When it comes to bosses, everyone seems to have a story about a good one or a bad one. But what actually makes the difference? For Dr. Stephen Courtright at the University of Iowa, that question has become a central focus of his research. Blending insights from business, psychology, and leadership studies, his work explores how leaders shape the people and teams around them.

In this episode, we discuss his widely cited research on transformational leadership and what it reveals about motivation, workplace culture, and the qualities that separate great leaders from the rest.