Dialing In | Where Connection Meets Performance

Have you ever noticed someone on your team go from being fully invested in their work to simply doing what's expected of them?

In this episode, Jule sits down with Greg Hawks, leadership speaker and author of Act Like an Owner, to explore how leaders influence the level of ownership, engagement, and commitment people bring to their work.

Greg shares how an unexpected experience with a rental property inspired his framework of Owners, Renters, and Vandals. What began as a lesson in responsibility became a way of understanding workplace behavior and why some employees contribute with genuine ownership while others gradually disengage.

Together, Jule and Greg discuss how leadership behaviors can either strengthen or diminish that sense of ownership, why connection and trust are essential to performance, and how leaders can recognize the early signs of disengagement before they appear in the results.

In this conversation, you'll hear:

• The difference between Owners, Renters, and Vandals, and how each mindset affects team performance.
• Why employees stop contributing ideas when they feel their voices aren't valued.
• How leaders can create greater ownership by connecting individual contributions to the larger mission.
• Why consistent check-ins, genuine listening, and trust help leaders recognize disengagement early.
• How tolerating destructive behavior, even from high performers, can undermine the commitment of an entire team.

Greg's perspective reinforces an important leadership lesson: ownership isn't something we can simply ask of people. Leaders have to create an environment where people feel heard, understand the value of their contributions, and have a reason to stay invested in the work. 

Connect with Greg 

Website: https://greghawks.com

Book: Act Like an Owner

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ghawks/

Connect with Jule

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julesalem/

Website: https://www.julesalem.com

Dialing In is a leadership podcast for operators, executives, and founders that explores how connection drives performance in business. Each episode looks at the human dynamics behind business results and how stronger connection can create greater trust, alignment, accountability, and ultimately, better performance.

Join us and subscribe to the show to be the first to hear new episodes.

Have you ever felt like your work should speak for itself, only to realize that doing a great job isn't always enough to move your career forward?

In this episode, Jule sits down with Jennifer Marcou, author of Lead with Quiet Confidence, to explore how introverted professionals can grow their influence, build meaningful relationships, and step into leadership without changing who they are.

Jennifer shares a defining moment in her career when she was passed over for a leadership position she had already been filling on an interim basis. What initially felt like a setback became an opportunity to recognize that leadership requires more than expertise and strong performance. It also requires visibility, relationships, and the ability to influence others.

Together, Jule and Jennifer discuss how small behavioral changes can strengthen connection, why confidence often follows action, and how leaders can create environments where different communication styles are recognized and valued.

In this conversation, Jennifer and Jule discuss:

• Why strong performance alone doesn't always lead to leadership opportunities.
• How introverts can build visibility and professional relationships without feeling like they're self-promoting.
• Why small actions, like initiating conversations, can change how others experience us.
• How introverted leaders can manage their energy while remaining present and connected to their teams.
• What leaders can do to make sure quieter voices and ideas are heard.

Jennifer's story is a reminder that becoming a more effective leader doesn't mean becoming someone else. Sometimes it starts with one small step outside your comfort zone, building the confidence and connections that allow your strengths to have a greater impact.

Connect with Jennifer:

Book: Lead with Quiet Confidence

Website: https://jennifermarcou.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermarcou/

Connect with Jule:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julesalem/

Website: https://www.julesalem.com

Dialing In is a leadership podcast for operators, executives, and founders that explores how connection drives performance in business. Each episode looks at the human dynamics behind business results and how stronger connection can create greater trust, alignment, accountability, and ultimately, better performance.

Join us and subscribe to the show to be the first to hear new episodes.

Have you ever been ready for an opportunity but hesitated because you weren't sure you were ready enough?

In this episode, Jule sits down with Kamini Ramani, author of Lotus Leadership and a Silicon Valley veteran with nearly four decades of experience, including serving as a communications advisor to Steve Jobs.

Kamini shares a pivotal moment early in her career that taught her the importance of speaking up, advocating for yourself, and having the confidence to step forward. She also shares lessons from more than 100 women leaders whose stories shaped Lotus Leadership and revealed common patterns in how successful leaders grow, connect, and navigate their careers.

For leaders navigating their next opportunity or learning to trust their strengths, Kamini offers practical insights on what it means to own your power without losing what makes you uniquely effective.

In this conversation, Kamini and Jule discuss:

• Why advocating for yourself matters
• How curiosity can open unexpected career opportunities
• Why strong leaders find and nurture champions
• How empathy and accountability can work together
• What it means to recognize when you're “ready enough”

If you've ever questioned whether you're ready for the next step, this episode is a reminder that growth doesn't require becoming someone else.

Sometimes it starts with recognizing the strengths you already have and having the courage to use them.

Connect with Kamini:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaminiramani/

Website & Book: Lotus Leadership

Connect with Jule:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julesalem/
Website: https://www.julesalem.com

Download the Free Guide Here: Free Guide | The 5 Warning Signs Your Team Is Disconnected

Dialing In is a leadership podcast for operators, executives, and founders that explores how connection drives performance in business. Each episode looks at the human dynamics behind business results and how stronger connection can create greater trust, alignment, accountability, and ultimately, better performance.

Join us and subscribe to the show to be the first to hear new episodes.

Have you ever wondered what separates leaders who build trust from those who lose it?

In this episode, Jule sits down with Pete Srodoski, CEO coach, bestselling author of Lead with Empathy, and founder of Roll With the Punches, whose leadership philosophy was shaped by one of the most defining moments of his career.

Pete shares how an unexpected leadership experience changed the trajectory of his life and inspired him to help other executives build healthier cultures rooted in empathy, accountability, and self-awareness. Drawing from years of coaching CEOs, he explains why great leadership isn't about having all the answers. It's about listening, earning trust, and creating environments where people can do their best work.

For leaders navigating pressure, coaching high-performing teams, or striving to build stronger workplace cultures, Pete offers practical insights on why empathy isn't a soft skill. It's one of the most strategic leadership tools you can develop.

In this conversation, Pete and Jule discuss:

• Why empathy and accountability are strongest when they work together
• How active listening helps leaders build trust and improve decision-making
• Why insecurity and ego often create the biggest leadership challenges
• How authentic feedback helps people grow while strengthening workplace culture
• Why great leaders focus on developing people, not just driving performance

If you've ever questioned how to lead through pressure, have more honest conversations, or create a culture where people feel supported and challenged, this episode is a reminder that leadership isn't defined by avoiding difficult moments.

It's defined by how you respond to them and the culture you build because of them.

Connect with Pete:

Website: https://rollwithpunch.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petersrodoski/

Books: Lead with Empathy and additional titles by Pete Srodoski, available through major booksellers and Audible.

Connect with Jule:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julesalem/

Website: https://www.julesalem.com

Download the Free Guide Here: Free Guide | The 5 Warning Signs Your Team Is Disconnected

Dialing In is a leadership podcast for operators, executives, and founders that explores how connection drives performance in business. Each episode looks at the human dynamics behind business results and how stronger connection can create greater trust, alignment, accountability, and ultimately, better performance.

Join us and subscribe to the show to be the first to hear new episodes.

Have you ever stopped to ask why your organization does things the way it does?

In this episode, Jule sits down with Steve Cadigan, LinkedIn's first Chief Human Resources Officer and author of Workquake, whose leadership helped guide LinkedIn through one of the fastest periods of growth in its history.

Steve shares what he learned while helping scale LinkedIn from 400 employees to more than 4,000 and why one simple question changed the way the company approached leadership, recruiting, and culture. Along the way, he explains why the strongest organizations don't follow best practices by default. They challenge assumptions, build trust, and intentionally create environments where people can do their best work.

For leaders navigating rapid growth, organizational change, or the evolving role of AI in the workplace, Steve offers practical insights on why culture isn't something you delegate. It's something every leader helps create.

In this conversation, Steve and Jule discuss:

• Why asking "Why do we do it this way?" can unlock better leadership decisions
• How LinkedIn built a culture that became its greatest competitive advantage
• Why trust grows through transparency, curiosity, and difficult conversations
• How leaders can use AI to strengthen people instead of simply replacing them
• Why winning organizations focus on helping people grow, not just keeping them happy

If you're leading through growth, building a stronger culture, or trying to prepare your team for what's next, this episode is a reminder that culture isn't built through policies or perks.

It's built by leaders who ask better questions, earn trust, and create environments where people can thrive.

Connect with Steve:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cadigan/

Website: https://www.stevecadigan.com

Book: Workquake: Embracing the Aftershocks of COVID-19 to Create a Better Model of Working

Connect with Jule:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julesalem/

Website: https://www.julesalem.com

Download the Free Guide Here: Free Guide | The 5 Warning Signs Your Team Is Disconnected

Dialing In is a leadership podcast for operators, executives, and founders that explores how connection drives performance in business. Each episode looks at the human dynamics behind business results and how stronger connection can create greater trust, alignment, accountability, and ultimately, better performance.

Join us and subscribe to the show to be the first to hear new episodes.

Have you ever sensed something was off within your organization, even when the work was still getting done?

In this episode, Jule sits down with Chris Deaver, co-author of Brave Together and a leadership and culture expert whose career has included work with Dell, Disney, and Apple.

Chris shares a defining experience early in his career at Dell, when the company was navigating business challenges, leadership changes, and declining employee engagement. Fresh out of his MBA program, Chris began questioning whether the culture that had helped the company succeed in the past was equipped to take it where it wanted to go next.

For leaders who sense something within their culture needs to change, Chris's story is a reminder that transformation doesn't always begin with a new strategy.

Sometimes it begins with having the courage to notice what's missing and speak up about it.

In this conversation, Chris and Jule discuss:

• Why the behaviors that made an organization successful in the past may not be enough for its future
• How leaders can challenge the status quo and create meaningful culture change
• Why connection and innovation are essential alongside strong execution
• How identifying and empowering the right leaders can help new behaviors spread throughout an organization
• Why self-awareness starts with asking, "What do I need to do differently?"

If you've ever felt that something within your organization needs to change, but weren't sure where to begin, this episode is a reminder that building a stronger culture doesn't happen all at once.

It starts with seeing things differently, asking better questions, and being brave enough to help create what comes next.

Connect with Chris:

Website: https://bravecore.co/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-deaver/
Book: Brave Together

Connect with Jule:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julesalem/
Website: https://www.julesalem.com/

Download the Free Guide Here: Free Guide | The 5 Warning Signs Your Team Is Disconnected

Dialing In is a leadership podcast for operators, executives, and founders that explores how connection drives performance in business. Each episode looks at the human dynamics behind business results and how stronger connection can create greater trust, alignment, accountability, and ultimately, better performance.

Join us and subscribe to the show to be the first to hear new episodes.

Have you ever faced a moment that completely changed the way you lead?

In this episode, Jule sits down with Jill Wrobel, Chief Human Resources Officer at Brunswick Corporation, whose leadership has been shaped by both executive experience and life's most unexpected challenges.

Jill shares how navigating a deeply personal health journey transformed the way she thinks about work, connection, and supporting others. Rather than seeing leadership as simply driving results, she explains why the strongest leaders create environments where people feel seen, trusted, and empowered to bring their best selves to work.

For leaders balancing performance with empathy, navigating difficult conversations, or building stronger workplace cultures, Jill offers practical insights on how genuine connection strengthens both people and business outcomes.

In this conversation, Jill and Jule discuss:

• Why leading with curiosity creates stronger relationships than leading with assumptions
• How managers can support employees through life's most difficult moments without having all the answers
• Why connection and accountability work best together, not separately
• How organizations can intentionally build cultures where people feel valued and supported
• The importance of creating space for people to do their best thinking and best work

If you've ever wondered how to lead people through uncertainty, foster trust within your team, or create a culture where both people and performance thrive, this episode is a reminder that great leadership begins with seeing the person before the role.

Connection isn't built through perfect answers.

It's built through empathy, curiosity, and showing up for people when it matters most.

Connect with Jill:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jill-wrobel/

Recommended Reading: Lives Lost and Leadership Found: Lessons from Special Somebodies by Ian Ziskin (includes Jill's contributed essay and reflection exercise).

Connect with Jule:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julesalem/
Website: www.julesalem.com

Dialing In is a leadership podcast for operators, executives, and founders that explores how connection drives performance in business. Each episode looks at the human dynamics behind business results and how stronger connection can create greater trust, alignment, accountability, and ultimately, better performance.

Join us and subscribe to the show to be the first to hear new episodes.

Have you ever assumed you knew why someone was struggling… only to realize you hadn't asked enough questions?

In this episode, Jule sits down with Andrew Carothers—a customer experience leader with deep expertise in communications, digital technology, and building high-performing teams.

Andrew shares two contrasting stories of inheriting underperforming employees. While the situations looked nearly identical on the surface, the outcomes were completely different. What made the difference wasn't the performance issue itself—it was the leader's willingness to pause, get curious, and approach accountability with clarity instead of frustration.

For leaders navigating difficult conversations, performance challenges, or the pressure to balance accountability with empathy, Andrew's experiences offer a practical reminder that assumptions rarely lead to solutions.

Curiosity does.

In this conversation, Andrew and Jule discuss:

• Why pausing before reacting to underperformance changes the entire conversation
• Why "clear is kind" removes the guesswork and the guilt—from hard feedback
• How building trust early gives employees the runway to learn from mistakes
• Why how you treat one struggling employee is always being watched by the rest of the team
• How transparency turns AI adoption from a threat into a shared opportunity

If you've ever struggled with how to address poor performance, coach someone through a challenge, or decide when it's time to move on, this episode will remind you that leadership isn't about having all the answers.

It's about creating the conditions for people to succeed—and having the courage to act when they don't.

Connect with Andrew:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-carothers/

Connect with Jule:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julesalem/
Website: www.julesalem.com

Dialing In is a leadership podcast for operators, executives, and founders that explores how connection drives performance in business. Each episode looks at the human dynamics behind business results and how stronger connection can create greater trust, alignment, accountability, and ultimately, better performance.

Join us and subscribe to the show to be the first to hear new episodes.

Have you ever been so focused on keeping up with growth that creating connection started slipping to the bottom of the list?

In this episode, Jule sits down with Maddy Niebauer—Co-Founder and CEO of VChief, a company that helps organizations scale by providing fractional executive talent and strategic leadership support.

Maddy shares what happened as her business experienced rapid growth and the tension that came with trying to scale without losing the culture and connection that made the organization successful in the first place. As the pace accelerated, she realized that sustaining growth wasn't just about getting more work done—it was about creating the space for people and relationships to thrive.

For leaders balancing growth, competing priorities, and the constant pressure to do more, Maddy's story is a reminder that connection doesn't happen by accident.

It happens by design.

In this conversation, Maddy and Jule discuss:

• Why rapid growth can unintentionally create disconnection within teams
• Why trust—not time—is often the biggest barrier to effective delegation
• How setting clear expectations helps teams and clients succeed together
• The importance of protecting time for strategic thinking instead of constantly reacting
• Why great leaders focus on where they create the most value—not where they can stay the busiest

If you've ever felt like there aren't enough hours in the day, you're carrying too much yourself, or your calendar is dictating your priorities, this episode will challenge you to rethink where your time creates the most value.

Because great leadership isn't about doing everything.

It's about knowing what only you can do.

Connect with Maddy:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madeleineniebauer
Website: https://vchiefs.com/

Connect with Jule:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julesalem/
Website: www.julesalem.com

Dialing In is a leadership podcast for operators, executives, and founders that explores how connection drives performance in business. Each episode looks at the human dynamics behind business results and how stronger connection can create greater trust, alignment, accountability, and ultimately, better performance.

Join us and subscribe to the show to be the first to hear new episodes.

Have you ever been so focused on delivering results that you didn’t realize how your pressure was landing on the people around you?

In this episode of Dialing In, Jule sits down with Sabina Nawaz—executive coach, keynote speaker, leadership expert, and author of You’re the Boss.

Sabina shares a defining leadership moment that forced her to confront an uncomfortable truth: even with good intentions, the way she was showing up under pressure was creating distance between herself and her team.

What began as a candid conversation became a powerful lesson in self-awareness, accountability, and the hidden ways power can shape workplace dynamics. Sabina’s story is a reminder that leaders don’t always see the full impact of their behavior, especially when they are moving fast, carrying responsibility, and trying to deliver.

For leaders navigating high expectations, constant change, and the pressure to perform, this conversation offers a clear reminder: intention and impact are not always the same.

In this episode, Sabina and Jule discuss:

• How power and pressure can quietly erode trust
• How to create safer channels for honest feedback
• Why accountability starts with the leader
• Why caring for people and holding high standards are not competing priorities
• The small daily habits that help leaders strengthen connection before it breaks

This episode is for any leader who has ever felt the weight of responsibility and wondered how to keep delivering without losing connection with the people they lead.

Because connection is rarely lost in one big moment.

It is built—or broken—in the small moments that happen every day.

And those moments matter more than we think.

Connect with Sabina:

Website: https://sabinanawaz.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabinanawaz/

Connect with Jule:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julesalem/
Website: www.julesalem.com

Dialing In is a leadership podcast for operators, executives, and founders that explores how connection drives performance in business. Each episode looks at the human dynamics behind business results and how stronger connection can create greater trust, alignment, accountability, and ultimately, better performance.

Join us and subscribe to the show to be the first to hear new episodes.