Conversations That Grow

Fear plays a bigger role in leadership than most of us want to admit. In this episode, Mike Konrad shares the conversation that revealed his fear-based decision making — and how that moment became the turning point that reshaped his leadership, his business, and ultimately, his life.

From being dismissed by his employer to building a company that has lasted more than 30 years, Mike opens up about the internal shifts behind his external success. He talks candidly about ego, bravado, revenge, approval, self-awareness, and the uncomfortable process of learning to lead differently.

If you’re navigating growth, change, or the uncomfortable realisation that what once worked no longer does, this conversation will speak to you.

• The surprising ways fear shows up in leadership decisions
• The mentor conversation that changed everything
• How fear-based thinking shapes cash flow, choices, and culture
• Making peace with the worst-case scenario
• Why early leadership traits often become later limitations
• The “starter fluid” analogy for ego, bravado, and urgency
• How Mike shifted from proving himself to serving others
• Why true leadership requires self-awareness and humility
• The mindset shift from doing everything yourself to trusting a team
• Redefining success as freedom — not validation
• What leaders at the early, frantic stage need to hear

01:26 The fear-based decisions hiding in plain sight

03:49 Becoming aware of the “lenses” shaping choices

09:50 Making peace with the worst to break decision paralysis

12:24 The conversation that sparked his business

19:50 How rejection triggered motivation and identity

23:54 The complicated emotional mix behind early leadership

30:39 When your strengths become your liabilities

33:06 The “starter fluid” metaphor for the early years

36:57 From smartest in the room to “stupidest in the room”

38:42 Redefining success as freedom

45:26 Leading less from proving, more from serving

47:03 Advice for leaders in survival mode

Mike Konrad is the founder and CEO of Aqueous Technologies, a global leader in electronics reliability solutions, and the host of two podcasts:

• Reliability Matters
• The Reluctant Entrepreneur

He writes and speaks widely on leadership, business growth, and the mistakes that shape us.

• Website: mikekonrad.com
• Podcast: reluctantentrepreneurpodcast.com
• Aqueous Technologies: aqueoustech.com

Please follow Conversations That Grow, share this episode with someone who’d love it, or leave a review — it helps more people find conversations that spark growth.

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Nigel Cumberland — leadership coach, co-founder of The Silk Road Partnership, and author of several bestselling books including 100 Things Successful Leaders Do.

Nigel and I get into:

• The pivotal conversation that helped him redefine who he was
• His early career as a very young finance director
• Why mistakes became his greatest teachers
• Imposter syndrome & how he learned to handle it
• Culture clashes and the importance of understanding differences
• The evolution of leadership across decades
• Why leadership starts with self-awareness
• Leadership beyond titles — influencing in everyday life
• Why leaders today are more overwhelmed than ever
• His framework: Grounded • Connected • Purposeful
• The biggest thing leaders need to unlearn
• The one leadership principle he believes changes everything
• The hidden cost of poor leadership
• How leaders can stay human in a very digital world

This is an honest, insightful, deeply human conversation about leadership — the kind that helps you rethink the way you show up in your work and life.

Nigel’s Website

👉 https://nigelcumberland.com/

Nigel’s Books

👉 https://www.amazon.com/stores/Nigel-Cumberland/author/B0034P71X2

LinkedIn Learning Courses

👉 https://www.linkedin.com/learning/instructors/nigel-cumberland

Speaking Enquiries

👉 https://www.wsb.com/speakers/nigel-cumberland/

00:00 Intro

01:04 The conversation that changed Nigel’s life

04:30 Resetting your identity after a big career shift

05:53 Mistakes that shaped him as a young leader

09:10 Imposter syndrome in early leadership roles

10:50 Culture clashes and understanding differences

14:05 Why self-awareness matters more than ever

16:40 Leadership beyond titles and formal roles

18:50 Role modelling at home and at work

19:22 The rise of empowerment in leadership

20:00 Helping people see themselves as leaders

23:00 Leadership in a disrupted, digital world

24:30 Grounded, Connected, Purposeful framework

29:44 What leaders struggle with most today

30:50 What people crave in leaders

34:21 Leading with a full tank: self-care and burnout

38:09 The most important principle healthy leaders live by

41:20 When bad leaders survive — and why they shouldn't

42:26 Closing thoughts

The best growth often starts with a meaningful conversation — thank you for being part of this one.

In this episode of Conversations That Grow, Sadaf Beynon sits down with Anastasia Ristovska, co-founder of Next Generation and Books At Ease, to explore the deeper conversations that helped her shift from control to trust—and from doing everything herself to building high-performing, empowered teams.

Anastasia shares two pivotal conversations: one that forced her to stop thinking like an employee and start thinking like a business owner, and another with a team member who challenged her to trust more and let go. These moments reshaped her leadership, led her to create a 90-day training system, and helped her grow two companies without burning out.

If you’ve ever struggled with delegation, micromanaging, or trusting your team, this episode will speak directly to you.

• Why micromanaging is rooted in fear, not ego
• The conversation that shifted Anastasia’s identity from doer to leader
• How trusting your team creates long-term growth
• What it takes to train your team to work independently
• How to lead without knowing all the answers
• Why leadership isn’t a destination—but a daily practice
• The mindset shift that stops you from being the bottleneck

• booksease.com
• nextgeneration.eu
• linkedin.com/in/anastasia-ristovska

This is the podcast where we explore the conversations that shape who we become as leaders and people. Because growth starts with the conversations we’re willing to have—especially the ones we have with ourselves.Companies mentioned in this episode:

In this episode, Sadaf Beynon is joined by Shelley Rosetta, a sales and business development leader with more than 30 years of experience. Shelley opens up about the mentors, conversations, and experiences that shaped her leadership — the good, the painful, and the transformative.

We explore:

• The leaders who believed in her when she didn’t
• Why great performers often struggle as new leaders
• The mindset shift from “doing” to “developing others”
• How accountability begins at the top
• Why mentorship has quietly disappeared in many workplaces
• How identity, empathy, and self-awareness shape the way we lead
• Why leadership is about showing up, not titles
• How to lead from wherever you are

This conversation is a reminder that leadership isn’t about being the star of the show — it’s about creating space for others to grow.

Connect with Shelley:

Email: [email protected]

Guest: Mike Kelly | Executive Coach & Founder of Right Path Enterprises

In this episode, Mike Kelly shares the kinds of leadership conversations that have shaped his life and work — and why the best leaders often do their most important work behind the scenes. From his early days in corporate to founding two mission-driven businesses, Mike brings wisdom, warmth, and clarity to what it means to lead yourself first.

We talk about:

• The conversation that changed how he sees growth
• Letting go of performance culture and embracing rest
• Leading with values and aligning your inner and outer life
• What financial planning can learn from coaching (and vice versa)

Whether you're in leadership, transition, or simply learning to grow with intention — this conversation will meet you there.

Links & Resources:

• Right Path Enterprises
• Kelly Financial Planning
• Connect with Mike on LinkedIn

🎧 For more episodes, visit conversationsgrowpodcast.com

We’re back! After a short pause to rebuild Conversations That Grow with more intention, this episode sets the tone for everything ahead.

In this deeply reflective conversation, David Lapin shares:

• The pivotal conversation he had with Nelson Mandela
• The surprising insight that dignity is something you give
• What your “Spiritual Fingerprint” is—and why it matters more than personality tests
• How to lead without losing your identity
• Why curiosity and humility are the secret ingredients to meaningful dialogue

🎧 I’ve since taken the Spiritual Fingerprint assessment myself, and I found it incredibly clarifying. It helped me see what truly drives me—and what I won’t compromise on.

👉 Take the Spiritual Fingerprint (affiliate link): https://fingerprint.lapininternational.com/login?via=sadaf

More from David Lapin

• Website: https://lapininternational.com
• Book: Lead by Greatness
• LinkedIn (David): https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidlapin
• LinkedIn (Company): https://www.linkedin.com/company/lapin-international

I’m taking a short break from publishing new episodes of Conversations That Grow, but it’s not goodbye.

This podcast has become a personal passion project, and I’m using this time to reset, record new conversations, and shape the next chapter with fresh intention.

If you’ve been listening, thank you. Truly!

And if you’d like to be a guest or know someone with a story to share about leadership, growth, or influence through conversation, I’d love to hear from you.

New episodes will be back soon.

🎧 Explore past conversations: www.conversationsthatgrowpodcast.com

📬 Connect or pitch a guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sadafbeynon/

What if the critical voice telling you "you're not good enough" isn't actually yours? In this raw and transformative conversation, emotional mastery coach Lenora Edwards reveals how she discovered that her decades-long eating disorder and crippling self-doubt were driven by inherited voices from her past - not her authentic self. She shares her breakthrough moment in a dentist's chair that led to developing the SHIFT Protocol, a practical method for identifying whose voice is really speaking in your head and trading limiting thoughts for empowering ones. If you've ever struggled with imposter syndrome, emotional overwhelm, or feeling stuck despite your success, this episode offers a powerful roadmap for reclaiming control of your inner dialogue and, ultimately, your life.

• Why the limiting beliefs holding you back aren't actually "yours" and where they really come from
• The 5-step SHIFT Protocol for transforming negative thoughts in real-time
• How to distinguish between inherited shame voices and your authentic inner wisdom
• Why trading thoughts works better than trying to transform them completely
• The difference between confidence and certainty in leadership situations
• Practical strategies for setting boundaries without people-pleasing or emotional overwhelm

Guest Links:

• Lenora's Website: https://driventobebetter.com/
• Lenora's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lenora-edwards-m-s-941b1452/

Conversations that Grow Ecosystem:

• Conversations that Grow Home: https://conversationsthatgrowpodcast.com/
• Podjunction: https://podjunction.com/

One conversation changed everything for Jim Carlough. Fresh out of college and newly elected to city council, he expected the usual political favours. Instead, he got life-changing advice that would shape his entire leadership philosophy. In this episode, Jim shares how a simple question asked every night for over 40 years became his compass through challenging business turnarounds, difficult decisions, and building high-performing teams. From transforming struggling sales teams to navigating integrity challenges in corporate America, Jim reveals why some pillars of leadership are simply non-negotiable.

Guest Links:

• Jim's Website: https://www.jimcarlough.com/
• Jim's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimcarlough/
• mPulse: https://mpulse.com/
• Jim's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Six-Pillars-Effective-Leadership-Roadmap/dp/B0DQWT93V7

Conversations that Grow Ecosystem:

• Conversations that Grow Home: https://conversationsthatgrowpodcast.com/
• Podjunction Home: https://podjunction.com/

Carly Pepin thought moving from LA to Australia would solve her problems. She was wrong. In this raw conversation, she reveals the moment she realised geography wasn't the issue – her internal world was.

From blaming her environment to discovering authentic leadership, Carly shares how facing personal trauma unlocked massive business growth. We explore why some people will always hate your leadership (and why that's actually good), the dangerous "should" trap that kills entrepreneurial growth, and how your deepest personal roadblocks are secretly limiting your business scaling.

Links referenced in this episode:

• westcoastgrowthadvisors.com

Want help creating your own podcast? Visit us at podjunction.com or reach out to Sadaf directly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sadafbeynon/