Leading From the Front!

Dr. Gary McGrath
  • 5.0 (10)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Monthly

Leading From The Front is a leadership podcast for executives, managers, and emerging leaders who want to build high-performing teams, strengthen company culture, and lead with clarity and accountability. Hosted by Dr. Gary McGrath, a leadership expert with over 40 years of experience, each episode breaks down real-world leadership challenges and delivers practical strategies you can apply immediately. From decision-making under pressure to managing difficult conversations, this show focuses on what it actually takes to lead effectively. Each conversation is designed to help you think more clearly, lead more decisively, and take ownership of the role you’re in. Follow us wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode!

Episodes

  1. 3d ago

    From Founder to Employee to CEO Again: The Leadership Cost of Every Transition (Part 1)

    Everyone talks about the exit. Nobody talks about what comes after: who you are when it's done, and how you lead when you're still working that out. Mike McGrath built the Charge Group from scratch, sold it to a Philadelphia-area healthcare company in 2019, and spent five years leading growth and acquisitions from the inside. When a second acquisition came, he walked away and started over, acquiring Legacy Media in 2024. In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Dr. Gary McGrath uses Mike's story to examine what transitions actually cost a leader. The conversation covers how Mike's wife delivered a hard message that changed his career path, and what it reveals about how leaders give and receive difficult news. Dr. Gary frames it through his sowing seeds principle: a message delivered once isn't leadership communication. It's an announcement. From there, the episode gets into what Mike learned scaling a team of 25 practitioners, and the decision-making framework Dr. Gary uses with every executive facing a high-stakes call. Humility runs through all of it, not as a trait you develop once, but as something you keep getting tested on. The episode closes on a Jay Wright quote Mike says changed his life: "You're either humble, or you will be humbled." This episode is for founders, operators, and executives navigating what comes after the deal. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Why founders sell before they're ready 00:33 What leadership costs after an acquisition 01:20 How a spouse's hard truth saved a business 06:54 Why leaders don't give people time to process 07:17 The "sowing seeds" principle in leadership communication 08:44 Indecisiveness is the top reason executives get fired 20:52 Making the best decision in the moment 21:33 How to set a real deadline for a hard decision 23:26 Why humility is the first thing to look for in a CEO 26:30 "You're either humble or you will be humbled" Resources: 👉 Connect with Mike McGrath on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mikemcgrath7  👉 Visit Market Better: marketbetter.xyz  Connect with Dr. Gary McGrath: 🌐 Website: statarius.com  💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/drgarymcgrath  Listen Next: 🎧 Succession Planning: What Real Accountability Looks Like After the Transfer 🎧 Storytelling Is the Leadership Skill Nobody Teaches, with Jen Moss About the Host Dr. Gary McGrath is the founder of Statarius, a leadership development firm focused on helping organizations turn good bosses into great leaders through compassionate accountability. Over a 40-year career spanning Fortune 500 companies, technology startups, and leadership consulting, he has trained and coached thousands of leaders across business and nonprofit organizations. His work centers on developing practical leadership frameworks that help organizations build stronger cultures and more effective leaders at every level.

    29 min

  2. Jun 11

    Succession Planning: What Real Accountability Looks Like After the Transfer

    What does it actually take to hold someone accountable when you've handed them the whole company? And what changes when that person is your son? Bill Murphy bought Rodeco Metal Finishing in 1982 and ran the Sanford, North Carolina manufacturing business for over three decades. In 2017, he transferred 100% of the company to his son Ryan in one move. No phased buyout. No board seat. No gradual ownership transfer. Ryan, who had worked his way from sales to sales manager to general manager over seven years, took over as president and full owner. In this conversation, Dr. Gary sits down with both Bill and Ryan to break down what made the transition work. They walk through the seven year runway Ryan spent inside the business before taking the keys, the deliberate restraint Bill practiced after he stepped away, and the framework Dr. Gary uses to separate sponsors from coaches from mentors when it comes to developing the next generation of leadership. Ryan opens up about the chaos in his head during the first year as CEO, the trap of trying to be right instead of being effective, and the move he wishes he'd made earlier in his run. Bill explains why he kept an office upstairs but used it about ten times the entire first year, and why letting his son make his own mistakes was the most important leadership decision he ever made. This episode is built for founders facing succession, leaders inheriting responsibility from someone they used to work for, and any senior operator trying to figure out how to step back from the role they built without taking it back. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Handing your company to family 02:18 Bringing dad back as mentor 03:16 Sponsor, coach, and mentor defined 07:27 Effort is what predicts success 10:06 You can't change people 13:53 Letting your successor make mistakes 17:12 Step away all at once 20:24 People accept feedback when you care 25:33 Being effective beats being right 26:06 The Rewrite: their leadership do-overs Resources: 👉 Connect with Bill Murphy on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bill-murphy-365697/ 👉 Connect with Ryan Murphy on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ryan-murphy-a9b62953/ 👉 Visit Rodeco Metal Finishing: rodeco.com/ Connect with Dr. Gary McGrath: 🌐 Website: statarius.com  💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/drgarymcgrath  Listen Next: 🎧 Why Your Best Salesperson Might Fail as a Manager open.spotify.com/episode/4hBIf44l1vVVqImB79FDhc 🎧 Storytelling Is the Leadership Skill Nobody Teaches, with Jen Moss open.spotify.com/episode/70dtZYBvFrzkBeUBZGqvoc About the Host Dr. Gary McGrath is the founder of Statarius, a leadership development firm focused on helping organizations turn good bosses into great leaders through compassionate accountability. Over a 40-year career spanning Fortune 500 companies, technology startups, and leadership consulting, he has trained and coached thousands of leaders across business and nonprofit organizations. His work centers on developing practical leadership frameworks that help organizations build stronger cultures and more effective leaders at every level.

    33 min

  3. May 28

    Storytelling Is the Leadership Skill Nobody Teaches, with Jen Moss

    The hardest part of leading a creative company isn't the creative. It's staying clear when the team is waiting for an answer and the safe choice keeps presenting itself. Jen Moss is co-founder of JAR Podcast Solutions, a Vancouver studio that builds branded podcasts for Amazon, Lululemon, RBC, and D-Wave. Before founding JAR, she spent eight years producing audio documentary work at CBC and the National Film Board of Canada. In this conversation Dr. Gary and Jen go deep on storytelling as a leadership skill, why most leaders communicate in facts when they should be placing people inside a moment, and the two questions every leader should know how to ask. The conversation turns when Jen tells the story of a leadership retreat that didn't go the way she planned. Her team was tired. Her shadow came out. She names what most leaders won't put on tape, including the moment she lost respect for herself in front of her team. Dr. Gary coaches her through the do-over in real time, using the same framework he uses with executives. Emotion locks in memory. The lesson doesn't land until the feeling does. This episode is for founders, CEOs, and senior operators who lead creative work and want to understand how story actually moves teams. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Why Leaders Who Tell Stories Build Better Teams 02:52 How Stories Drive Action Better Than Facts 04:11 How to Teach Storytelling Skills to Non-Storytellers 06:44 The Story Structure Every Business Leader Should Know 08:14 From Radio Producer to Podcast CEO: Jen's Career Pivot 12:02 The Business Model Mistake Early-Stage Founders Make 19:41 Strengths-Based Leadership: Stop Managing to the Org Chart 22:05 Decision-Making Styles and Why They Break Team Alignment 27:30 Why Leader Involvement Drives Employee Commitment 29:02 Emotional Regulation and the Leadership Moment Jen Would Rewrite Resources: 👉 Connect with Jen Moss on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jennifer-moss-8a356930  👉 Visit JAR Podcast Solutions: jarpodcasts.com  Connect with Dr. Gary McGrath: 🌐 Website: statarius.com  💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/drgarymcgrath  Listen Next: 🎧 Why Your Best Salesperson Might Fail as a Manager: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4hBIf44l1vVVqImB79FDhc 🎧 What Three CEO Roles Taught Matt Espe About Culture and People: open.spotify.com/episode/5Ge8Fx7UcJE4IinHPame1t  About the Host Dr. Gary McGrath is the founder of Statarius, a leadership development firm focused on helping organizations turn good bosses into great leaders through compassionate accountability. Over a 40-year career spanning Fortune 500 companies, technology startups, and leadership consulting, he has trained and coached thousands of leaders across business and nonprofit organizations. His work centers on developing practical leadership frameworks that help organizations build stronger cultures and more effective leaders at every level.

    33 min

  4. May 14

    Why Your Best Salesperson Might Fail as a Manager

    Most organizations think they have a sales problem. What they actually have is a leadership problem. They promote the best rep, hand them a team, and watch things fall apart. Not because the person wasn't talented, but because the instincts that made them great at selling work directly against what leadership requires. In this episode of Leading From the Front, Dr. Gary McGrath sits down with Lauren Bailey, founder of Factor 8 and #GirlsClub, who has spent over 30 years training sales managers at companies like SAP, IBM, and Google. Lauren breaks down why the transition from rep to manager is harder than most organizations prepare for, what new sales managers should actually be doing in their first 90 days, and why behavior change takes longer than any training program accounts for. If you lead a sales team or are stepping into that role, this episode will change how you think about what the job actually demands. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Why 50% Of New Sales Managers Fail 03:10 Why Top Reps Make Bad Managers 05:48 The Six Coachastrophes Of Sales Coaching 09:38 The Secret Every New Manager Hides 15:04 Coach The Person, Not The Deal 19:14 What To Do In Your First 90 Days 19:50 How To Build A Sales Management Cadence 26:00 Why Women Don't Apply For Leadership Roles 27:24 How To Build Confidence As A Leader 33:14 Trust Your Gut On Toxic Hires Resources: 👉 Connect with Lauren Bailey on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/insidesalesadvisor 👉 Visit Factor 8: factor8.com 👉 Visit #GirlsClub: factor8.com/girlsclub-women-in-sales-leadership-training Connect with Dr. Gary McGrath: 🌐 Website: statarius.com 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/drgarymcgrath Listen Next: 🎧 What Three CEO Roles Taught Matt Espe About Culture and People open.spotify.com/episode/5Ge8Fx7UcJE4IinHPame1t 🎧 The Leadership Mistake That Kills Innovation open.spotify.com/episode/5hIR4tKpWHNBwvvQFby1Uw About the Host  Dr. Gary McGrath is the founder of Statarius, a leadership development firm focused on helping organizations turn good bosses into great leaders through compassionate accountability. Over a 40-year career spanning Fortune 500 companies, technology startups, and leadership consulting, he has trained and coached thousands of leaders across business and nonprofit organizations. His work centers on developing practical leadership frameworks that help organizations build stronger cultures and more effective leaders at every level.

    36 min

  5. Apr 30

    What Three CEO Roles Taught Matt Espe About Culture and People

    What does it actually take to lead three very different organizations through disruption, restructuring, and cultural transformation? In this episode of Leading From the Front, Dr. Gary McGrath sits down with Matt Espe, a former GE executive who went on to serve as CEO of IKON Office Solutions, Armstrong World Industries, and Ricoh North America. Across three very different companies, Matt faced the same core challenge: inheriting broken cultures, misaligned teams, and organizations that had stopped holding themselves accountable. He breaks down what he learned about diagnosing people problems versus performance problems, why the best team always wins, and what most leaders get wrong when they finally have the authority to make changes. If you lead an organization through transition or have ever inherited someone else's culture, this episode will give you a sharper framework for where to start. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Bad Attitude, Good Results Is a Tumor 00:28 Three Companies, Three Cultures 01:50 The Review That Exposed the Culture 05:42 The Toughest Boss Matt Ever Had 06:32 The 5 O'Clock Call That Changed Him 10:00 The Invisibility of Great Leadership 10:54 Why Salespeople Give Honest Reviews 20:00 Why Matt Waited a Year to Fire Anyone 21:02 Cutting $100 Million in Six Months 23:10 The Four Kinds of People You Manage 27:14 The Two Promotions Matt Regrets Resources: 👉 Connect with Matt Espe on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/matthew-espe-28138a100  Connect with Dr. Gary McGrath: 🌐 Website: statarius.com  💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/drgarymcgrath  Listen Next: 🎧 Leading with Intention: Decisions That Define Organizations open.spotify.com/episode/5cfKEZLpa9yPn6Py7xr0XP 🎧 The Leadership Mistake That Kills Innovation open.spotify.com/episode/5hIR4tKpWHNBwvvQFby1Uw About the Host  Dr. Gary McGrath is the founder of Statarius, a leadership development firm focused on helping organizations turn good bosses into great leaders through compassionate accountability. Over a 40-year career spanning Fortune 500 companies, technology startups, and leadership consulting, he has trained and coached thousands of leaders across business and nonprofit organizations. His work centers on developing practical leadership frameworks that help organizations build stronger cultures and more effective leaders at every level.

    29 min

  6. Apr 16

    The Leadership Mistake That Kills Innovation

    Your team has ideas. So why aren't you hearing them? In this episode of Leading From the Front, Dr. Gary McGrath sits down with Melissa Dinwiddie, a Juilliard-trained performer and innovation consultant who has worked with organizations like Google, Meta, and Salesforce. Together they break down what actually blocks creativity inside organizations, and what leaders can do to unlock it. You will learn why psychological safety is the foundation of any innovative culture, how perfectionism kills creative thinking before it starts, and what the marshmallow challenge reveals about how most leadership cultures are designed to reward planning over execution. If you have ever wondered why your team plays it safe, avoids sharing ideas, or waits to be told what to do, this episode will give you a clearer picture of where that comes from and how to change it. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Creativity is a decision, not a trait 03:08 What psychological safety actually means 06:02 When brilliant people can't communicate 07:44 The Time Traveler exercise 16:46 Psychological safety vs. critical thinking 20:46 How school trains creativity out of us 26:54 What kindergartners get right 29:44 Why iteration beats perfection Resources: 👉 Connect with Melissa Dinwiddie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissadinwiddie/  👉 Visit Melissa's website: https://melissadinwiddie.com/  Connect with Dr. Gary McGrath:  💼 Website: statarius.com  💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/drgarymcgrath  Listen Next:  🎧 Leading with Intention: Decisions That Define Organizations open.spotify.com/episode/5cfKEZLpa9yPn6Py7xr0XP  About the Host  Dr. Gary McGrath is the founder of Statarius, a leadership development firm focused on helping organizations turn good bosses into great leaders through compassionate accountability. Over a 40-year career spanning Fortune 500 companies, technology startups, and leadership consulting, he has trained and coached thousands of leaders across business and nonprofit organizations. His work centers on developing practical leadership frameworks that help organizations build stronger cultures and more effective leaders at every level.

    33 min

  7. Apr 2

    Leading with Intention: Decisions That Define Organizations

    What does it actually take to walk into a company in crisis and rebuild it from the ground up? In this episode of Leading From the Front, Dr. Gary McGrath sits down with Jeanne Taylor Hecht, CEO and Chairwoman of Lexitas, a full service contract research organization supporting pharmaceutical, biotech, and med tech companies in ophthalmic drug development. Jeanne took over as CEO after serving as Executive Chairwoman of the board, inheriting an organization that was facing challenges around trust and alignment. She breaks down how she stabilized the organization before scaling it, why culture has to be built before strategy can work. If you lead a team through transition, this episode will give you a clearer picture of what it takes to build something that lasts. Key Takeaways: 00:22 What culture actually is 01:07 Simple vision beats complex strategy 01:20 Leadership from the inside out 03:30 Renters vs. owners 08:15 Stabilize before you scale 10:48 Connecting roles to the mission 14:30 Hiring for values 17:00 Fitting in vs. belonging 18:46 Organize, measure, incentivize 19:40 You get what you tolerate 21:58 Results without relationships 23:38 How you show up creates culture Resources: 👉 Connect with Jeanne Taylor Hecht on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jeannehecht  👉 Visit Lexitas: lexitas.com  Connect with Dr. Gary McGrath: 💼 Website: statarius.com  💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/drgarymcgrath  Welcome to Leading From the Front with Dr. Gary McGrath. About the Host  Dr. Gary McGrath is the founder of Statarius, a leadership development firm focused on helping organizations turn good bosses into great leaders through compassionate accountability. Over a 40-year career spanning Fortune 500 companies, technology startups, and leadership consulting, he has trained and coached thousands of leaders across business and nonprofit organizations. His work centers on developing practical leadership frameworks that help organizations build stronger cultures and more effective leaders at every level.

    24 min

  8. Mar 20

    Leading From the Front | Official Trailer

    Leadership is not what you intend. It's what you model. Leading From the Front is a coaching-led podcast for aspiring CEOs, founders, and senior operators who want to lead with greater clarity, accountability, and intention. Hosted by Dr. Gary McGrath, each episode breaks down a real leadership challenge — the decisions that test values under pressure, the conversations that either build or erode trust, and the behaviors leaders choose to confront or let go. Dr. Gary brings 40 years of executive coaching experience to every episode, using real case studies and a direct coaching framework to show listeners how strong leaders actually think, decide, and grow. This is not a motivational show. No vague frameworks, no feel-good platitudes — just honest coaching for leaders stepping into greater responsibility. New episodes drop every other Thursday. Connect with Dr. Gary McGrath 💼 Website: statarius.com 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/drgarymcgrath About the Host Dr. Gary McGrath is the founder of Statarius, a leadership development firm dedicated to helping organizations develop stronger leaders through compassionate accountability. Over the course of a 40-year career, he has coached and trained thousands of leaders across business and nonprofit organizations.

    1 min
  • 8 Episodes

5
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Leading From The Front is a leadership podcast for executives, managers, and emerging leaders who want to build high-performing teams, strengthen company culture, and lead with clarity and accountability. Hosted by Dr. Gary McGrath, a leadership expert with over 40 years of experience, each episode breaks down real-world leadership challenges and delivers practical strategies you can apply immediately. From decision-making under pressure to managing difficult conversations, this show focuses on what it actually takes to lead effectively. Each conversation is designed to help you think more clearly, lead more decisively, and take ownership of the role you’re in. Follow us wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode!

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. Gary McGrath
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    8
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2021 Stratarius
  • Show Website
    Leading From the Front!