The Leaders Lab presents The Playbook with Ken Eslick

Ken Eslick
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Management

The Leaders Lab Presents The Playbook with Ken Eslick is your weekly guide to building exceptional leaders, strengthening your organization, and creating high-performing teams that drive lasting results. Hosted by Ken Eslick—former Tony Robbins Trainer, Fortune 500 executive, and Founder of The Leaders Lab—Ken brings more than 30 years of leadership experience spanning military service, entrepreneurship, corporate leadership, executive search, and executive coaching. Over the course of his career, Ken has been directly involved in more than 1,000 executive placements and has advised leadership teams across a wide range of industries. He's served as COO of the M1 Mastermind Group, Head of Coaching for James Blackwell's Agency Blueprint, and Board Member for Nick Bradley's High Value Exit, while working alongside some of the world's leading entrepreneurs and business thinkers. Together with co-host Onika Kwatsha and a lineup of accomplished founders, executives, and leadership experts, Ken explores the three disciplines that define high-performing organizations: Hire. Scale. Execute. Each episode delivers practical leadership frameworks, talent strategies, operational insights, and real-world lessons designed to help leaders build stronger teams and achieve sustainable growth. Previously, Ken hosted The Leaders Lab Podcast—ranked among the top 5% of podcasts globally—featuring conversations with influential business leaders including Mike Michalowicz (Profit First) and John Warrillow (Built to Sell). His career has also earned recognition as Rotarian of the Year, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year finalist, and recipient of multiple Fortune 500 awards for sales and operational excellence. Whether you're a founder, CEO, executive, or aspiring leader, The Playbook with Ken Eslick provides the insights, strategies, and practical tools to help you hire exceptional people, scale with confidence, and execute at the highest level.

  1. Sep 28

    The Power of Identity: Rewriting the "I Am" Narrative with Rich Waterman

    In this episode of The Playbook Podcast, Ken Eslick and Onika Kwatsha welcome back executive coach and performance expert Rich Waterman to explore one of the most fundamental forces in human behavior: Identity.   Many leaders and high achievers struggle to achieve their goals not because of a lack of skill or strategy, but because their internal narrative directly contradicts what they are trying to build. Drawing from their extensive backgrounds in executive coaching and Tony Robbins' organization, Ken and Rich unpack the incredible power behind the words "I am" and how your core self-concept shapes your daily performance, leadership style, and long-term success.   💡 Key Takeaways The Power of "I Am": Whatever follows "I am" represents what you hold as absolute truth about yourself. If your goal conflicts with your core identity, you will subconsciously find ways to sabotage your success. Beware the "Conspiracy of Mediocrity": Societal norms often teach us to play small or bond over shared failures rather than boldly stating our strengths. Recognizing your true capabilities isn't arrogance; it's clarity. Cross-Mapping Strengths: You can upgrade weak identity areas by "cross-mapping" belief patterns and capabilities from areas of your life where you already excel (e.g., applying public speaking confidence to networking). Confronting the Wake-Up Call: Reality checks—such as facing an unexpected physical or professional hurdle—force you to interface with your true identity and decide whether to accept drift or demand better. The Four Quadrants of Identity: Use Rich's framework—Love, Hate, Achievements, and Zone of Genius—to audit your current self-narrative and align daily actions with your innate strengths.   ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction: Why Identity and the Words "I Am" Matter 02:00 – Defining "I Am": How Self-Belief Dictates Results and Sabotage 04:00 – The "Conspiracy of Mediocrity": Downplaying Success for Social Connection 07:15 – How Identity is Formed and Changing It via Cross-Mapping 10:30 – Personal Blueprints vs. External Goals: Why Ambition Fails Without Belief 12:15 – Leadership Traps: Imposing External Identity Standards on Teams 16:00 – The Danger of Lying to Yourself vs. True Identity Evolution 20:30 – Wake-Up Calls: Ken’s 5K Story and Turning Frustration Into Action 24:00 – The Four Quadrants Exercise: Love, Hate, Achievements, and Zone of Genius 26:30 – Action Step: Auditing Your Wheel of Life to Reset Identity   🤝 Connect with the Guest & Hosts Rich Waterman’s Website: https richwaterman.com Rich Waterman on LinkedIn: https linkedin.com/in/richwaterman Ken Eslick on LinkedIn: https linkedin.com/in/keneslick The Leaders Lab Website: https theleaderslab.co At The Leaders Lab, we help organizations improve hiring, leadership, communication, and team performance by understanding the human behaviors and belief systems that drive success. From behavioral assessments and executive coaching to hiring strategy and culture development, we help companies make smarter people decisions with greater clarity and confidence.   🤝 Work with Us: https calendly.com/theleaderslab/meeting   #Leadership #Identity #Mindset #ExecutiveCoaching #PeakPerformance #TheLeadersLab #RichWaterman #KenEslick

  2. Sep 8

    State, Story, Strategy: The Triad of High Performance with Rich Waterman

    In this episode of The Playbook Podcast, Ken Eslick and Onika Kwatsha are rejoined by executive coach and performance expert Rich Waterman to unpack State, Story, and Strategy - the foundational framework for peak execution. Many leaders believe they have a strategy problem when, in reality, they have a state problem. Even the most flawless business plan will fail if executed from a poor emotional state or supported by self-sabotaging narrative loops. Drawing from their shared background in Tony Robbins’ organization, Ken and Rich break down how to self-regulate emotional states when working remotely, leverage physical and auditory triggers to alter your mindset, and use the "state-first" sequence to drive high-performance results across your team. 💡 Key Takeaways State Precedes Execution: A great strategy cannot overcome a depleted or reactive emotional state. High performance begins with managing your internal state, which unlocks supportive stories and enables clear execution. Shift Mindset via the Triad: You can deliberately alter a poor emotional state by adjusting your physiology (movement and breathing), focus, and internal or external language. Design "Catalyst Behaviors": Establish structured morning and evening routines—using music, brisk movement, or strategic prep work—to set a baseline emotional state before tackling demanding tasks like cold calling. Lead with Empathy and Intuition: Leaders should actively monitor non-verbal physical and vocal cues in team members (such as slouched posture or changes in tone) to proactively support them before performance drops. Own Your Outcomes: Blaming external circumstances or poor tools temporarily protects the ego, but taking full ownership of your state, story, and strategy gives you total control to change your results. Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction: Strategy Problem vs. State Problem 02:00 – Explaining the Triad: Why Emotional State Dictates Execution 04:45 – Self-Regulation for Remote Leaders: Controlling Your Mindset Alone 06:00 – Changing Your Triad: Leveraging Physiology, Focus, and Language 07:30 – Building an Emotional Playbook for Difficult Tasks 09:30 – Aligning Daily Schedules with Peak Energy Windows 11:30 – Catalyst Behaviors: Using Morning/Evening Routines and Prep Work 14:00 – The Feedback Loop: How Strategy and State Reinforce Each Other 15:30 – Identifying State Shifts and Non-Verbal Cues in Team Members 18:00 – Physicality Tricks: Resetting Your Body Like an Athlete 20:30 – Case Study: How One Feedback Session Triggered Three Unique State Responses 23:30 – The Power of Ownership: Overcoming the Victim Mindset Connect with the Guest & Hosts Rich Waterman’s Website: https://richwaterman.com/ Rich Waterman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richwaterman/ Ken Eslick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keneslick/ The Leaders Lab Website: https://theleaderslab.co At The Leaders Lab, we help organizations improve hiring, leadership, communication, and team performance by understanding the human behaviors and belief systems that drive success. From behavioral assessments and executive coaching to hiring strategy and culture development, we help companies make smarter people decisions with greater clarity and confidence. 🤝 Work with Us: https://calendly.com/theleaderslab/meeting #Leadership #LeadershipDevelopment #StateStoryStrategy #RichWaterman #ExecutiveCoaching #PeakPerformance #WorkplaceCulture #TheLeadersLab

  3. Aug 24

    Leadership vs. Management: Why Great Managers Don’t Always Make Great Leaders

    In this episode of The Playbook Podcast, Ken Eslick and Onika Kwatsha dive into the critical differences between leadership and management, exploring why exceptional managers don't always become great leaders and how spending time on the wrong activities holds businesses back. Management focuses on operations, execution, administration, and dotting the i's and crossing the t's, while leadership focuses on vision, motivation, and forward-thinking. Ken and Onika break down real-world business responsibilities—like running payroll, designing compensation plans, and hiring—to help leaders audit their calendars, delegate effectively, and transition from fixing day-to-day problems to driving long-term strategic growth. The conversation explores: The core differences between operational management and visionary leadership Why our brains naturally gravitate toward administrative tasks to avoid tough leadership moments How to audit your calendar and protect time for high-impact leadership activities Breaking down everyday business responsibilities: payroll, compensation philosophy, and hiring The art of delegation and avoiding the trap of managing without clear metrics Applying the "trust but verify" principle to empower your team How rising through the ranks changes your problem-solving responsibilities The power of radical self-honesty in tracking your time and energy Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction: Leadership vs. Management 01:15 – Defining the differences: Operations and execution vs. vision and motivation 03:00 – Balancing administrative duties with visionary leadership 04:30 – Game time: Is running payroll management or leadership? 05:40 – Creating a compensation philosophy and delivering change 06:45 – Hiring: Why it's a mix of operational management and ultimate leadership ownership 08:30 – Why brains hide behind admin tasks to avoid hard leadership choices 10:20 – Calendar audits and designing intentional time blocks 13:00 – Delegating effectively: Moving from supervisor to CEO mindset 15:10 – The "trust but verify" framework and establishing clear scoreboards 18:00 – Practical steps for radical self-honesty and weekly calendar audits Connect with Ken and The Leaders Lab Ken on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keneslick/ The Leaders Lab Website: https://theleaderslab.co At The Leaders Lab, we help organizations improve hiring, leadership, communication, and team performance by understanding the human behaviors and belief systems that drive success. From behavioral assessments and leadership coaching to hiring strategy and culture development, we help companies make smarter people decisions with greater clarity and confidence. Connect with us here to get started: https://calendly.com/theleaderslab/meeting #Leadership #Management #LeadershipDevelopment #BusinessGrowth #Delegation #TimeManagement #ExecutiveCoaching #TheLeadersLab

  4. Aug 13

    Emotional Fitness & Decisive Leadership: How Great Leaders Stay Calm Under Pressure with Rich Waterman

    In this episode of The Playbook Podcast, Ken Eslick and Onika Kwatsha are joined by performance expert and executive coach Rich Waterman to explore the critical concept of Emotional Fitness. The trio discusses how top-tier leadership isn't just about technical expertise or strategies - it's about the quality of decisions made under extreme pressure. Drawing from his background as a former investment banker and Senior Trainer for Tony Robbins, Rich shares how emotional fitness enables leaders to pause, deliberately choose their emotional state, and lead with unshakeable clarity rather than reacting out of ego or stress. From managing unpredictable top performers to identifying self-awareness during the hiring process, this conversation serves as a masterclass in building emotional resilience and maintaining a high-performing culture. 💡 Key Takeaways Emotional Fitness is Proactive, Not Reactive: True emotional fitness isn't about suppressing feelings or always being happy; it's about navigating between emotions intentionally and choosing useful states rather than making decisions from ego or survival mode. Harness the "Power of the Pause": Placing a deliberate pause between stimulus and response breaks the reactive cycle, preventing collateral damage and allowing leaders to act as the "adult in the room". Culture Trumps Short-Term Performance: Tolerating emotionally volatile "star performers" creates a panic-multiplying effect that damages overall team morale and disrupts organizational culture long-term. Emotionally Prepare for High-Stakes Conversations: Mental preparation—role-playing potential reactions and setting your emotional posture before difficult meetings—prevents getting rattled under heat. Screen for Self-Awareness in Hiring: Evaluate candidates through situational questions about past failures, detractors, and personal blind spots to identify genuine self-awareness and emotional maturity over polished resumes. Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction: Defining Emotional Fitness & Decisive Leadership 01:10 – What Emotional Fitness Really Means: Navigating vs. Suppressing Emotions 03:20 – The Power of the Pause: Moving from Reactive to Proactive Leadership 04:15 – Emotional Sobriety: Becoming the Adult in the Room 07:00 – Preparing for High-Stakes Conversations Without Over-Planning 10:00 – Mental Toughness: Shifting from Defensiveness to Unshakeable Calm 12:00 – Managing Unpredictable Moods and the "Panic Multiplying Effect" 14:50 – High Performers with Bad Attitudes: Protecting Long-Term Culture over Short-Term Gains 20:30 – How to Screen for Emotional Fitness in Job Interviews 22:40 – The Power of Vulnerability and Admitting Human Imperfection 25:30 – Addressing Cultural Issues Early Before They Compound Connect with the Guest & Hosts Rich Waterman on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/richwaterman Rich Waterman Website: richwaterman.com Ken Eslick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keneslick/ The Leaders Lab Website: https://theleaderslab.co/ At The Leaders Lab, we help organizations improve hiring, leadership, communication, and team performance by understanding the human behaviors and belief systems that drive success. From behavioral assessments and executive coaching to hiring strategy and culture development, we help companies make smarter people decisions with greater clarity and confidence. 🤝 Work with Us: https://calendly.com/theleaderslab/meeting #Leadership #LeadershipDevelopment #EmotionalFitness #RichWaterman #ExecutiveCoaching #WorkplaceCulture #Management #TheLeadersLab

  5. Aug 3

    The Team GPA: The Simple Leadership Metric That Predicts Performance

    In this episode of The Playbook Podcast, Ken Eslick and Onika Kwatsha break down one of the simplest yet most impactful leadership tools for evaluating talent and measuring organizational health: The Team GPA. Adapted from Jack Welch’s classic A, B, and C player framework at General Electric, Ken shares how turning talent assessment into an actionable scorecard creates an instant read on team performance. Rather than using the model to cut employees, Ken explains how to leverage it to obsess over development, elevate B players into A players, handle low performers with clear expectations, and drive bottom-line business metrics like sales, profit, and retention. This episode is a practical masterclass in building a high-performing team culture where expectations are clear, growth is supported, and leadership operates with a clean conscience. The conversation explores: The origins of the A, B, and C player framework and its modern adaptation How to score your team and why a 3.0+ GPA is the target for high performance Why small shifts in your Team GPA create massive jumps in sales, profit, and morale The critical difference between cultural misalignment vs. performance lag How to address C players with candor, support, and clear expectations Why leaders accidentally ignore A players—and how to fix it Using A players to mentor the impressionable middle 70% (B players) Managing activity (leading indicators) vs. results (lagging indicators) Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction: What is the Team GPA? 01:10 – The origins of the A, B, C framework (Jack Welch & General Electric) 02:10 – Defining the breakdown: 20% A Players, 70% B Players, 10% C Players 03:20 – Scaling leadership: How the scorecard creates instant visibility across locations 04:15 – How increasing your Team GPA drives sales, profit, and retention 05:30 – Defining A, B, and C players: Measuring performance vs. attitude 06:40 – How to handle C players: Cultural fit vs. training & skill gaps 08:15 – When and how to gracefully part ways with underperforming team members 09:50 – The danger of ignoring your top performers (A Players) 11:20 – Sibling dynamic parallel: Why high performers rebel without attention 12:40 – Practical steps to improve your collective Team GPA 13:50 – Focusing on leading indicators (activities) over lagging indicators (results) 15:30 – How to leverage A players to mentor and elevate B players Free Resource: Team GPA Calculator Spreadsheet Ken mentioned creating a template during the episode, and we’ve built one for you! 📊 Access the Team GPA Spreadsheet Template Here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1H6KEBIr4CP-wMfV9SBJ8usfv8rpuTiDMWZJi6tCEHHA/edit?gid=0#gid=0 How to use it: Make a copy of the sheet (File > Make a copy), enter your direct reports along the left side, and input their corresponding letter grade (A=4, B=3, C=2). The spreadsheet will automatically calculate your overall Team GPA and track shifts over time. Getting Started: Make a copy of this template and save it to your own workspace. Rename the copy for your team. Remove anyone who currently has access to the copied version. You can then add your own team members. Important: If you add or remove team members, you’ll also need to update the formula in the Team GPA section so it includes the correct rows for your team. Need help interpreting your results or creating an action plan for your team? Contact Ken directly at ken@theleaderslab.co for guidance. Connect with Ken and The Leaders Lab Ken on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keneslick/ The Leaders Lab Website: https://theleaderslab.co At The Leaders Lab, we help organizations improve hiring, leadership, communication, and team performance by understanding the human behaviors and belief systems that drive success. From behavioral assessments and leadership coaching to hiring strategy and culture development, we help companies make smarter people decisions with greater clarity and confidence. Connect with us here to get started: https://calendly.com/theleaderslab/meeting #Leadership #Management #LeadershipDevelopment #TeamPerformance #WorkplaceCulture #TalentManagement #ExecutiveCoaching #TheLeadersLab

  6. Jul 13

    AI Isn’t Repacing You. Someone Using AI Might with Andy Storch

    AI Isn't Replacing You. Someone Using AI Might with Andy Storch In this episode of The Playbook Podcast, Ken Eslick and Andy Storch unpack a critical reality in today's corporate landscape: AI isn't replacing you, but someone using AI might. At its core, this episode challenges the fear and overwhelm that many founders, executives, and team leaders face when looking at rapid technology adoption. True AI fluency isn't about becoming a programmer or an algorithm researcher; it’s about a fundamental shift in perspective. Instead of treating tools like Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini as basic question-and-answer search machines, elite leaders leverage them as strategic "thought partners" to scale their decision-making, optimize client deliverables, and drive team accountability. Ken and Andy unpack practical, real-world workflows that remove repetitive bottlenecks from an executive's desk. They explore what happens when leaders shift from ignoring AI to leaning directly into its potential - and how to strike the perfect balance between human-centric empathy and technological efficiency. In this episode: How viewing AI as an elite thought partner reframes executive decision-making Why AI fluency will become a mandatory requirement for corporate leaders within the next three to five years Moving past basic prompts to utilize custom GPTs and Gems with enduring memory Confronting the fear, Gen Z backlash, and environmental debates surrounding modern data usage Practical coaching use cases: preparing for difficult conversations and roleplaying radical candor Next-level automation: how to link AI agents directly into your CRM, Notion, and calendars Streamlining client deliverables and presentations seamlessly through tools like Gamma The danger of over-reliance: maintaining a "human-in-the-loop" approach to preserve genuine connection Timestamps: 00:00 — Why the question is no longer whether AI is coming 05:14 — Treating AI as a book-smart, junior strategic partner 09:26 — Custom GPTs, Gems, and Projects with enduring memory 12:52 — Addressing the fear, societal anxiety, and the Gen Z backlash 18:31 — Utilizing AI coaching for in-the-moment management challenges 24:54 — Designing automated morning briefings using calendars, email, and CRMs 34:30 — Compressing 80-page candidate tests into beautiful 7-page client presentations 42:37 — Overcoming writer's block for daunting corporate performance reviews 47:27 — AI use cases for modern job seekers and recruiters 54:52 — Five golden rules for everyday AI integration Connect with Ken & The Leaders Lab: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keneslick/ Website: https://theleaderslab.co Want to strengthen leadership, communication, and team performance? If you’re a founder, executive, or team leader, an AI-fluent mindset is often the difference between operational breakdown and competitive breakthrough. We help organizations build stronger teams through leadership clarity, accountability, human-centric communication, and better hiring decisions. 📅 Book a meeting with The Leaders Lab: https://calendly.com/theleaderslab/meeting #AI #Leadership #LeadershipDevelopment #WorkplaceCulture #Management #TeamBuilding #ExecutiveStrategy #BusinessAutomation #ThePlaybookPodcast

  7. Jun 23

    Stop Keeping Score: The 90-Day Challenge That Changes How Leaders Build Trust

    In this episode of The Playbook Podcast, Ken Eslick and Onika Kwatsha unpack a powerful leadership mindset shift: the 90-Day Challenge - a principle inspired by a lesson Ken learned from Tony Robbins. At its core, this episode challenges one of the most common breakdown points in leadership, business, and relationships: scorekeeping. Most relationships don’t fail suddenly. They degrade slowly. Not through one big moment - but through repeated small fractures: unmet expectations, lack of communication, growing resentment, and a shift from contribution to transaction.The same energy people bring in the beginning - high engagement, ownership, and effort - naturally fades over time. And when it does, leaders often slip into a dangerous mindset: “I’ve done my part — now it’s their turn.” That’s where trust starts to erode. The 90-Day Challenge becomes a reset: a commitment to show up fully again, without tracking, without tallying, and without waiting for reciprocity. In this episode, Ken and Onika explore what happens when leaders remove scorekeeping from their teams, relationships, and careers - and what becomes possible when they don’t. In this episode: The 90-Day Challenge and why it reframes leadership behavior Why scorekeeping quietly destroys trust and culture The “honeymoon phase” in teams and relationships How disengagement actually starts Early warning signs most leaders ignore The danger of unspoken expectations Why some relationships still need to end — but should end with integrity How to evaluate relationships after your best 90 days, not your worst moment Timestamps 00:00 — Why relationships rarely fail overnight 01:20 — The honeymoon phase in work and life 01:40 — Introducing the 90-Day Challenge 03:20 — Why effort fades over time 05:25 — When relationships become transactional 07:20 — Some relationships should end 09:20 — Early signs of disengagement 10:55 — The danger of unspoken expectations 11:15 — Leadership accountability and communication 12:00 — A leadership failure that reshaped perspective 13:15 — Integrity when relationships end 14:45 — Why waiting for 90 days is often too late 15:50 — Knowing when to move on 16:20 — Why you shouldn’t announce the challenge 17:10 — Evaluating after your best 90 days Connect with Ken & The Leaders Lab LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keneslick/ Website: https://theleaderslab.co Want to strengthen leadership, communication, and team performance? If you’re a founder, executive, or team leader, the 90-Day Challenge mindset is often the difference between breakdown and breakthrough. We help organizations build stronger teams through leadership clarity, accountability, communication, and better hiring decisions. 📅 Book a meeting with The Leaders Lab: https://calendly.com/theleaderslab/meeting #Leadership #LeadershipDevelopment #WorkplaceCulture #EmployeeEngagement #Management #TeamBuilding #90DayChallenge #ThePlaybookPodcast

  8. Jun 8

    Global Beliefs: The Invisible Stories Shaping Your Life

    In this episode of The Playbook Podcast, Ken Eslick and Onika Kwatsha explore how the stories we repeatedly tell ourselves about people, experiences, and the world quietly shape nearly every area of our lives. Most people believe they see reality objectively. But in truth, our minds constantly filter experiences through beliefs formed by past interactions, emotional experiences, and personal assumptions. One difficult boss, bad relationship, failed hire, betrayal, or disappointment can slowly evolve into a “global belief” that begins shaping how we lead, hire, communicate, trust, love, and make decisions. Ken unpacks how these invisible mental frameworks influence everything from workplace culture and leadership to relationships, confidence, personal growth, and self-image. The conversation explores: Why the brain naturally fixates on negative experiences How confirmation bias reinforces limiting beliefs The danger of turning isolated experiences into absolute truths How global beliefs quietly affect hiring and leadership decisions Why trust and emotional safety matter in leadership The hidden damage caused by labels and assumptions How limiting self-beliefs shape identity and behavior Why one simple word — “yet” — can completely change your mindset This episode is a powerful reminder that experiences are meant to inform us, not imprison us. Timestamps  00:00 – How experiences become global beliefs 01:20 – Why beliefs shape behavior and decision-making 02:20 – Tony Robbins’ influence on understanding global beliefs 03:40 – Why the brain focuses on negative experiences 04:30 – Safety, certainty, and the psychology of belief formation 05:20 – How global beliefs affect the workplace 06:00 – The hiring bias problem 07:20 – Why division grows when people stop seeking understanding 08:40 – Rebuilding trust after negative experiences 10:25 – Why trust is built slowly over time 11:00 – Confirmation bias and the brain’s need to be right 12:40 – How people unconsciously reinforce their own beliefs 14:00 – The danger of assumptions in hiring and relationships 15:20 – Diversity of thought and perspective in successful teams 16:20 – The limiting stories people repeat to themselves 18:00 – Why the word “yet” is so powerful 19:00 – Ken’s vision board story and subconscious transformation 21:30 – Practical ways to challenge limiting beliefs 23:15 – Why experiences should inform you, not define you Connect with Ken and The Leaders Lab Ken on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keneslick/ The Leaders Lab: theleaderslab.co At The Leaders Lab, we help organizations improve hiring, leadership, communication, and team performance by understanding the human behaviors and belief systems that drive success. From behavioral assessments and leadership coaching to hiring strategy and culture development, we help companies make smarter people decisions with greater clarity and confidence. Connect with us here to get started: https://calendly.com/theleaderslab/meeting #Leadership #Mindset #LeadershipDevelopment #PersonalGrowth #WorkplaceCulture #EmotionalIntelligence #Communication #SelfAwareness

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About

The Leaders Lab Presents The Playbook with Ken Eslick is your weekly guide to building exceptional leaders, strengthening your organization, and creating high-performing teams that drive lasting results. Hosted by Ken Eslick—former Tony Robbins Trainer, Fortune 500 executive, and Founder of The Leaders Lab—Ken brings more than 30 years of leadership experience spanning military service, entrepreneurship, corporate leadership, executive search, and executive coaching. Over the course of his career, Ken has been directly involved in more than 1,000 executive placements and has advised leadership teams across a wide range of industries. He's served as COO of the M1 Mastermind Group, Head of Coaching for James Blackwell's Agency Blueprint, and Board Member for Nick Bradley's High Value Exit, while working alongside some of the world's leading entrepreneurs and business thinkers. Together with co-host Onika Kwatsha and a lineup of accomplished founders, executives, and leadership experts, Ken explores the three disciplines that define high-performing organizations: Hire. Scale. Execute. Each episode delivers practical leadership frameworks, talent strategies, operational insights, and real-world lessons designed to help leaders build stronger teams and achieve sustainable growth. Previously, Ken hosted The Leaders Lab Podcast—ranked among the top 5% of podcasts globally—featuring conversations with influential business leaders including Mike Michalowicz (Profit First) and John Warrillow (Built to Sell). His career has also earned recognition as Rotarian of the Year, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year finalist, and recipient of multiple Fortune 500 awards for sales and operational excellence. Whether you're a founder, CEO, executive, or aspiring leader, The Playbook with Ken Eslick provides the insights, strategies, and practical tools to help you hire exceptional people, scale with confidence, and execute at the highest level.

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