THE VICTORIA CLUNEY LEADERSHIP PODCAST

Victoria Cluney
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  • Entrepreneurship

Great teams start with leaders people want to work for.Join Victoria Cluney as she explores leadership psychology, team performance and the systems to attract, select and keep great people.Through step-by-step guidance, honest conversations, speeches and real-world examples, you’ll uncover the patterns shaping how you lead and learn practical ways to bring out the best in yourself and your team.Drawing on nearly 25 years of military service, retiring as a senior officer with experience in personnel selection and a master’s in organizational psychology, Victoria connects the personal work of becoming a better leader with the practical work of building a high-performing organization.Whether you’re a CEO, business owner or team leader, you’ll gain insights and tools to see more clearly, lead more intentionally and turn what you learn into action.

  1. 3d ago

    Person-Job Fit vs. Person-Organization Fit: Why Good Employees Struggle

    A good employee can struggle in a role that was never right for them. In this episode I break down the difference between person-job fit and person-organization fit, and why the distinction matters when someone on your team is underperforming. A business owner was buried in people problems, admin, and client work. One employee was struggling in sales, but she cared about the company, connected well with the team, and had strong people skills. Instead of treating her performance as the whole story, they looked at the role. She moved into an office manager position. Three months later, she was happier and more productive. The team was performing better, and the owner had more room to focus on leading the business. The lesson: before you decide someone is the problem, get clear on what is actually happening. Is it a skills gap, unclear expectations, behaviour, the work environment, or the role itself? A thoughtful role change can help. So can clearer responsibilities and a better leadership structure. Leadership psychology, team performance and the systems to attract, select and keep great people.

  2. 4d ago

    #5 - The Hidden Patterns Shaping How You Lead

    If you replaced your entire team tomorrow, but stayed the same leader, how long would it take for the same problems to show up again? It’s easy to look at your team and think the problem is the people. But your team is responding to the patterns you set every day. The way you handle mistakes. The way you give approval. The things you let slide. You might want people to take ownership, speak honestly, and step up. But if your actions teach them it’s safer to wait, stay quiet, or avoid making a mistake, that’s what they’ll learn to do. In this episode, we look at how your leadership can shape the very problems you’re trying to fix. You’ll learn how to spot a pattern, uncover the belief behind it, and start changing it through what you do next. Because replacing your team won’t fix a pattern you keep bringing into the room. Leadership psychology, team performance and the systems to attract, select and keep great people.

  3. 4d ago

    #4 - Your Company Culture Is Telling Good Employees Whether to Stay

    Good people are not just looking for a paycheque. They’re looking for a team they’re proud to be part of. If you’re struggling to attract or keep great employees, your company values might be part of the problem. In this episode, I share what nearly 25 years of assessing human performance in the Canadian Armed Forces taught me about building teams people actually want to belong to. We’ll look at why vague values like “integrity” and “excellence” aren’t enough, how to turn your values into clear behaviours, and how to use them when you hire, onboard, recognize, and hold people accountable. Your values only matter if your team can see them in action. If you want stronger teams, better employee retention, and a company great people want to join and stay with, start by getting clear on what your business actually stands for. Leadership psychology, team performance and the systems to attract, select and keep great people.

  4. Oct 20

    #3 - Handling an Underperforming Employee You Can't Lose

    The employee you’re afraid to lose might be the reason your best people leave. If you’re a business owner who has ever kept a difficult employee because you felt like you couldn’t afford to lose them, you probably know exactly how uncomfortable this situation can be. You’re already short staffed. You’re already struggling to find good people. So you keep making exceptions. You have another conversation. You give them another chance. But your best employees are watching. They see who gets held accountable and who gets another excuse. They see when they’re carrying someone else’s workload. And eventually, they start wondering why they should keep trying so hard. In this episode, I break down how poor employee performance can quietly create employee turnover, what accountability should actually look like, and how one business owner finally dealt with an employee who was causing about 90% of her people problems. We’ll also look at the three-strike correction process I use with clients to give employees a fair opportunity to improve before making the decision to let them go. Because the goal isn’t to get better at firing people. It’s to build a company where great people want to stay. Leadership psychology, team performance and the systems to attract, select and keep great people.

  5. Oct 19

    #2 - The Three Strike Framework: How to Correct Employee Problems the First Time

    If you own a trade or service business, there’s a good chance you’ve had an employee who keeps making the same mistake. You address it. Things improve for a week. Then the same problem happens again. Late starts. Missed steps. Poor communication. Sloppy work. Ignoring a standard you’ve already talked about multiple times. Eventually, you get frustrated and start wondering, “How many chances am I supposed to give this person?” That’s exactly why I created the Three Strike Framework. After nearly 25 years in the Canadian Armed Forces, including 15 years specializing in recruiting, selection, and performance across more than 100 occupations, I learned that leaders need a clear process for correcting performance. Not endless conversations. Not emotional blowups. And not firing someone without giving them a fair opportunity to correct the issue. The Three Strike Framework gives you a simple, repeatable process for addressing recurring employee problems while making the standard, the consequences, and the employee’s responsibility crystal clear. In this episode, I break down the three stages: Strike 1: Verbal correction Strike 2: Written correction Strike 3: Termination decision You’ll learn what should happen at each stage, how to document recurring issues, and how to stop getting stuck in the cycle of warning someone over and over without anything actually changing. Because strong leadership isn’t about avoiding difficult conversations. It’s about setting the standard, giving people the opportunity to meet it, and being willing to act when they repeatedly choose not to. Your best employees are watching what you tolerate. And every time you allow the same behaviour to continue without consequence, you teach the rest of your crew what the standard really is. The goal isn’t to fire people faster. The goal is to lead more clearly, correct problems earlier, and build a crew you can trust. If you’re ready to build stronger standards and a stronger team, download the free Three Strike Framework workbook above. And if you want help identifying the gaps in your team and People Operating System, book your diagnostic and we’ll map out what needs to change. Victoria Cluney Founder, BILD Co. Leadership psychology, team performance and the systems to attract, select and keep great people.

  6. Oct 19

    #1 - Before You Fire Another Employee, Fix This First

    If you own a trade or service business, there’s a good chance you spend way too much of your time solving people problems. Missed deadlines. Poor communication. Employees not taking ownership. Standards slipping. The same problems showing up over and over again. And eventually, you start wondering if you have the wrong people. But before you fire another employee, there’s something you need to figure out first. Is this actually a people problem, or is it a leadership, culture, or communication problem? That’s why I created the Problem Solver Framework. After nearly 25 years in the Canadian Armed Forces specializing in personnel selection, including leading recruiting and selection at the national level, I learned that performance is rarely as simple as “good employee” or “bad employee.” You have to know how to diagnose what’s actually causing the problem. In this episode, I break down a simple framework you can use when someone on your crew isn’t performing, so you can identify the real issue, address it properly, and stop constantly putting out the same fires. Because turnover is expensive, but keeping the wrong person isn’t the answer either. The goal is to build a company where great people can perform at their best, take ownership, and stay. If you’re ready to build a stronger crew you can trust, download the free Problem Solver Framework workbook above. And if you want help identifying the gaps in your team and People Operating System, book your diagnostic and we’ll map out what needs to change. Victoria Cluney Founder, BILD Co. Creator of the BILD Co. People Operating System™ Leadership psychology, team performance and the systems to attract, select and keep great people.

  7. Jul 22

    #7 - Stephanie Seguin | When Your Biggest Challenge Becomes Your Purpose

    What happens when the biggest breakthrough in your business collides with the hardest season of your life? Stefanie Seguin shares how shifting her mindset transformed her interior design business just before her daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Together we talk about resilience, leadership, fear, motherhood, and why purpose often grows from pain. If you've ever wondered whether you can keep chasing your dreams while carrying life's biggest challenges, this episode will remind you that you don't have to choose one or the other. Join the conversation inside BILD What Matters. Learn more about Type 1 Diabetes here: https://beyondtype1.org/type-1-diabetes/ Follow Stephanie: Instagram -  @twigtimberinteriors Follow Stephanie's daughter Maddison: Instagram - @growingwithtype1 Follow Victoria: Website - https://victoriacluney.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/victoriacluney/ Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/victoriacluney/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/victoriacluney/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriacluney/ Leadership psychology, team performance and the systems to attract, select and keep great people.

  8. Jun 3

    #6 - Lindsey Kaupp | The Hidden Cost of Always Proving Yourself

    She spent years helping people heal while silently believing her own pain was normal. In this conversation, Lindsay Kelp opens up about the hidden connection between pelvic health, nervous system regulation, motherhood, identity, and high performance. What starts as a conversation about pelvic floor therapy quickly becomes something much deeper. A raw look at how many ambitious people normalize suffering while constantly trying to prove themselves. Lindsay shares what it was like living with pain for over a decade without realizing it was treatable, opening her clinic three months postpartum, and navigating the emotional weight of being both a caregiver and a high achiever. Together, we unpack why “common” does not mean “normal,” how nervous system patterns shape burnout and behavior, and why so many people lose themselves while chasing success. This episode is honest, uncomfortable, grounding, and deeply human. If you’ve ever felt exhausted from carrying pressure nobody else could see, this conversation will stay with you. Follow Victoria: Website - https://victoriacluney.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/victoriacluney/ Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/victoriacluney/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/victoriacluney/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriacluney/ Leadership psychology, team performance and the systems to attract, select and keep great people.

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About

Great teams start with leaders people want to work for.Join Victoria Cluney as she explores leadership psychology, team performance and the systems to attract, select and keep great people.Through step-by-step guidance, honest conversations, speeches and real-world examples, you’ll uncover the patterns shaping how you lead and learn practical ways to bring out the best in yourself and your team.Drawing on nearly 25 years of military service, retiring as a senior officer with experience in personnel selection and a master’s in organizational psychology, Victoria connects the personal work of becoming a better leader with the practical work of building a high-performing organization.Whether you’re a CEO, business owner or team leader, you’ll gain insights and tools to see more clearly, lead more intentionally and turn what you learn into action.

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