This Wasn't My Plan

Ashlee Hayes
  • 4.8 (8)
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  • Updated Weekly

This Wasn’t My Plan is the career podcast for high-achievers who’ve checked all the boxes (and done all the right things!) but still feel something’s missing. Hosted by Career Strategist and Performance Consultant and Advisor, RX Ashlee, it’s your no-BS roadmap to redefining success on your terms. Whether you’re pivoting, scaling your business, or ready for work that works for you, this show delivers sharp strategy, smart scripts, and real talk. No fluff, no filler, just focused guidance to help you lead, own your voice, and win with intention.

  1. 1d ago

    High-Performing Teams Recap Everything

    Episode 34: High Performing Teams Recap Everything In this episode, Ashlee breaks down one of the most underrated communication habits in leadership — the recap. She explains why the absence of closing loops is responsible for more organizational dysfunction than most leaders realize, and why this single habit, installed consistently, can clean up an enormous amount of chaos inside any team. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN * Why weak teams assume and high performing teams recap — and what that difference costs organizations * How humans processing information differently makes recapping a non-negotiable leadership discipline * Why the absence of a recap promotes duplicated work, missed deadlines, resentment, and more meetings * The difference between micromanaging that controls and clarity that supports * Why people follow communication norms far more than rules or policies written on paper Most organizational chaos doesn't start with a bad hire or a broken process. It starts with a conversation that ended without confirmation. Someone thought they owned it. Someone thought it was already decided. Someone thought they were waiting on someone else. And nobody recapped. In this episode, Ashlee makes the case for why the recap is not a nice-to-have leadership skill — it is operational infrastructure. And the leader who fails to close loops sets the communication standard for the entire organization. KEY MOMENTS * (01:30) Why the assumption is where organizational chaos begins and grows * (04:45) The phrases high performing teams use to close every conversation * (08:00) Why recapping is not micromanaging — and why that distinction matters * (11:15) How the leader sets the communication behavioral standard for the entire team * (14:00) Why people follow communication norms more than rules or policies CALL TO ACTION If you're leading a team and want to improve clarity, decision-making, and execution, learn more about Ashlee's leadership workshops here: 🔗 https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops ABOUT ASHLEE Ashlee is a leadership strategist and executive workshop facilitator who helps teams communicate with clarity so decisions move forward and performance improves. She works with founders, operators, and leadership teams to build simple, repeatable systems that strengthen alignment, ownership, and execution under pressure. Connect with Ashlee * Follow Ashlee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleeklevenshayes/ * Follow Ashlee on IG: https://www.instagram.com/rxashleehayes/ * Learn more about Ashlee's workshops: https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops KEYWORDS leadership communication, team alignment, organizational clarity, decision-making, team performance, executive leadership

    8 min

  2. Jul 1

    Why Decisions Stall (And What It Is Costing You!)

    Episode 33: Why Decisions Stall (And What It Is Costing You!) In this episode, Ashlee breaks down why most organizations think they have a people and productivity problem — when what they actually have is a decision-making problem. She explains how a leader's inability to make confident, clear decisions creates a ripple effect that stalls teams, burns out top performers, and quietly bleeds momentum across the entire organization. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN * Why stalled decisions are almost never a people problem — and what they actually are * How unclear communication creates decision fatigue across every level of a team * The difference between strong leaders who reduce cognitive load and weak communicators who increase it * Why high-performing teams move faster — and it has nothing to do with working harder * The four questions every leader should ask before walking into any meeting or conversation Most leaders assume stalled execution is a productivity problem. But the real issue is almost always upstream — a leader who struggles to make confident decisions, communicate them clearly, and close conversations with enough structure for teams to move. Unclear communication creates decision fatigue. And decision fatigue creates the exact symptoms most organizations misdiagnose as people problems: disengagement, resentment, burnout, and turnover. In this episode, Ashlee draws on her work with executive teams and thousands of interview prep clients to show why clarity is the highest-performing leadership skill — and what leaders must do to build it deliberately. KEY MOMENTS * (02:00) Why most organizations misdiagnose stalled execution as a people problem * (05:30) The interview prep pattern that reveals how unclear communication kills decisions * (09:15) How unclear communication creates decision fatigue — and what that costs teams * (13:30) The strongest operational habit Ashlee teaches leaders: pause when the objective is unclear * (17:00) The four questions every leader must answer before any meeting or conversation closes CALL TO ACTION If your organization is struggling with stalled decisions, unclear ownership, or communication bottlenecks, this is exactly the work Ashlee does with executive teams and leaders across the country. Learn more about Ashlee's leadership workshops here: 🔗 https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops ABOUT ASHLEE Ashlee is a leadership strategist and executive workshop facilitator who helps teams communicate with clarity so decisions move forward and performance improves. She works with founders, operators, and leadership teams to build simple, repeatable systems that strengthen alignment, ownership, and execution under pressure. Connect with Ashlee * Follow Ashlee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleeklevenshayes/ * Follow Ashlee on IG: https://www.instagram.com/rxashleehayes/ * Learn more about Ashlee's workshops: https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops KEYWORDS leadership communication, decision-making, organizational clarity, team performance, executive leadership, team alignment

    13 min

  3. Jun 24

    The Leader Who Cannot Communicate Cannot Scale

    Episode 32: The Leader Who Cannot Communicate Cannot Scale In this episode, Ashlee breaks down why most companies don't hit a growth ceiling because of talent — they hit a communication ceiling. She explains why the communication habits that built the business stop working as it grows, and what leaders must do differently to scale without becoming the bottleneck. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN * Why scaling is really about whether information can move clearly through an organization without collapsing * How founders unknowingly become the bottleneck when communication lacks structure * Why what worked at the early stage actively breaks things at the next level * The difference between transferring tasks and transferring clarity * What operational communication maturity actually looks like inside a growing organization Most leaders assume scaling is about more revenue, more people, more systems, and more meetings. But scaling is really about one thing: can information move clearly through the organization without collapsing? When communication breaks down, everything slows — decisions, hiring, execution, and trust. And eventually the leader becomes the bottleneck. Not because they aren't capable, but because the organization cannot move faster than the clarity of its leadership. In this episode, Ashlee breaks down why communication is the infrastructure underneath scaling, what happens when that infrastructure is weak, and how leaders can build communication systems strong enough that the business moves clearly and consistently — even when they are not in the room. KEY MOMENTS * (02:00) Why most companies hit a communication ceiling, not a talent ceiling * (05:30) What scaling actually requires — and why personality and charisma aren't enough * (09:15) The founder bottleneck: when every decision requires your presence, the organization stalls * (13:30) Why leaders become worse communicators as pressure increases * (17:00) What operational communication maturity looks like inside a scaling organization CALL TO ACTION If you're leading a team and want to improve clarity, decision-making, and execution, learn more about Ashlee's leadership workshops here: 🔗 https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops ABOUT ASHLEE Ashlee is a leadership strategist and executive workshop facilitator who helps teams communicate with clarity so decisions move forward and performance improves. She works with founders, operators, and leadership teams to build simple, repeatable systems that strengthen alignment, ownership, and execution under pressure. Connect with Ashlee * Follow Ashlee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleeklevenshayes/ * Follow Ashlee on IG: https://www.instagram.com/rxashleehayes/ * Learn more about Ashlee's workshops: https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops KEYWORDS leadership communication, scaling businesses, organizational clarity, founder bottleneck, team performance, executive leadership

    17 min

  4. Jun 17

    Ownership: The Most Misunderstood Word on Teams

    Episode 31: Ownership — The Most Misunderstood Word on Teams In this episode, Ashlee breaks down why ownership is one of the most overused and least defined words in business today. She explains what ownership actually requires operationally, why high-achieving teams confuse it with over-functioning, and what leaders must do to create the clarity that makes real ownership possible. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN * Why ownership without operational definition creates ambiguity, resentment, and burnout * The four things required for true ownership — and why most teams skip them * How over-functioning gets disguised as loyalty inside high-achieving organizations * The five questions every meeting should be able to answer before it ends * Why real ownership isn't about perfection — it's about communicating early Every company says they want ownership. Every leader says they value it. But most organizations never actually define what ownership means operationally. So people confuse it with working longer hours, saving everyone, or carrying problems that were never theirs to carry. And when ownership stays unclear, deadlines slip, decisions stall, resentment builds, and trust erodes — not because teams are untalented, but because ambiguity exists around who is actually responsible. In this episode, Ashlee gives leaders a simple, repeatable framework for defining ownership clearly — so teams stop guessing, start moving, and build the kind of trust that compounds over time. KEY MOMENTS * (02:00) Why ownership is the most performative word in business right now * (05:30) The project delay scenario that exposes unclear ownership every time * (09:15) The difference between healthy ownership and organizational dysfunction disguised as loyalty * (13:30) The five questions every meeting must answer before it ends * (17:00) Why real ownership requires communication — and communication requires courage CALL TO ACTION If you're leading a team and want to improve clarity, decision-making, and execution, learn more about Ashlee's leadership workshops here: 🔗 https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops ABOUT ASHLEE Ashlee is a leadership strategist and executive workshop facilitator who helps teams communicate with clarity so decisions move forward and performance improves. She works with founders, operators, and leadership teams to build simple, repeatable systems that strengthen alignment, ownership, and execution under pressure. Connect with Ashlee * Follow Ashlee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleeklevenshayes/ * Follow Ashlee on IG: https://www.instagram.com/rxashleehayes/ * Learn more about Ashlee's workshops: https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops KEYWORDS leadership communication, team ownership, organizational clarity, decision-making, team performance, executive leadership

    15 min

  5. Jun 10

    The Cost of Poor Communication in Leadership

    Episode 30: The Cost of Poor Communication in Leadership In this episode, Ashlee makes the business case for why communication is not a soft skill — it's an operational expense. She breaks down exactly what poor communication costs organizations, why burnout is rarely a workload problem, and what leaders must do to stop the silent drain on their teams. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN * Why poor communication costs U.S. businesses an estimated $1.2 trillion annually — and what that means for your team * How unclear environments exhaust people faster than hard work ever could * Why high performers don't leave because of the work — they leave because of the chaos * How trust is built through predictability, not charisma * What it actually means to lead through clarity — and why it's the highest ROI leadership skill Most leaders blame poor performance, low effort, or bad culture when teams stall. But after thousands of conversations with professionals, executives, and leadership teams, the pattern is always the same — it's not a talent problem. It's a communication problem. And that problem is expensive, measurable, and entirely fixable. In this episode, Ashlee draws on research from Grammarly, The Harris Poll, and McKinsey — alongside her own experience inside startups, operating rooms, and executive teams — to show exactly where unclear communication creates burnout, resentment, turnover, and stalled execution. KEY MOMENTS * (02:00) Why poor communication is an operational expense, not a soft skill issue * (05:30) The startup story that made Ashlee see ambiguity for the first time * (09:15) How one unclear ask creates five different interpretations — and what happens next * (13:30) Why burnout is caused by unclear expectations, not hard work * (17:00) How trust erodes when communication is inconsistent — and what it costs CALL TO ACTION If you're leading a team and want to improve clarity, decision-making, and execution, learn more about Ashlee's leadership workshops here: 🔗 https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops ABOUT ASHLEE Ashlee is a leadership strategist and executive workshop facilitator who helps teams communicate with clarity so decisions move forward and performance improves. She works with founders, operators, and leadership teams to build simple, repeatable systems that strengthen alignment, ownership, and execution under pressure. Connect with Ashlee * Follow Ashlee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleeklevenshayes/ * Follow Ashlee on IG: https://www.instagram.com/rxashleehayes/ * Learn more about Ashlee's workshops: https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops KEYWORDS leadership communication, team alignment, organizational clarity, employee burnout, team performance, executive leadership

    16 min

  6. Jun 3

    Understanding Why Team Alignment Is Not the Same as Team Agreement

    Episode 29: Alignment Isn't Agreement In this episode, Ashlee breaks down one of the most misunderstood concepts in leadership — alignment. She explains why teams stall when they confuse alignment with consensus, and what leaders must do differently to create the clarity, ownership, and commitment that actually moves work forward. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN * Why alignment is not consensus — and why confusing the two slows everything down * The 3 C's every leader needs to understand: consensus, clarity, and commitment * How to identify the subtle signs of misalignment before they become expensive problems * Why defining the purpose of a conversation before it starts is a game changer * How strong teams disagree hard in the room — then walk out unified and committed Most teams don't stall because people aren't capable. They stall because people leave conversations unclear on what was actually decided. Leaders chase agreement when they should be creating clarity. They let debate run past the point of decision. And they assume people understood when nothing was actually confirmed. In this episode, Ashlee breaks alignment down into its five core components — strategic, resource, technology, organizational, and operational — and gives leaders a simple, repeatable framework for closing conversations so teams can stop spinning and start executing. KEY MOMENTS * (02:00) The real definition of alignment — and why it's not what most teams think * (05:45) The difference between consensus, clarity, and commitment * (10:30) What misalignment actually sounds like inside organizations * (14:15) The four things the strongest teams do exceptionally well * (18:00) Why alignment lives or dies through communication CALL TO ACTION If you're leading a team and want to improve clarity, decision-making, and execution, learn more about Ashlee's leadership workshops here: 🔗 https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops ABOUT ASHLEE Ashlee is a leadership strategist and executive workshop facilitator who helps teams communicate with clarity so decisions move forward and performance improves. She works with founders, operators, and leadership teams to build simple, repeatable systems that strengthen alignment, ownership, and execution under pressure. Connect with Ashlee * Follow Ashlee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleeklevenshayes/ * Follow Ashlee on IG: https://www.instagram.com/rxashleehayes/ * Learn more about Ashlee's workshops: https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops KEYWORDS team alignment, leadership communication, decision-making, organizational clarity, team performance, executive leadership

    21 min

  7. May 27

    Why Teams Don’t Have a Talent Problem...They Have a Clarity Problem

    Episode 28: Why Teams Don't Have a Talent Problem… They Have a Clarity Problem In this episode, Ashlee breaks down the most misdiagnosed problem in modern organizations — and it's not disengagement, poor culture, or lack of talent. It's unclear communication stacked on top of unclear expectations. She explains what's really happening inside teams that feel stuck, and what leaders must do to fix it. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN * Why disengagement, low performance, and "bad culture" are often just clarity problems in disguise * What thousands of interview prep sessions revealed about how professionals actually communicate under pressure * How ambiguity — not workload — is driving most team burnout * Why communication is not about speaking — it's about reducing ambiguity * How clarity becomes the single most important leadership skill when pressure rises Most organizations aren't struggling because their people are incapable. They're struggling because nobody has clearly defined what success looks like, who owns what, how decisions get made, or what "done" actually means. Leaders think they were clear. Employees think they understood. And two weeks later, everyone is frustrated. In this episode, Ashlee draws on thousands of high-stakes conversations — from interview prep sessions with physicians, attorneys, and executives to her work inside leadership teams — to show why clarity isn't a soft skill. It's the operational standard that determines whether teams execute or spin. KEY MOMENTS * (02:00) What organizations are actually calling "bad culture" and "poor performance" * (05:30) What interview prep revealed about how smart people communicate under pressure * (09:45) How ambiguity — not workload — is the real source of team burnout * (13:15) Why clarity matters more under pressure, not less * (17:00) The shift from trying to sound impressive to trying to sound clear CALL TO ACTION If you're leading a team and want to improve clarity, decision-making, and execution, learn more about Ashlee's leadership workshops here: 🔗 https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops ABOUT ASHLEE Ashlee is a leadership strategist and executive workshop facilitator who helps teams communicate with clarity so decisions move forward and performance improves. She works with founders, operators, and leadership teams to build simple, repeatable systems that strengthen alignment, ownership, and execution under pressure. Connect with Ashlee * Follow Ashlee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleeklevenshayes/ * Follow Ashlee on IG: https://www.instagram.com/rxashleehayes/ * Learn more about Ashlee's workshops: https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops KEYWORDS leadership communication, team alignment, organizational clarity, decision-making, team performance, executive leadership

    13 min

  8. May 18

    How RX Ashlee Defines Leadership

    Episode 27: How RX Ashlee Defines Leadership In this episode, Ashlee plants a flag around what leadership actually means inside RX Ashlee, and it's not the corporate, title-driven, or performative version. She breaks down why leadership has been wildly overcomplicated, who it's really for, and why clarity is the single most important leadership skill you can build. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN - Why leadership has nothing to do with titles, status, or visibility - The real cost of poor leadership communication — on teams, businesses, and relationships - How the clearest leaders outperform the loudest ones every time - Why most teams don't have a talent problem — they have a clarity problem - What it actually means to lead: creating clarity that moves people forward Most leaders aren't struggling because they lack intelligence, ambition, or capability. They're struggling because they can't communicate clearly under pressure. They overexplain, avoid hard conversations, leave meetings without ownership, and confuse motion with leadership. In this episode, Ashlee draws on two decades of working inside hospitals, businesses, and executive teams to redefine leadership from the ground up, not as a personality trait or a title, but as a practiced, repeatable skill anyone can build starting today. KEY MOMENTS - (02:00) Why leadership has become too performative and too theoretical - (05:30) Who leadership is actually for — and it's not just CEOs - (09:15) The behaviors that signal poor leadership communication - (13:40) Ashlee's simple definition: leadership is your ability to create clarity that moves people forward - (18:00) Why the higher you rise, the more your communication matters CALL TO ACTION If you're leading a team and want to improve clarity, decision-making, and execution, learn more about Ashlee's leadership workshops here: 🔗 https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops ABOUT ASHLEE Ashlee is a leadership strategist and executive workshop facilitator who helps teams communicate with clarity so decisions move forward and performance improves. She works with founders, operators, and leadership teams to build simple, repeatable systems that strengthen alignment, ownership, and execution under pressure. Connect with Ashlee - Follow Ashlee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleeklevenshayes/ - Follow Ashlee on IG: https://www.instagram.com/rxashleehayes/ - Learn more about Ashlee's workshops: https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops KEYWORDS leadership communication, team alignment, decision-making, executive leadership, organizational clarity, team performance

    17 min
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4.8
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

This Wasn’t My Plan is the career podcast for high-achievers who’ve checked all the boxes (and done all the right things!) but still feel something’s missing. Hosted by Career Strategist and Performance Consultant and Advisor, RX Ashlee, it’s your no-BS roadmap to redefining success on your terms. Whether you’re pivoting, scaling your business, or ready for work that works for you, this show delivers sharp strategy, smart scripts, and real talk. No fluff, no filler, just focused guidance to help you lead, own your voice, and win with intention.

Information

  • Creator
    Ashlee Hayes
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    37
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Ashlee Hayes
  • Show Website
    This Wasn't My Plan