I'm Just Getting Started Podcast

I'm Just Getting Started

Welcome to I’m Just Getting Started — reflections on leadership, purpose, and the lessons found in everyday life. After decades with students and teams, I’ve learned growth isn’t linear. We’re all still learning, leading, and laughing as we go. imjustgettingstarted1.substack.com

  1. Sep 30

    When Growth Creates a Dam

    Rapid growth feels exciting. New people. New opportunities. New ideas. New problems that feel like good problems to have. But somewhere in the middle of all that growth, something subtle can happen: Decisions start flowing uphill. At first, centralizing decisions feels responsible. Leaders want consistency, accountability, and protection against mistakes. But eventually, the same leaders managing the growth become the funnel for nearly every meaningful choice. The reservoir fills. Small decisions settle like sediment. People wait. Ideas stall. And eventually everything becomes urgent. In this episode of I’m Just Getting Started, I explore how organizations accidentally create decision-making dams — and what supervisors can do to keep the water flowing without abandoning accountability. In This Episode * Why rapid growth naturally pushes organizations toward centralized decision-making * How reasonable attempts to protect consistency can create bottlenecks * The “sediment problem” of small, unresolved decisions * Why smart, capable employees eventually stop bringing forward ideas when everything requires permission * How organizations mistakenly respond to bottlenecks by building even more approval layers * Why growing organizations need river systems instead of bigger dams * The difference between requiring approval and providing certification * How supervisors can use Floodgate Testing Days to quickly surface and release stalled ideas and decisions * Why employees should occasionally be allowed to walk an idea up the ladder with you * How leaders unknowingly create small downstream dams through everyday behaviors * The value of clear decision lanes: decide, consult, or escalate * Why more decisions should fall into the category of “Try it” * How to capture ideas before they become organizational sediment * Why leaders should reward good decisions even when they are different from the decisions they would have made * How to teach people when escalation really is necessary * Why supervisors should be bridges rather than toll booths * How to identify “standing water” inside your organization Key Takeaways Growth does not usually stall because an organization runs out of talented people or good ideas. It stalls because talented people and good ideas get stuck waiting. Leaders who want sustainable growth have to move from: “I make good decisions.” to: “I build people and systems that make good decisions.” Accountability does not require every decision to travel upward. Clear boundaries, decision lanes, coaching, experimentation, and thoughtful escalation can preserve accountability while dramatically increasing capacity. And sometimes the most important question a supervisor can ask is: “What decisions are coming to me that somebody else should already be making?” A Practice to Try: Floodgate Testing Days Every so often, intentionally open the gates. Give your team thirty minutes or an hour to bring forward the small ideas, delayed decisions, irritating processes, or improvements they have been holding because they assumed approval would be difficult. Keep it fast: What is the idea?What problem does it solve?What does it cost?What is the risk?Who should own it? Then answer: Yes.No.Try it.Bring me more information. Or perhaps the most important answer of all: “You don’t need me to decide this.” Sometimes simply discovering how many decisions are unnecessarily flowing upward tells you exactly where the dam has formed. Quote from the Episode “You want to be a bridge, not a toll booth. A bridge helps people get somewhere. A toll booth requires every single person to stop.” Reflection Questions Where is standing water forming in your organization? What decisions have been discussed repeatedly without actually being made? Where are capable people waiting for permission they probably should not need? And perhaps most importantly: What small dams might your own leadership habits be creating downstream? Closing Thought Rapid growth creates pressure. Pressure creates a desire for control. And control can feel responsible. But when every meaningful decision has to travel uphill, eventually the water stops moving. The goal is not less accountability. It is better flow. Open the gates occasionally. Give people real decision lanes. Let them practice judgment. Walk ideas up the ladder with them until they can do it themselves. Use “try it” more often. And build systems where responsibility can move without constantly stopping at your desk. Because organizations rarely slow down because they run out of talent. They slow down because talent gets stuck waiting. The answer isn’t more control. It’s better flow. Get full access to I'm Just Getting Started at imjustgettingstarted1.substack.com/subscribe

  2. Sep 3

    Prison Ramen and the Hidden Economy of Work

    A few years ago, I read about how ramen noodles became currency inside prisons. Cheap. Portable. Filling. Always in demand. Ramen became valuable because it met a basic need when the official system was not enough. In this episode of I’m Just Getting Started, I use that image as a leadership metaphor for the hidden economy inside every workplace — the unofficial exchanges of trust, support, information, favors, grace, and encouragement that help people get through hard seasons. Every organization has something people trade when the system does not feed them well enough. The leader’s job is to notice what that currency is, understand what people are hungry for, and shape the culture so people are trading healthy things that help them grow instead of merely survive. In This Episode * Why ramen became a powerful metaphor for workplace survival * How every organization develops an informal economy * What people trade when they are not getting enough clarity, support, trust, or recognition * Why the “ramen of supervision” is often trust, access, support, and grace * How hard seasons reveal what teams are hungry for * Why January often exposes workplace fatigue * The difference between healthy informal support and unhealthy survival systems * How leaders shape what becomes currency inside a team * Why goodwill is not a staffing model * How people-focused work depends on moments of flexibility, care, and being seen * Why leaders should pay attention to what people save, trade, owe, remember, and resent Key Takeaways * Every workplace has an official structure and a real structure. * Informal economies form when the official system does not provide enough of what people need. * If leadership is distant, people may trade in rumors. If leadership is unsafe, people may trade in silence. * If leadership is strong, people are more likely to trade in respect, help, ideas, encouragement, and truth. * The currency people use tells leaders what the team is hungry for. * Goodwill, flexibility, and team spirit matter, but they cannot permanently substitute for healthy systems. * Great leaders do not eliminate the informal economy. They shape it. * When the system is weak, people trade to survive. When the system is strong, people trade to grow. Quote from the Episode “Goodwill is not a staffing model. Team spirit is not a compensation strategy. Encouragement cannot replace clarity forever.” Reflection Questions What are people trading to survive in your organization right now? Are they trading time, energy, patience, emotional labor, silence, or loyalty? What does that tell you they may not be getting enough of? And as a leader, what are you making valuable? Closing Thought Leadership is not just managing the official economy. It is shaping the hidden one. The real structure of work is made of relationships, moments, effort, care, trust, and grace. That is the system that carries people through long weeks and hard seasons. When the system is strong, people trade to grow. When it is not, they trade to survive. And that is when ramen starts to matter. Get full access to I'm Just Getting Started at imjustgettingstarted1.substack.com/subscribe

  3. Aug 18

    Leading the Emotionally Messy but Exceptionally Talented

    Some employees are brilliant, creative, insightful, and capable of extraordinary work. They are also exhausting. Not because they lack talent, but because their talent comes bundled with emotional intensity — sometimes unprocessed, sometimes misdirected, and sometimes spilling into places where it makes their ability harder to see. In this episode of I’m Just Getting Started, I explore what it means to lead emotionally messy but exceptionally talented employees. These are the people who feel deeply, react quickly, send the long email, take feedback personally, and still may be capable of becoming extraordinary leaders. The goal is not to fix them, flatten them, or excuse every behavior. The goal is to help their talent shine brighter than their turbulence. In This Episode * Why emotional messiness does not mean someone is untalented * How poor supervision, personal history, instability, youth, or unresolved pain can shape workplace reactions * Why many emotionally messy employees are succeeding despite the weight they carry * The difference between helping someone grow and trying to fix them * How to use “kindful truth” instead of brutal honesty or avoidance * Why emotional regulation matters more than emotional neutrality * How emotional depth can become a leadership asset when it is disciplined * Why emotionally messy employees often need to be outstanding in their strengths and competent in their weak spots * How to build guardrails around emotional challenges * Why leaders must protect their own energy when leading intense people * The importance of understanding without excusing * How sharp edges can become tools instead of weapons Key Takeaways * Messy does not mean untalented. It often means unfinished. * Many emotionally messy employees want to be seen as steady, capable, and professional, but their reactions can work against that goal. * Kindful truth names the behavior without shaming the person. * The goal is not to make emotional people less emotional; it is to help them manage emotion so it does not manage them. * Emotional depth can become empathy, insight, loyalty, courage, and advocacy when it is channeled well. * Talent does not excuse harm. Leaders must support the employee while also protecting the team. * Caring leaders need boundaries. You cannot set yourself on fire to keep someone else’s emotions warm. * Some of the strongest leaders once required more emotional energy than others knew how to give. Quote from the Episode “Messy is not the end of the story. It is often the middle.” Reflection Questions Who on your team has talent that may be hidden behind emotional turbulence? Are you responding only to the mess, or are you also seeing the gift underneath it? Where might kindful truth help someone understand the gap between how they intend to be seen and how they are actually showing up? And where do you need better boundaries so you can lead with care without becoming emotionally depleted? Closing Thought Emotionally messy but talented employees are not automatic liabilities. They are often high-potential people who have not yet learned how to manage the intensity that makes them special. They need truth, but not cruelty. They need support, but not rescue. They need guardrails, but not shame. They need someone steady enough to say, “There is something powerful in you, but you have to learn how to carry it.” Because messy is not always the end of the story. Sometimes it is the middle. Thanks for listening to I’m Just Getting Started. Until next time, keep learning, keep leading, and remember — we’re all just getting started . Get full access to I'm Just Getting Started at imjustgettingstarted1.substack.com/subscribe

  4. Aug 13

    Leading Without the Title

    Some of the most meaningful leadership work happens without a title, a reporting line, or a formal place on the org chart. It happens in hallways, side conversations, quiet modeling, thoughtful questions, and moments where influence is offered instead of imposed. In this episode of I’m Just Getting Started, I explore what it means to help colleagues grow when you do not supervise them — and how supervisors can intentionally use peer influence to help leadership take root without creating confusion, shadow leadership, or accidental undermining. This episode is about one of the purest forms of leadership: influence without authority. In This Episode * Why helping a colleague grow without supervising them is so delicate * The difference between helping and fixing * Why modeling becomes your strongest leadership lever when you do not have authority * How to offer help without overstepping * Why asking permission changes the way feedback lands * How to share tools instead of conclusions * Why growth offered as partnership feels different than growth delivered as critique * The importance of celebrating growth quietly * How supervisors can use intentional peer influence inside teams * Why strong peers need clarity when they are asked to support another leader * The difference between influence and interference * Why good followership is one of the most underrated leadership skills * How peer support can help emerging leaders grow faster and more safely Key Takeaways * Influence without authority depends on trust, humility, timing, and restraint. * Modeling is not passive. It is intentional visibility. * Helping says, “I see potential.” Fixing says, “Here is what is wrong.” * Consent matters. Asking, “Would you be open to feedback?” changes the posture of the conversation. * Strong peers can help leaders grow, but only when their role is clear. * Supervisors must publicly affirm the actual leader’s authority and privately support the peer influencer. * Good followership can strengthen leadership without taking over. * Influence makes room. Interference takes room. * Sometimes leadership looks less like being in charge and more like helping someone else lead better. Quote from the Episode “Influence without authority cannot lean on power. It has to lean on trust, humility, patience, and care.” Reflection Questions Where might you be trying to help someone grow — and how can you make sure it feels like support instead of correction? Are you modeling what you hope to see from others? If you are a supervisor, who on your team could help model strong leadership from the side without taking over? And where might good followership be the missing leadership tool? Closing Thought Leadership does not always arrive with a title. Sometimes it shows up as a steady example. A thoughtful question. A quiet offer. A tool shared at the right time. A colleague who helps the leader lead better without trying to become the leader themselves. That is not lesser leadership. In many ways, it is leadership purified. Because when influence cannot rely on power, it has to rely on trust. And when it is done well, it may not feel like leadership at all. It feels like support. Thanks for listening to I’m Just Getting Started. Until next time, keep learning, keep leading, and remember — we’re all just getting started. Get full access to I'm Just Getting Started at imjustgettingstarted1.substack.com/subscribe

  5. Jul 30

    Letting the Once-in-a-Career Employee Outgrow You

    Episode Show Notes Every so often, a leader gets the opportunity to work with someone exceptional. Not just a dependable employee or a strong performer, but the kind of person who absorbs everything, asks sharper questions, sees possibilities early, and takes feedback as fuel. Then comes the realization: They may eventually become better than you. That moment can feel exciting, uncomfortable, and deeply important. It is also one of the clearest tests of leadership. In this episode of I’m Just Getting Started, I explore what it means to mentor a once-in-a-career employee, how to resist the temptation to contain their growth, and why helping someone surpass you is not a loss of relevance. It is stewardship, legacy, and evidence that the work mattered. In This Episode * How to recognize a once-in-a-career employee * Why mentoring high-potential people requires a different approach * The discomfort leaders may feel when someone begins closing the gap * The difference between containing growth and cultivating it * Why exceptional performers must learn supervision, not just excellence * How to help fast-moving employees lead people who work differently * Why emerging leaders are always watching how you handle pressure, mistakes, and power * How to use your own imperfections as a teaching tool * Why discernment matters more than idolizing or dismissing a mentor * The importance of giving real responsibility with survivable consequences * How a leader’s role changes from teaching to coaching to simply being available * Why the goal is not to create a clone, but to help someone find their own leadership voice Key Takeaways * High-potential employees do not only need more assignments. They need context, judgment, responsibility, and room to practice. * A leader’s discomfort is normal. Limiting someone else’s growth because of that discomfort is a choice. * Great performers must learn to delegate, coach, tolerate imperfection, and measure success through the growth of others. * Leadership is translation, not duplication. Different people require different approaches. * Emerging leaders learn as much from how you handle your failures as they do from your successes. * Letting someone make a thoughtful decision you would not have made is an important form of leadership restraint. * Your role should change as people grow: from directing, to questioning, to observing, to being available. * Helping someone become better than you is not abdication. It is legacy. Quote from the Episode “The goal was never to be the ceiling. The goal was to help them find the sky.” Reflection Questions Who on your team may be capable of more than their current role allows? Are you giving them problems to solve, or only tasks to complete? Have you created enough room for them to disagree with you, practice leadership, and develop a voice of their own? And could you say to them, without hesitation: “I hope you become better at this than I ever was”? Closing Thought The quiet reward of mentoring an exceptional employee is not that they need you forever. It is that, for a while, they trust you enough to learn. Then one day they lead with confidence, navigate complexity with grace, develop people of their own, and make decisions you may not have been ready to make at their age. You may feel a little sadness when they move on. But you should also feel a great deal of pride. Because leaders who cling to being the smartest person in the room limit their teams. Leaders who make room for others to surpass them multiply leadership. Thanks for listening to I’m Just Getting Started. Until next time, keep learning, keep leading, and remember—we’re all just getting started. Get full access to I'm Just Getting Started at imjustgettingstarted1.substack.com/subscribe

    Letting the Once-in-a-Career Employee Outgrow You

  6. Jul 10

    Managing Interruptions Without Losing Your Mind

    Most productivity advice assumes a fantasy version of work: quiet rooms, clear priorities, long stretches of uninterrupted time, and very few surprises. For many of us, that is not reality. Real work happens in pieces — between meetings, emails, hallway questions, urgent needs, unexpected problems, and the famous “Do you have a second?” that rarely lasts a second. In this episode of *I’m Just Getting Started*, I explore how interruptions are not always the exception to work. For many of us, they are the environment. The goal is not to eliminate interruptions completely, but to manage them without allowing them to hijack the entire day. I also look at the leadership side of interruptions. Leaders often want their teams to be focused and productive, while also interrupting them with meetings, emails, quick questions, deadlines, and shifting priorities. That is not always avoidable, but it should be intentional. Good leaders understand that attention is precious, focus is fragile, and time returned builds trust. ## In This Episode * Why most productivity advice does not match real work * The difference between short-term and long-term interruptions * How to use quiet times for deeper work * Why batching similar tasks helps protect mental energy * How to match low-focus tasks to high-interruption times * The Boomerang Method for creating motion without forcing completion * Why dealing with small things once can save energy * How interruption blocks can contain chaos * Why leaders need to recognize when they are the interruption * How ending meetings early can shape culture * Why email urgency should be used carefully * How leaders can bundle requests and lower disruption for their teams * The importance of reset routines after interruptions ## Key Takeaways * Interruptions are not a sign that you are failing at work; they are often a sign that you are in it. * Not all interruptions are the same. Quick questions and full-day disruptions require different strategies. * Productivity in real life is often about progress in chunks, not perfect completion. * Leaders cannot avoid interrupting others, but they can interrupt with care. * Giving time back, lowering urgency, and acknowledging disruption all build trust. * The goal is not a perfectly protected day. The goal is a resilient one. ## Quote from the Episode “Interruptions are not the exception to work. For many of us, interruptions are the environment. The goal is not to eliminate them. The goal is to recover faster, protect your energy, and build a way of working that survives real life.” ## Reflection Question Where are interruptions costing you the most right now — and where might you be unintentionally creating interruptions for others? ## Closing Thought The workday will break in on us. People will need things. Priorities will shift. Emails will arrive. Meetings will move. Someone will ask for “just a second.” The question is not whether interruptions will happen. The question is whether we can build enough rhythm, awareness, and care to return to focus when they do. Thanks for listening to *I’m Just Getting Started.* Until next time, keep learning, keep leading, and remember — we’re all just getting started. Get full access to I'm Just Getting Started at imjustgettingstarted1.substack.com/subscribe

  7. Jun 30

    Leadership and the Zombie Tasks Nobody Wants

    Episode Show Notes Leadership and the Zombie Tasks Nobody Wants Every organization has them. The report no one owns.The committee everyone avoids.The spreadsheet that's survived three software upgrades.The responsibility that somehow keeps shambling back onto the agenda despite everyone's best efforts to ignore it. I call them zombie tasks. In this episode of I'm Just Getting Started, I explore why these invisible, unglamorous responsibilities may actually be some of the greatest leadership opportunities you'll ever encounter. While most people chase high-profile projects and visible wins, the people who quietly step forward to contain organizational chaos often become the leaders their teams trust the most. The challenge isn't becoming "zombie food" by taking on every unwanted task—it's learning how to improve broken processes, create clarity, and make tomorrow a little easier than today. We also discuss how leaders can better recognize invisible work, avoid rewarding burnout, and create cultures where stewardship is valued just as much as achievement. In This Episode Why every organization has "zombie tasks" The difference between stewardship and martyrdom Why supervisors notice the people who quietly solve messy problems How invisible work builds trust and credibility Why leadership isn't always glamorous The importance of rewarding improvement instead of exhaustion Practical ways leaders can recognize and support employees who step into difficult work Why relief is often more valuable than brilliance Key Takeaways Zombie tasks survive because they're unowned, not because they're difficult. Leadership often reveals itself during the uncomfortable silence when no one volunteers. Trust is built through reliability more often than visibility. Great leaders don't simply absorb chaos—they improve the system so the next person doesn't have to. Recognition should celebrate contribution, not burnout. Quote from the Episode "Sometimes leadership doesn't come from slaying dragons. Sometimes it comes from grabbing a clipboard, sighing deeply, and saying, 'Fine... I'll take care of it.' Then making sure the zombie never bites anyone else again." Thank you for listening to I'm Just Getting Started. If this episode made you think of someone quietly carrying the invisible work on your team, share it with them. They may never ask for recognition—but they probably deserve it. Until next time... keep learning, keep leading, and remember... we're all just getting started. Get full access to I'm Just Getting Started at imjustgettingstarted1.substack.com/subscribe

  8. May 28

    “Patriots and Professional Soldiers”

    I’m Just Getting Started Episode: “Patriots and Professional Soldiers” Why do organizations often reward visible passion while quietly depending on disciplined professionalism? In this episode of I’m Just Getting Started, Dr. Anthony Donovan explores the difference between “patriots” and “professional soldiers” inside organizations — and why many leaders misunderstand the value of both. Patriots are the true believers. They energize culture, inspire others, and carry the emotional weight of the mission. But professional soldiers bring something organizations often undervalue: steadiness, competence, discipline, and reliability even when enthusiasm fades. This episode examines why organizations frequently chase belief when what they truly need is consistency, and why some of the strongest employees are often the quiet professionals who simply continue carrying the mission forward without fanfare. The conversation also explores how many professional soldiers are actually “closet patriots” — people who care deeply but have learned through experience to protect themselves emotionally from unstable leadership, shifting priorities, and organizational disappointment. Topics explored in this episode include: The difference between belief-driven employees and competence-driven employees Why organizations often mistake passion for reliability How professional soldiers stabilize teams during uncertainty and change The hidden strengths of Generation X in the modern workplace Why visionary leaders often overvalue emotional buy-in How organizations accidentally alienate dependable professionals The importance of acknowledging competence and discipline Why “every great soldier wants to follow a great general” The leadership damage caused when organizations abandon struggling people How professionalism can quietly evolve into deep loyalty when trust is earned Why great soldiers train to prevent conflict, not create it This episode challenges a modern leadership assumption: Visible enthusiasm is not always the strongest form of commitment. Sometimes the people most committed to the mission are simply the ones who keep showing up, carrying weight, protecting others, and doing the work well long after inspiration has faded. Memorable Lines from the Episode “Patriots ignite movements. Professional soldiers sustain them.” “Organizations chase belief when what they actually need is reliability.” “Competence is their language of commitment.” “Every great soldier wants to follow a great general.” “One of the fastest ways to lose a soldier is to tell them their fallen comrade is not worth rescuing.” “Many professional soldiers are actually disappointed patriots.” “Not everyone who serves the mission wears it on their sleeve.” About the Show I’m Just Getting Started is a podcast about leadership, culture, resilience, growth, and the complicated reality of leading people well. Hosted by Dr. Anthony Donovan, the show explores the human side of leadership — not through slogans or perfection, but through reflection, experience, and practical wisdom earned over time. Subscribe, share, and follow for more conversations about leadership, trust, organizational culture, and becoming the kind of leader people choose to follow when things get difficult. Get full access to I'm Just Getting Started at imjustgettingstarted1.substack.com/subscribe

See All (41)

About

Welcome to I’m Just Getting Started — reflections on leadership, purpose, and the lessons found in everyday life. After decades with students and teams, I’ve learned growth isn’t linear. We’re all still learning, leading, and laughing as we go. imjustgettingstarted1.substack.com

Information