The Leader I Needed with James (Trig) Rosseau, Sr. | Emotional Intelligence, Imposter Syndrome, Mentoring, Servant Leader, Ne

James Rosseau, Sr.
  • 5.0 (143)
  • Management
  • Updated Biweekly

Are you a newly promoted manager who got the title, the office, and the responsibility, but nobody actually taught you how to lead people? Do you feel like you're spending your days babysitting, firefighting, and faking your way through meetings? Are you starting to wonder if imposter syndrome is just your gut telling you the truth? The Leader I Needed will help you become the people-first leader others actually want to follow. Each episode gives you real tools, honest conversations, and a repeatable system for leading people that produces results without burning you out or forcing you to fake it. I'm James Rosseau Sr. I spent 20-plus years in corporate leadership, including leading a team of 40 at JPMorgan Chase in New York City. When I stepped into that role, nobody handed me a playbook. My office was a closet nobody had cleaned out. I made the mistakes. I led from my desk when I should have been leading from the hallway. What changed everything was a simple shift: I stopped managing tasks and started investing in people. I learned that emotional intelligence wasn't a soft skill, it was THE skill. And I spent the next two decades refining that philosophy across leadership roles, consulting engagements, and mentoring the next generation of leaders. Now I'm building the show I needed back then, for the leader you're becoming right now. If you are ready to stop feeling like a fraud in your own role, start building real trust with your team, and finally lead with a system instead of survival mode, this is the podcast for you. Grab your coffee, close your office door, and let's get to work. #PurposeDrivenCareer #Careers #CareerAdvice #CareerGuidance #CareerManagement #Entrepreneurship #PurposeDrivenLeadership

  1. 5d ago

    223. The Skills That Got You Promoted Are Now Working AGAINST You

    The skills that got you promoted may be the ones now working against you. If you were a great individual contributor, the game slowed down for you. You knew the systems, knew where the answers lived, knew how to score. Then you became a manager, and the game sped right back up. The rim moved. The court changed. And the instincts that made you dependable, the "I'll just do it myself" reflex, the urge to route around the difficult teammate, the pressure to have every answer, those instincts now create the very problems you're trying to fix. In this episode, James Rosseau Sr. unpacks the three shifts every new manager has to make to stop leading with old instinct and start leading with new awareness. You'll hear why your promotion was a reward for mastering a game you already understood, why leadership is not the next level of that game but a different game entirely, and why the new game is won through your people, not around them. James also shares the story of "Montel," a team member he almost wrote off at Card Services who became one of his strongest players the moment James stopped managing harder and started investing differently. By the end of this episode, you'll be able to spot exactly where you're leading from old habit and know what to do about it. Three weekly action steps included.

    17 min

  2. Jun 9

    222. The Leadership Style Hurting Your Team

    You got promoted because you were good at your job. Nobody told you that the title doesn't put people beneath you — it puts you beneath them. In Part 2 of my conversation with Big Phil, we get into what real leadership authority actually looks like, why the way most new managers lead quietly damages their teams, and what changes when you finally flip the org chart. This one will make you rethink everything.

    25 min

  3. Jun 2

    221. What Your Team Says About You When You Leave The Room

    What does your team say about you when you leave the room? Most leaders never ask. In Part 1 of this conversation, James sits down with recording artist and worship leader Big Fil for an honest look at what low emotional intelligence actually costs you as a leader. Not in theory. In real relationships, real rooms, and real feedback from the people you're responsible for. Big Fil spent years leading people while burning bridges he didn't know he was burning. In this episode, he shares what it took to finally see himself clearly, what his therapist told him about his emotional development that stopped him cold, and what the feedback from his own team revealed when he was finally brave enough to ask for it. If you've ever felt like something with your people is off and you can't quite name it, this episode is where you start.

    37 min

  4. May 26

    220. How To Lead Friends, Former Bosses and Teams That Didn't Choose You

    Getting promoted is exciting until Monday hits and your friend now reports to you. Or someone who used to outrank you. Or a team that never chose you. In this episode, James Rosseau Sr. walks through three of the most awkward leadership transitions no one warns you about, with real stories and scripts you can use. Learn how to lead with clarity instead of avoidance, and become the leader you wish you always had.

    19 min

  5. May 19

    219. 5 Letter Framework To Stop You From Snapping At Your Team

    You got promoted because you're sharp. Now you're snapping in meetings, shutting down under pressure, and going home drained. Here's the truth: that's not a character flaw, it's biology. In this episode, James breaks down why your brain reacts before you can think, the P.A.U.S.E. framework that interrupts it, and how the best leaders learn to pause inside the surge. Anyone can react. Leaders respond on purpose. That's where your leadership lives.

    10 min

  6. May 12

    218. Evolve Your Ecosystem

    You got the title. You got the team. You're putting in the hours. So why does it feel like you're running hard and getting nowhere? Here's what nobody told you when they handed you that promotion: your success as a leader isn't about what you know or what you can do anymore. It's about who's in your corner. And if you're like most new managers, you've been so focused on proving yourself that you've left every relationship around you on the table. In this episode, James Rosseau Sr. walks you through the Evolve Your Ecosystem framework — the same tool he's used with leaders across healthcare, financial services, and tech to help them stop navigating blind. You'll learn: Why the listening tour you skipped in your first 90 days is costing you more than you realize How to map every key relationship in your professional world and rate it red, amber, or green The three questions to bring into every stakeholder conversation Why a thin relationship cannot carry the weight of your work, even when you're delivering The exact move James used at LegalShield before announcing a single strategic decision — the one that helped drive years of double-digit growth and contributed to a $1.2 billion private equity sale If you've ever felt like you're babysitting, firefighting, and faking your way through your first year of leadership, this episode gives you something to actually do this week. Draw the map. Rate the relationships. Pick one red conversation to schedule. That's where the work begins. Because the leader you wish you always had didn't just do great work. They built great relationships. And that's the leader you're becoming.

    20 min

  7. Apr 24

    217. How To Lead When Your Life Is Falling Apart

    Covering themes of resilience, personal growth, and spirituality, Don Ready highlights his journey through music and life. He shares his experiences with cancer, emphasizing the importance of faith and perseverance. Don also touches on leadership, therapy, and the significance of maintaining joy and authenticity. His upcoming album, "It Must Be God," reflects his personal transformation and commitment to authenticity.

    1h 20m

  8. Apr 21

    216. THIS Message Will Offend Weak Leaders

    Recalling his experiences of street culture, and personal transformation, Sevin covers topics such as the challenges of growing up in a tough environment, the impact of faith and ministry, and the journey from gang life to becoming a leader in the Christian community. He shares his struggles with identity, the importance of accountability, and the role of love and protection within the church. Sevin, and host of The Corelink Solution Show, Trig, also touch on the use of social media, the significance of genuine ministry work, and the need for authenticity in spreading the gospel. Throughout the interview, Sevin emphasizes the power of redemption and the ongoing process of personal and spiritual growth.

    1h 36m
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Are you a newly promoted manager who got the title, the office, and the responsibility, but nobody actually taught you how to lead people? Do you feel like you're spending your days babysitting, firefighting, and faking your way through meetings? Are you starting to wonder if imposter syndrome is just your gut telling you the truth? The Leader I Needed will help you become the people-first leader others actually want to follow. Each episode gives you real tools, honest conversations, and a repeatable system for leading people that produces results without burning you out or forcing you to fake it. I'm James Rosseau Sr. I spent 20-plus years in corporate leadership, including leading a team of 40 at JPMorgan Chase in New York City. When I stepped into that role, nobody handed me a playbook. My office was a closet nobody had cleaned out. I made the mistakes. I led from my desk when I should have been leading from the hallway. What changed everything was a simple shift: I stopped managing tasks and started investing in people. I learned that emotional intelligence wasn't a soft skill, it was THE skill. And I spent the next two decades refining that philosophy across leadership roles, consulting engagements, and mentoring the next generation of leaders. Now I'm building the show I needed back then, for the leader you're becoming right now. If you are ready to stop feeling like a fraud in your own role, start building real trust with your team, and finally lead with a system instead of survival mode, this is the podcast for you. Grab your coffee, close your office door, and let's get to work. #PurposeDrivenCareer #Careers #CareerAdvice #CareerGuidance #CareerManagement #Entrepreneurship #PurposeDrivenLeadership

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