If you think you’re the smartest person in the room… congratulations—you’ve just found the wrong room. Or worse, you’re that manager everyone avoids like an “optional” Friday Zoom meeting that somehow isn’t optional.

In this episode of Ignoring the Rules, Wayne Robertson throws a full-blown roast for every know-it-all leader who thinks Google was invented just to confirm their opinions. He’s torching egos, popping delusions, and explaining why hiring people smarter than you isn’t a threat—it’s called good management, not insecurity with Wi-Fi.

You’ll laugh, you’ll cringe, and you might even check your last team meeting for emotional damage. Because here’s the truth: if your team isn’t smarter than you, you didn’t build a dream team—you built a fan club. And fan clubs don’t finish projects… they just clap while everything burns.

The old rulebook is officially dead. Transactional leadership—rigid hierarchies, task tracking, reward/punish systems—isn’t just outdated… it’s dangerous in today’s fast-paced world.

What does modern leadership look like? ✅ Agile thinking over rigid planning ✅ Empowerment over micromanagement ✅ Vision over control ✅ Collaboration over command ✅ Bold, strategic action over fear-based decision-making

Whether you're managing projects, leading teams, or stepping into leadership for the first time—this episode is your roadmap for staying ahead, adapting fast, and leading like it actually matters.

Because if you’re still managing like it’s 1999, your team is already 10 steps ahead without you.

In this episode of Ignoring the Rules, Wayne Robertson uncovers what it truly takes to become a Fantastic Leader—the kind of leader who naturally attracts great talent, inspires loyalty, and drives exceptional results.

Leadership isn’t about titles or authority; it’s about influence, trust, and authenticity. Wayne explores practical, actionable strategies that help you command influence and transform your team’s performance—from leading by example and fostering collaboration to building a culture of trust where people thrive.

Packed with real-world insights, relatable stories, and powerful takeaways, this episode challenges traditional leadership norms and shows how mastering magnetic leadership can elevate your entire team—and redefine what success looks like.

🎙️ It’s time to ignore the rules and lead in a way that inspires greatness.

Here’s something most leaders don’t want to admit—loneliness doesn’t just happen to people working alone. It can happen in the middle of a busy, fast-paced team. You can be surrounded by colleagues, buried in group projects, and still feel completely disconnected.

And when it happens, it’s dangerous. Loneliness eats away at morale, kills collaboration, and quietly turns top performers into disengaged “quiet quitters.”

Because if your people feel alone while surrounded by coworkers, you’re not leading a team—you’re running a collection of strangers.

Wayne’s closing reminder is clear: “Loneliness on your team isn’t just bad luck—it’s bad leadership. Fix it, pull people in, and make it impossible for anyone to feel invisible. A connected team is a winning team.”

We’ve all heard the saying: “People don’t leave jobs; they leave managers.” And it’s true. When managers overwork their team, fail to inspire them, block opportunities for growth, show no empathy, or refuse to let team members develop new skills, talented people eventually feel undervalued—and they walk away.

I break down the common mistakes managers make that drive people out the door and explore actionable strategies leaders can use to turn things around. From motivating and inspiring teams, to showing empathy, to creating real opportunities for growth, you’ll learn how to build a workplace where people want to stay—and succeed.

Whether you’re a manager who wants to keep your top talent, or an employee who’s felt the sting of bad leadership, this episode will give you the tools and insights you need.

Managing a team isn’t just handing out tasks like Halloween candy and hoping no one chokes on a deadline. Nope — it’s about empowering humans to actually do their best work (and maybe not secretly Google “how to survive my manager” during meetings).

In this episode of Ignoring the Rules, Wayne Robertson takes aim at the difference between good managers and great ones — you know, the ones who don’t schedule 5 PM “quick syncs” or send 47 emails about synergy.

Here’s what you’ll learn — and probably laugh about:

• How to coach your team without sounding like a motivational toaster.

• Why trusting your team beats stalking their “green dot” on Slack.

• How to communicate clearly instead of writing emails that could double as riddles.

• Why a compelling vision doesn’t mean “We’re going to crush it!!!” in Comic Sans.

• How collaboration doesn’t mean scheduling 12 people to watch one person share their screen.

This episode is jam-packed with wisdom, humor, and the occasional verbal slap for managers who think leadership means “just do it because I said so.”

Listen now — because the difference between a good manager and a great one might just be the ability to lead without making your team want to fake Wi-Fi outages.

Every project leaves a trail of lessons—what worked beautifully, what derailed progress, and what you swore you’d never repeat again. But here’s the big question: how often do we stop and actually look back at those lessons?

In this episode, I am going to dive into the powerful practice of reflection—how project managers can mine the gold from past successes and mistakes to build a roadmap for future wins. We’ll cover:

• How to celebrate victories and analyze the pain points without finger-pointing.
• Practical ways to refine task allocation, set more realistic timelines, and streamline your processes.
• And most importantly, how to communicate these lessons in a way that strengthens trust with your team and builds credibility with upper management.

Looking back isn’t about dwelling on failure—it’s about building a smarter, stronger, more resilient future. So, if you’re ready to turn hindsight into a competitive advantage, let’s get started.

In this episode of Ignoring the Rules, Wayne Robertson explores one of the most important—yet often overlooked—aspects of leadership: how managers respond to the decisions their teams make.

Too often, leaders focus only on outcomes. But great leadership is about more than results—it’s about recognizing and celebrating the thinking, creativity, and courage that drive good decisions. When managers shine a spotlight on team members who make smart choices, they motivate the entire team, boost morale, and encourage more of the same behavior.

On the flip side, not every decision will hit the mark. Mistakes happen, and they should happen. They’re signs of growth, experimentation, and innovation. The difference between a thriving team and a failing one often lies in how leaders handle those moments. Do they punish and discourage—or do they turn missteps into valuable lessons?

If your team looks tired, unmotivated, or stuck, the problem might not be them—it might be YOU.

This week on Ignoring the Rules podcast, I’m pulling back the curtain on one of the most powerful (and most overlooked) secrets to business success: empowering employees.

✅ When people are trusted, supported, and given freedom to act—they don’t just show up, they light up.

✅ They bring passion, ideas, and energy that transform ordinary projects into extraordinary results.

✅ They don’t just work…they SOAR.

Letting go of control unlocks innovation, energy, and results that no amount of micromanagement can deliver.

Managers: Your Words Are Your Biggest Weapon—or Your Biggest Disaster

One offhand remark. One careless sentence. That’s all it takes to crush morale, obliterate trust, and send your team’s efficiency straight into the gutter.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

In the latest episode of Ignoring the Rules, I’m tackling the problem of “Saying the Wrong Words.” We’ll rip apart the misguided, lazy, and downright discouraging things leaders sometimes say—and then rebuild with powerful, encouraging words that actually inspire your team to show up and deliver their best.

This isn’t about sugarcoating. It’s about communication that works. Words that motivate instead of demoralize. Language that builds trust instead of burning bridges.

I’m Wayne Robertson, and if you’re ready to ditch the outdated, counterproductive garbage and learn how to turn your words into rocket fuel for your team, hit play now.

Because leadership isn’t just about what you do—it’s about what you say.