronboire.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronboire/ Usman info: https://www.linkedin.com/in/usmanhumayun/

    1hr 19min
  4. Bold by Design: Brendan Dowling on Purpose, Ireland, and the Leaders of Tomorrow [004]

    12 May

    Bold by Design: Brendan Dowling on Purpose, Ireland, and the Leaders of Tomorrow [004]

    Lead with Purpose: Ron Boire and Brendan Dowling In this episode, Ron sits down with Brendan Dowling, serial entrepreneur, executive coach, and visionary for the future of Ireland. Brendan leads Celtic Leadership, a coaching and training company dedicated to accelerating the growth of companies through programs designed for CEOs and their senior management teams. Celtic Leadership He also serves as lead business advisor coach on Enterprise Ireland's flagship Leadership for Growth program, working with approximately 200 CEOs per year. Ron Boire: Website: www.ronboire.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ronboireSubstack: ronboire.substack.comKeynote speaking: www.ronboire.com/keynote-speakingExecutive coaching: www.ronboire.com/executive-coaching Brendan Dowling: Website: celticleadership.netLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dowlingbrendanBook: Accelerating Company Growth at celticleadership.net/book Also mentioned: Enterprise IrelandIESE Business SchoolThe Reinvention SummitRita McGrath at ValizeChina's Humanoid Robots: See What They Can Do

    1hr 30min
  5. JoAnn Garbin, Designing AI for the Forest, Not the Factory [003]

    5 May

    JoAnn Garbin, Designing AI for the Forest, Not the Factory [003]

    Lead with Purpose Podcast: Ron Boire and JoAnn Garbin Ron sits down with JoAnn Garbin, author, innovator, and co-founder of Regenerous Labs, a venture studio dedicated to regenerative innovation at the intersection of sustainability and technology. JoAnn spent 25 years building at that intersection before joining Microsoft, where she led efforts to reimagine what a data center could be. Ron and JoAnn explore the rapid pace of AI-driven change, why most leaders are less prepared than they think, how to free yourself from the 80% of work that doesn't require your best thinking, and what it really means to lead from a clear set of values.  Follow JoAnn: Website: www.joanngarbin.comSubstack: joanngarbin.substack.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joanngarbinRegenerous Labs: www.regenerouslabs.comBook: The Insider's Guide to Innovation at Microsoft (Post Hill Press, 2025) Follow Ron: Website: www.ronboire.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ronboireSubstack: ronboire.substack.comKeynote speaking: www.ronboire.com/keynote-speakingExecutive coaching: www.ronboire.com/executive-coaching

    1hr 37min
  6. Aidan McCullen, A Life Leadership Journey [002]

    28 Apr

    Aidan McCullen, A Life Leadership Journey [002]

    Ron sits down with Aidan McCullen, transformation consultant, keynote speaker, author, college professor, and former professional rugby player. Recorded after the two connected at the Reinvention Summit in Dublin, this conversation covers personal reinvention, organizational transformation, resilience, the future of work, AI, and what it really takes to rebuild your identity after losing everything you were known for. The Innovation Show: https://theinnovationshow.io Thinkers50: https://www.thinkers50.com Trinity College Dublin: https://www.tcd.ie The Reinvention Summit: Dublin-based event convening global thinkers to help Ireland build its next chapter Undisruptable: A Mindset of Permanent Reinvention for Individuals, Organizations and Life by Aidan McCullen: https://www.amazon.com/Undisruptable-Permanent-Reinvention-Individuals-Organisations/dp/1119770483 Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck: https://www.amazon.com/Mindset-Psychology-Carol-S-Dweck/dp/0345472322 Negotiate This by Herb Cohen: https://www.amazon.com/Negotiate-This-Caring-But-Not/dp/044669780X The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton Christensen: https://www.amazon.com/Innovators-Dilemma-Revolutionary-Change-Business/dp/0062060244 Aidan McCullen: https://aidanmccullen.com Website: https://www.ronboire.com Lead with Purpose Podcast: https://www.ronboire.com/podcast

    1hr 15min
  7. Rita McGrath , The Future of Work, AI, and Leading Through Transformation [001]

    21 Apr

    Rita McGrath , The Future of Work, AI, and Leading Through Transformation [001]

    Ron sits down with longtime friend and collaborator Rita McGrath, widely regarded as one of the world's leading business strategists and a Thinkers50 top-ranked thinker. Recorded at Columbia Business School, this wide-ranging conversation covers AI and organizational transformation, the future of work, education, universal basic income, and what it means to lead with purpose in an era of accelerating change. Takeaways Long-standing professional relationships can lead to successful collaborations and shared experiences.The future of work is evolving, with a focus on individual and team value creation, as well as the impact of AI and technology. Future of workEducation and skillsEconomic impact Reimagining the concept of a jobRedefining wealth and productivityThe future of education and learningStaying fresh and relevant in a changing world Chapters 00:00 Building Long-Term Collaborations07:42 Academic and Professional Journey13:56 Transition to Columbia Business School23:03 Value Creation and Small Teams31:13 The Death of the Billable Hour01:06:02 Impact of Robotics and Automation on Jobs01:26:01 Staying Fresh and Relevant

    1hr 39min
  • 7 Episodes

About

Lead with Purpose is a long-form series featuring leaders who are building something that matters. Founders, CEOs, board members, and thinkers sit down with Ron Boire, former CEO of Barnes & Noble, Sears Canada, and Brookstone, for unscripted, unedited conversations about how leaders define their purpose, navigate crisis, and make the hard calls that shape their companies, their teams, and their lives: from strategic transformation and the future of work to the human side of leading through technological change. No soundbites. No scripts. Just real dialogue between people who have sat in the chair.

Information

  • Creator
    Ron Boire
  • Years Active
    2k
  • Episodes
    7
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Ron Boire