Leading Through Growth

Tony Sanders

Leading Through Growth features thoughtful, executive-level conversations with leaders navigating the complexity that comes with growth. Hosted by Tony Sanders, Founder and Fractional Chief Learning Officer at Gawlo, the podcast explores how executives and operators lead teams through periods of expansion—sharing lessons, decisions, and insights from scaling leaders, teams, and culture. These conversations are reflective, practical, and peer-driven. Rather than tactics or trends, each episode focuses on how leadership evolves as organizations grow and what experienced leaders wish they had u

  1. Jul 29 ·  Video

    The Invisible Friction Killing Your Team (And How to Fix It)

    Invisible friction is the quiet tension that builds when people stop trusting each other and start protecting themselves — and it's silently slowing down fast-growing teams. Chris Rollins, creator of Ripple Effect Leadership™, breaks down how new managers lose team trust and how to rebuild it. When your best individual contributor gets promoted to manager, something quietly breaks. In this episode of Leading Through Growth, Chris — a former Head of Organizational Development — unpacks the mindset shift from doer to leader, why vulnerability is the hardest leadership skill, and how small everyday moments build (or destroy) trust on a team. Chapters 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:24 The Genesis of Ripple Effect Leadership 00:02:49 From Division I Athlete to HR Executive 00:08:23 The Work That Made Acceptance Possible 00:09:55 What Is Invisible Friction and Why It's Killing Your Team 00:13:41 The Basement Story: When Leaders Miss What's Right in Front of Them 00:16:38 Red Yellow Green: Simple Check-Ins That Build Trust 00:17:20 Legacy Isn't What You Leave Behind—It's What You Cause Every Day 00:23:17 The Blue Ribbon Moment: Humanity in Ordinary Interactions 00:25:09 Why Vulnerability Is So Hard for Leaders 00:27:24 Courage Isn't Who You Are—It's What You Do 00:30:20 The Mindset Shift from Doer to Leader 00:32:11 Notice What Others Overlook 00:32:59 The 38.7 Percent Profit Advantage of Being Seen and Heard 00:33:50 Break Your Routines to Wake Your Brain Up 00:35:12 The Symphony Study: Mindful vs Performative Leadership CONNECT WITH CHRIS ROLLINS Website: https://www.chrisrollins.me LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherrollins #Leadership #NewManager #TeamTrust #LeadershipDevelopment #RippleEffectLeadership

    The Invisible Friction Killing Your Team (And How to Fix It)

  2. Jul 15 ·  Video

    Building LinkedIn's Culture: What Hyper-Growth Really Looks Like with Steve Cadigan

    Most leaders think about scaling in terms of revenue, product, and market share. But what about the people systems that have to grow with it? In this episode, Tony sits down with Steve Cadigan, LinkedIn's first ever Chief Human Resources Officer, who helped scale the company from 400 to 4,000 employees in just over three years through an IPO. Steve didn't walk into a polished HR machine. He walked into chaos: no policies, no job architecture, no compensation philosophy, and a leadership team skeptical of HR. This is the story of what it actually takes to build a talent strategy from scratch in a hyper growth environment, and why most of what we've been taught about retention, culture, and leadership development is built for a world that no longer exists. What you'll learn: Why builders and sustainers are two different profiles (and how to know which one you are) The moment LinkedIn's board admitted they had no answers for the growth ahead How LinkedIn stopped trying to win the recruiting war and became the place great people wanted to be The Growth Trap: what happens when company growth outpaces leadership capability Why LinkedIn started hiring for learning velocity, not credentials What broke first at LinkedIn and how they fixed it without a playbook How to design culture when everything is changing fast (hint: it's not about posters on the wall) "Retention is dead" what growth as the new loyalty actually means for how you lead Are the robots taking our jobs? Steve's take on AI hype vs. reality Rapid fire: RTO, the best and worst leadership trends in 2026 Steve's perspective will challenge how you think about tenure, development, and what it means to build a company that people don't just work for but grow because of. If you're leading a growing organization and wondering how to scale your people strategy without losing what makes you great, this episode is for you. 🔗 CONNECT WITH STEVE CADIGAN LinkedIn: Search Steve Cadigan Email: Steve@CadiganVentures.com Book: Workquake (available on Amazon) 📌 CONNECT WITH TONY LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tonyrsanders/ Work with Gawlo: growwithgawlo.com CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:58 Day one at LinkedIn 00:06:44 Builder vs Sustainer 00:09:26 The part of the scaling story nobody asks about 00:12:11 How LinkedIn stopped trying to win the recruiting war 00:14:30 The Growth Trap: when company growth outpaces leadership capability 00:16:15 Hiring for learning velocity, not current skills 00:20:55 What broke first at LinkedIn — and how they fixed it 00:25:00 Designing culture when everything is changing fast 00:32:53 "Retention is dead" — what growth is the new loyalty actually means 00:42:25 AI: Are the robots actually taking our jobs? 00:56:25 Rapid fire: RTO, best and worst leadership trends in 2026

    Building LinkedIn's Culture: What Hyper-Growth Really Looks Like with Steve Cadigan

  3. Jul 1 ·  Video

    010 - Culture Is The Heartbeat ft Amber Fields

    Workplace culture gets talked about constantly, but rarely defined — and even more rarely prioritized when a company is scaling fast. In this episode I sit down with Amber Fields, Partner and Chief Culture Officer at trueU, to get specific about what workplace culture actually is, why it matters more than most leaders realize, and what happens when you get it wrong.We cover how to actually define culture (beyond swag bags and events), why it can't get deprioritized during growth, the ripple effect that turnover sets off, and who really owns culture inside an organization — the answer isn't HR.If you're a founder, CEO, or people leader trying to hold your culture together while you grow, this conversation will give you a clearer way to think about it.🔗 ConnectAmber Fields on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amberwestfields/Work with Gawlo: growwithgawlo.com

    010 - Culture Is The Heartbeat ft Amber Fields

  4. Jun 17 ·  Video

    She Built a $100M Vegan Empire. Here's the Leadership Mistake That Brought It Down. (Ft. Slutty Vegan)

    Pinky Cole built Slutty Vegan from an apartment Instagram hustle into a $100M brand — then filed for bankruptcy. In this Growth Trap case study, Tony Sanders breaks down the leadership collapse behind the brand using Pinky's own words: "Sometimes you put basketball players on the golf course." You'll walk away with four failure modes that show up in almost every fast-growing company, and three things you can do right now to make sure your leaders are developed for the business you're building — not the one you had two years ago. This one's for every CEO and COO who knows their company is growing faster than their people are ready for.

    She Built a $100M Vegan Empire. Here's the Leadership Mistake That Brought It Down. (Ft. Slutty Vegan)

  5. Jun 3 ·  Video

    Thriving in High-Growth Organizations with Nicole Fallowfield

    What does it actually take to get promoted to SVP in a fast-growing company? Nicole Fallowfield didn't follow the traditional HR path — and that's exactly why she got the job.In this episode of Leading Through Growth, I sit down with Nicole Fallowfield, newly appointed Senior Vice President, Talent Business Partner at Unison Risk Advisors. After 17 years of navigating one of the fastest-growing organizations in the industry, Nicole shares the leadership mindset, non-negotiables, and pivotal moments that shaped her career — including the day her CEO told her, "This is the role you've been training for your whole life."What you'll learn:- The mindset shift required to thrive in high-growth, high-pressure environments- Why leadership skills outweigh technical expertise when advancing your career- How strategic HR — succession planning + talent development — drives business growth- Nicole's non-negotiables: transparency, psychological safety, and direct feedback- What "fail fast" actually means in practice (and why most leaders resist it)- How high-achievers intentionally recharge to sustain performanceIf you're a leader, HR professional, or aspiring VP trying to navigate a growing organization, this episode is for you.SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW🔔 Subscribe for weekly leadership insights:  www.YouTube.com/@TonyRSanders  🎙️ Listen on Apple/Spotify: www.growwithgawlo.com/podcast💼 Connect with Tony: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonyrsanders/#Leadership #CareerGrowth #HRLeadership #PsychologicalSafety #LeadingThroughGrowth

    Thriving in High-Growth Organizations with Nicole Fallowfield

  6. May 20 ·  Video

    007 HR Found Me ft Angie Woods

    If you've ever scrolled past a TikTok telling you to never trust HR, this episode is for you. Angie Woods has spent 30 years in human resources — and she's on a mission to change how leaders think about the people function. As a Chief People Officer at a rapidly scaling company, Angie isn't just filling seats. She's building systems, developing leaders, and creating the kind of culture that can actually survive explosive growth. In this conversation, Tony and Angie dig into what it really takes to grow a company without breaking your people. They talk about the rubber band theory of organizational stretch, why hiring fast is one of the most expensive mistakes a growing company can make, the Wednesday morning leadership development sessions that are changing how her leaders show up, and what vulnerability on stage taught her about showing up more authentically at work. Angie also clears up some of the biggest misconceptions about HR — and makes a compelling case for why a strong people function isn't a cost center. It's a growth strategy. If you lead people, build teams, or are navigating the chaos of a fast-growing organization, this one is worth your full attention. What you'll learn: Why growth-stage companies need to hire for adaptability, not just skill How competency frameworks connect hiring, onboarding, and performance What HR leaders wish business leaders understood about partnership How to give people hope through change without pretending you have all the answers

    007 HR Found Me ft Angie Woods

  7. May 6 ·  Video

    006 - Culture Fuels Growth with Scott Whitaker

    In this episode of Leading Through Growth, Tony Sanders sits down with Scott Whitaker, Director of Human Resources at Ryan Fire Protection, to explore what it really takes to scale a company without losing its culture. Over the past four years, Ryan has experienced rapid growth—expanding from just under 300 employees to nearly 700. Scott shares what that growth looks like from the inside, and how intentional leadership, shared ownership, and people-first thinking have helped them preserve and strengthen their culture along the way. They dive into: Why culture can’t live in HR alone How leadership must scale across the organization The challenge of integrating cultures through acquisition Why growth breaks companies that aren’t intentional And what leaders can do to build a culture that actually scales If you’re leading a growing team or organization, this conversation offers a grounded, real-world look at how culture fuels sustainable growth.

    006 - Culture Fuels Growth with Scott Whitaker

  8. Apr 22 ·  Video

    005 - Empathy Isn't What You've Been Taught with Liesel Mertes

    Most leaders don’t avoid empathy because they don’t care.They avoid it because they were never taught how to handle it.In this episode of Leading Through Growth, Tony sits down with Workplace Empathy Expert Liesel Mertes to unpack what empathy actually looks like in leadership—and why so many well-intentioned leaders miss the mark.In this episode, we explore:- Why empathy in leadership is about emotion, not shared experience- The common patterns executive leaders fall into (like “fixing” instead of seeing)- How your own empathy patterns show up under pressure- What to say—and what not to say—when people are struggling at work or in your personal life- Simple, practical ways to build empathy as a leadership skillThis isn’t about empathy as a soft skill. It’s about becoming more effective in how you lead people.

    005 - Empathy Isn't What You've Been Taught with Liesel Mertes
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About

Leading Through Growth features thoughtful, executive-level conversations with leaders navigating the complexity that comes with growth. Hosted by Tony Sanders, Founder and Fractional Chief Learning Officer at Gawlo, the podcast explores how executives and operators lead teams through periods of expansion—sharing lessons, decisions, and insights from scaling leaders, teams, and culture. These conversations are reflective, practical, and peer-driven. Rather than tactics or trends, each episode focuses on how leadership evolves as organizations grow and what experienced leaders wish they had u

Information

  • Creator
    Tony Sanders
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Tony Sanders
  • Show Website
    Leading Through Growth