Finding Leadership Momentum When Your Tank is Empty

What do you do when you want a fresh start, but your tank is still empty? In this Season 3 premiere, Drew Dudley and Brett Elmgren discuss how to restart when your energy is low and momentum feels hard to find. First, they share what’s been good, what’s been weighing on them, and steps for a powerful check-in when you are depleted and worried it is leaking out as guilt, frustration, or anger. They dig into what anger can signal and the complexities around setting healthy boundaries as a leader. Drew and Brett then dig into ways to restart when your energy is low, and you cannot find the motivation to start. They explore the tension between bending your schedule to match your energy versus trying to force your energy to match your calendar, and why urgency for relaxation usually backfires. They unpack why tolerance for discomfort is important, how to develop the discipline muscle, and the role of accountability and discipline in finding motivation. They also share their new “Agree to Agree” segment, which tests how much they actually align on culture versus strategy, toxic high performers, and the only holiday argument that really matters. Join Drew and Brett to discover how to reframe tasks, learn simple habits to restart when your energy is low, and uncover the interdependence between culture and strategy.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Bending your schedule to your energy versus bending your energy to your schedule. [0:17:55]

• How breaking a task into smaller steps can unlock momentum and build discipline. [0:26:04]

• Learn why accountability is vital, how to sustain discipline, and the role of patience. [0:30:58]

• An overview of the new “Agree to Agree” segment and the motivation for starting it. [0:37:24]

• Explore the complex interplay between culture and strategy and why it matters. [0:40:23]

• Find out whether toxic employees should be fired regardless of their performance. [0:47:56]

• Unpack the concept of exploring your “wrongness” as an intellectual exercise. [1:05:30]

Quotes:

“It is amazing what you attract when you are driven by certain purpose.” — Brett Elmgren [0:06:02]

“We’ll never start if we are searching for motivation – but if it is a search for patience, that makes it a search for quiet, which often makes it a search for peace.” — Drew Dudley [0:35:34]

“Strategy will sometimes eat culture for breakfast, but culture is going to give you a six-pack over time. – So, culture beats strategy [in the] long-term.” — Drew Dudley [0:42:31]

“Culture informs strategy, and culture has to be part of strategy. They are integrated with each other, they are not two separate entities.” — Brett Elmgren [0:45:43]

“Problematic behavior cannot be corrected if people [are] not aware that it is problematic.” — Drew Dudley [0:55:21]

Links in Today’s Episode:

Atomic Habits

The Last Lecture

Outliers

The Tipping Point

Drew Dudley | Everyday Leadership

Brett Elmgren | Axom Leadership

How can we change the default assumptions we make? How do we start creating better ones to build trust and ultimately, better organizations? In the Season 2 finale of Good Company, we’re talking about the impact of assumptions at work. Drew starts us off with a recent experience that opened his eyes to the hidden assumptions quietly shaping our relationships. Next, we explore how having trouble remembering people’s names might point to a different set of skills rather than a lack of care. Our conversation also touches on setting a vision for your workplace and explores the impact of common assumptions on workplace relationships, and what we could train ourselves to think instead. When you stop looking for faults, you find solutions, and this episode will equip you to reframe your thinking to be more compassionate and ultimately, more productive.

Key Points From This Episode:

• The theme covered in this Season 2 finale: changing the default assumptions we make at work. [0:00:00]

• Experiences that led Drew to focus on the pivotal role of assumptions. [0:05:05]

• How Drew’s difficulty remembering names illustrates the problem of making incorrect assumptions. [0:08:16]

• Default assumptions and expectations that hurt our ability to understand each other. [0:14:40]

• How defining your vision for your workplace can reframe what you want in a way people can deliver. [0:21:36]

• The challenge of having management buy into a new way of thinking about assumptions. [0:27:18]

• Unpacking Kathryn Schulz’s three assumptions. [0:30:35]

• Busting the myth that becoming aware of a bad assumption is bad for us. [0:39:02]

• Considering the impact of our assumptions on other people. [0:46:06]

Quotes:

“If there [were] one question that really got to the heart of the current trust level in an organization, it [is], how generous are your collective assumptions?” — Drew Dudley [0:03:11] “If we could live in a world where we just didn’t hold expectations linked to these traditional assumptions, how much better [could we] understand each other, lead each other, and work with each other?” — Drew Dudley [0:13:39]

“When we evaluate people’s motivations with the assumption that they’re doing it for the same reason I would, [we’re] closing off any option that wouldn’t occur to us, and [that’s] dangerous.” — Brett Elmgren [0:14:55]

“We stifle our interesting in an effort not to be annoying.” — Drew Dudley [0:21:48] “You need to build relationships with people so that they make better assumptions of your intentions.” — Brett Elmgren [0:34:01]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Kathy Bates’ Mom’s Reaction To Her Oscar Win

Being Wrong

Strengthsfinder

Drew Dudley | Everyday Leadership

Brett Elmgren | Axom Leadership

Today on the Good Company Podcast, we continue our overarching theme of creating better workplaces by exploring how to build (and keep) respect at work. Drew and Brett unpack taking ownership and accountability to gain influence, how to build trusting relationships, workplace behaviors that build and break trust, best practices for receiving bad news as a leader, and why there are no winners in the blame game. Tuning in, you’ll also learn about safety culture, the reasons certain negative events recur, the perils of the human condition, and how to garner trust and respect at work. To close, Drew and Brett explore the art in your work and how silence can often lead to new and better discoveries.

Key Points From This Episode:

• How their colleagues have won their respect, and why this matters. [0:03:09]

• Ways that ownership and accountability influence respect in the workplace. [0:08:55]

• Comparing workplace behaviors that build and break trust. [0:16:22]

• Best practices for receiving bad news as a leader: regulating your emotions. [0:25:20]

• Why blame never solves any problems. [0:34:49]

• Safety culture, and why certain behaviors repeat when others don’t. [0:41:43]

• How many of our shortcomings are the result of the human condition. [0:45:03]

• Important advice for garnering trust and respect at work. [0:51:15]

• Finding the art in work. [0:56:22]

Quotes:

“When you shut up, people will ask you stuff. – When you constantly talk, people get tired of hearing what you have to say.” — Drew Dudley [0:03:45]

“Leadership comes in all shapes and sizes. You don’t have to be in – formal senior executive leadership to demonstrate it.” — Brett Elmgren [0:08:17]

“Something that naturally wins respect is when somebody is self-aware [enough to] acknowledge their weaknesses, is open about that, and willing to actually improve upon it. We build trust so much quicker that way.” — Brett Elmgren [0:09:00]

“Most people are going to be harder on themselves than you are going to be on them.” — Drew Dudley [0:15:17]

“One of the best ways of building trust is demonstrating trust.” — Drew Dudley [0:24:37]

“Blame has never solved any organizational problem ever.” — Brett Elmgren [0:35:46]

“‘I don’t know’ are the three most powerful words in leadership.” — Drew Dudley [0:55:36]

“Even if you’re an analytical person, recognize the art in your work. – Make sure that there is emotion in your intellect and intellect in your emotion.” — Drew Dudley [0:56:21]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

CEO Excellence

The Alchemist

SafeStart

Drew Dudley | Everyday Leadership

Brett Elmgren | Axom Leadership

What if your boss isn’t actively doing harm, but they’re not doing quite enough either? In this episode, we tackle a listener question about how to manage up when a well-meaning new leader is missing opportunities to support the team. What’s the best way to offer constructive feedback without overstepping? We kick things off with a conversation about first impressions, authenticity, and the challenge of reading a room when you’re trying to make a positive impact. That leads us straight into how to influence without authority. We explore practical strategies, including how to ask for permission to give feedback, why clarity beats courage, and how to avoid gossip-fueled resentment. We also touch on why compassion, not judgment, is key when dealing with imperfect leadership. Tune in to pick up real-world tools that make managing up feel a little less risky and a lot more achievable!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Reflections on first impressions and adaptive authenticity at work. [0:03:10]

• A listener question introduces the theme: how to influence without formal authority. [0:08:33]

• Why you can’t fix behavior if you don’t know it’s a problem. [0:10:21]

• How to invite feedback conversations in a supportive, non-defensive way. [0:14:46]

• Tips for making it easier for leaders to lead and listen effectively. [0:23:39]

• Using “I” statements and curiosity to navigate tough dynamics. [0:28:40]

• The accept-or-change framework for stuck workplace relationships. [0:35:32]

• Practical tools for influencing up and building trust with your manager. [0:47:33]

• The pre-requisites of influence and trust: credibility, experience, and relationships. [0:53:35]

• To influence up, start by genuinely caring about your manager’s success and challenges. [0:58:34]

Quotes:

“You can never expect someone to correct problematic behavior if they are unaware of that problematic behavior.” — Drew Dudley [0:11:25]

“Once you have permission for the feedback, don't be wishy washy about it. Clear is kind, as Brené Brown always says.” — Brett Elmgren [0:17:10]

“The one thing we never talk about is, ‘How easy do we make it for our leaders to lead us?’ And we sit around and complain and vent and become resentful. But what have we done to help that leader lead us?” — Brett Elmgren [0:25:04]

“I am feeling frustrated at this. Do you think that's fair? That's such a great way of letting someone know there's a frustration, but that you haven't already made up your mind.” — Drew Dudley [0:30:24]

“Don't demand trust when you haven't earned it.” — Brett Elmgren [0:53:25]

“Do you care about your manager? Do you give a crap? Because if you don't, where do you get off expecting them to give a crap about you?” — Drew Dudley [0:59:00]

“You know what caring about your manager means? It means caring about their growth and their development as much as you demand that they care about yours.” — Drew Dudley [00:59:59]

“We have to always remind ourselves [that], generally speaking, nobody does anything from a bad place of intention.” — Brett Elmgren [01:00:47]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Drew Dudley | Everyday Leadership

Brett Elmgren | Axom Leadership

Welcome to part two of our career development, freedom, and ambition discussion! If you haven’t listened to part one of the conversation, be sure to do so now. Starting off, Drew and Brett share some of the biggest career pitfalls people need to watch out for based on their personal experiences, the danger of being self-centered before establishing credibility, and why you should compare yourself to the competition and not the qualifications. You’ll hear all about why rethinking talent systems is so important before discussing why resilience, courage, and impact are far more valuable than qualifications. To close off, we chat about some hypothetical hiring experiments companies could use to select employees. Thanks for listening!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Some of the biggest mistakes to avoid making in your career. [0:00:59]

• Why being self-centered around your career is problematic. [0:08:41]

• Comparing yourself to the competition, not the qualifications. [0:13:05]

• Challenging the way we recruit talent and focusing on resilience instead. [0:18:18]

Quotes:

“The worst career advice might very well have been the stuff that made me the most money!” — Drew Dudley [0:02:57]

“Everybody wins in the broader scope of an organization if people are – prospering.” — Brett Elmgren [0:08:15]

“The job changes! It’s not just this perfect ladder as we’ve been made to believe.” — Brett Elmgren [0:12:42]

“You don’t have to have 100 [percent of the qualifications on a job description!]” — Drew Dudley [0:17:22]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Drew Dudley | Everyday Leadership Brett Elmgren | Axom Leadership

In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Brett Elmgren and Drew Dudley dive into what it really means to thrive in your career—not just in terms of title and salary, but in finding purpose, peace, and joy along the way. This episode is packed with practical advice, honest reflections, and stories that inspire listeners to take charge of their own career paths.

Whether you’re early in your journey, feeling stuck mid-career, or rethinking your next chapter, Brett and Drew offer the kind of guidance that moves beyond the clichés and gets to the heart of what helps people truly flourish at work.

Key Points From This Episode:

• The goal of this episode: help listeners find clarity on what they want career-wise. [0:05:00]
• The difference between a sponsor and a mentor, and why you should find a sponsor. [0:07:26]
• Brett and Drew share the most valuable career advice they’ve ever received. [0:09:46]
• Defining the words ‘success, freedom, security, and peace’ in terms of your career. [0:26:35]
• The importance of considering how your career affects the rest of your life. [0:31:45]
• Brett tells us about the career clarity framework he created. [0:37:00]
• The importance of figuring out what freedom looks like to you. [0:46:28]
• What financial exit philosophy is and how it differs for each person. [0:54:48]

Quotes:

“Step one of any good career development plan is to just be awesome – at what you do.” — Brett Elmgren [0:16:19]

“I don’t think most people are afraid of failing. They’re afraid of choosing the wrong goal and shutting off other options.” — Drew Dudley [0:19:21]

“Genuine ambiguity is better than a false sense of certainty.” — Brett Elmgren [0:23:47]

“I don’t chase my ambition anymore, I’m looking for peace.” — Drew Dudley [0:30:35]

“You want to make sure that whatever career choice you make is not in tension in a significant way with your personal values.” — Brett Elmgren [0:38:24]

“If the ambition is security, ask people to find what security is to them.” — Drew Dudley [0:57:33]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Daniel Pink Commencement Speech

Drew Dudley | Everyday Leadership

Brett Elmgren | Axom Leadership

What if the finish line wasn’t the end of a journey, but the peace you could enjoy before it ends? In this episode, we share Drew’s recent “red dot” talk, titled ‘Somebody That I Used to Know’, where he shares the vulnerable story of how he learned not to chase potential beyond his health and happiness. We unpack some key insights from his talk, including his relationship with potential, what it looks like to accept the changes that life brings, and how to recognize and nurture healthy ambition. Our conversation also explores whether you can truly be both ambitious and happy and how to evaluate your goals based on what truly matters to you and your team. Tune in to gain practical tools and perspective shifts that can help you pursue success without losing yourself along the way!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Personal takes on ambition, work, and mental health behind this episode. [0:00:30]

• Drew’s “red dot” talk: how a health scare prompted a re-evaluation of his goals. [0:05:13]

• What your understanding of striving for potential can do to shape your life’s journey. [0:14:18]

• Reflections on the talk and Drew’s perspective on his delivery. [0:19:09]

• Unpacking the metaphor of the mind as an operating system. [0:25:04]

• Factors that led to Drew accepting the benefits of his new capacity. [0:33:00]

• Questions to ask to differentiate healthy ambition from unhealthy ambition. [0:44:10]

• Exploring whether you can be ambitious and happy at the same time. [0:50:00]

• Determining if a new goal is worth striving for (for you and your team). [01:01:05]

Quotes:

“The people in your life who love you, they don’t love you because of what you might be one day. They’re not in your life because they bought you low as a stock and they’re hoping to stick around until you finally pay off.” — Drew Dudley [0:09:40]

“Potential is the word other people use to describe how much money they think you should make.” — Drew Dudley [0:14:23]

“Finish lines are not the end of a journey. The finish line is the peace that you get to enjoy before the end of the journey.” — Drew Dudley [0:16:34]

“Do not chase your potential past your health and past your happiness.” — Drew Dudley [0:17:42]

“[Ask yourself:] whatever the things the people who love me the most value the most in me, how prevalent are those things in my workplace?” — Drew Dudley [0:41:41]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Field of Dreams

Drew Dudley | Everyday Leadership

Brett Elmgren | Axom Leadership

It's another development day and "team building" activities are on the agenda...are you jazzed and ready to take on your co-workers or are you coming up with every excuse for why you're going to be sick that day? Regardless of which side you're on, anyone can admit there is a love/hate response when it comes to "team development." In this episode of Good Company, join Drew Dudley and Brett Elmgren as they discuss their own takes on what makes Team Building effective and how to optimize them from team cohesion. Drew and Brett even take you through a few of their favourite activities for you to use at your next team event. Tune in to learn when team building is effective, when it is a waste of time, and how to know the difference.

What’s the real difference between a toxic workplace and a dysfunctional one? In this season opener of The Good Company Podcast, hosts Drew Dudley and Brett Elmgren delve into the grey areas of workplace culture. In their conversation, Drew and Brett discuss what makes a culture toxic, how to tell if it’s permanently broken or just temporarily off-track, and how leaders can respond accordingly. They explore the difference between temporary dysfunction and baked-in toxicity, and why too many leaders jump to extreme language without naming what’s going on. They unpack how cultures drift into dysfunction “gradually and then suddenly,” the danger of normalizing poor behavior, and why personal values are the ultimate litmus test for when it’s time to walk away. Drew and Brett also uncover their three-level model of workplace culture and share what it takes to move teams up that ladder. Join in for leadership insight that will challenge how you think about hope, emotional honesty, and the lies we tell ourselves to get through the day. Tune in now!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introduction and outline of what listeners can expect from the episode. [0:00:00]

• They reflect on season one and the most common feedback from listeners. [0:01:20]

• Explore the difference between a dysfunctional culture and a toxic culture. [0:03:18]

• Brett’s three-tiered culture model: dysfunctional, transactional, legendary. [0:06:38]

• Drew’s definition of toxic and why tracking emotional well-being is important. [0:14:00]

• Broader implications of toxicity and the common lies managers tell themselves. [0:20:00]

• Managers chasing professional acclaim versus managers who are people pleasers. [0:27:42]

• Learn practical tips for delivering hard feedback while maintaining care and intent. [0:35:52]

• Find out what is needed to transform a toxic culture into a positive one. [0:40:06]

• Final takeaways: track trends, have hard conversations, and refocus on purpose. [0:49:15]

Quotes:

“Dysfunction can be temporary. Toxicity is baked right [into workplace culture].” — Drew Dudley [0:05:56]

“A toxic culture would be defined by an environment that forces you to violate your personal values in order to survive within it.” — Brett Elmgren [0:07:10]

“It is easier to survive financial bankruptcy than emotional bankruptcy.” — Drew Dudley [0:20:58]

“The path to toxicity is often paved with the best intentions.” — Drew Dudley [0:34:22]

“Great leaders don’t manage processes and systems – great leaders manage energy.” — Brett Elmgren [0:45:38]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Radical Candor

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

Drew Dudley | Everyday Leadership

Brett Elmgren | Axom Leadership

‘Edge of the Doorway Advice’ is the wisdom we share when we skip the small talk and get straight to the heart of things. That’s exactly what we’re doing during this episode: passing on the overall insights we have gained throughout our careers that could inspire and empower others. What might it look like to ask more generous questions, both as a leader and as a team member? Along with exploring this question, we dive deep into Drew and Brett’s most pertinent advice for other leaders, from definitions and principles to relationships and practices. Join us as we explore what it means to straddle personal and company values, identify manipulative behaviors in those who lead, and learn why leadership can be considered a profession of its own. We also touch on vulnerability, using your position to create positive change, and much more. Thanks for listening to Good Company!

Key Points From This Episode:

• The ‘Edge of the Doorway’ advice we will share in this episode. [0:01:50]

• Nuggets of wisdom leading up to Brett & Drew’s ultimate advice. [0:05:50]

• Determining whether there is truly a disconnect between your values and the organization you

work for. [0:11:00]

• What to do when your personal values and the company values are different. [0:14:04]

• Unpacking what it really means to see leadership as an opportunity to create positive change.

[0:22:32]

• How, as a leader, you should approach speaking about problems and avoiding manipulation.

[0:25:30]

• The appropriate application of vulnerability in the context of leadership. [0:31:56]

• Why leadership itself is a profession and what this means for leaders. [0:36:56]

• How fear impacts organizational function. [0:41:54]

• Understanding the privilege of leadership. [0:45:23]

Quotes:

“Those three words save relationships and they save careers: elevate, don’t escalate.” — Drew

Dudley [0:07:12]

“You have to go to work every day and evaluate your role in a toxic environment by knowing that

it’s better to be financially bankrupt than spiritually bankrupt, and toxic environments bankrupt

you spiritually.” — Drew Dudley [0:09:12]

“‘What’s the most generous assumption you can make about this decision?’ is such a good

leadership mantra.” — Drew Dudley [0:13:22]

“Leadership is the opportunity to create positive change and it does take courage to do that

within every moment.” — Brett Elmgren [0:20:36]

“Leadership is about embracing uncertainty.” — Brett Elmgren [0:23:52]

“How you feel about yourself has a profound impact on how you treat other people.” — Drew

Dudley [0:41:29]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

This is Day One

Drew Dudley | Everyday Leadership

Brett Elmgren | Axom Leadership