Leadership Behind the Scenes: The Podcast

Discover Raising Leaders, Not Followers™, the 12-lesson teen leadership curriculum for ages 13–17: https://www.drrhondalsimmons.com/educational-leadership/raising-leaders-not-followers

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Your teen can follow every household rule and still feel lost when it's time to make a decision independently. How do we help young people develop responsibility that lasts when no adult is standing over them?

Chores can be useful. But raising leaders requires something deeper than completed tasks and repeated reminders.

In this episode of Leadership Behind the Scenes™, Dr. Rhonda L. Simmons explores the difference between doing what you're told and learning to think, choose, and take responsibility for the impact of your choices. Parents, caregivers, homeschool families, and educators will recognize the tension.

Discover Raising Leaders, Not Followers™, the 12-lesson teen leadership curriculum for ages 13–17: https://www.drrhondalsimmons.com/educational-leadership/raising-leaders-not-followers

Represent a school or district? Comment SCHOOL and I'll follow up with you personally about bringing the curriculum to your students.

What is one responsibility your teen can complete but still struggles to manage independently? Share below.

#RaisingLeadersNotFollowers #ParentingTeens #TeenLeadership #RaisingResponsibleTeens #DrRhondaSimmons

Ready to examine what's keeping you or your team from growing?
Explore the Close the Leadership Gap Diagnostic™: https://the-close-the-gap-diagnostic.tiiny.site/
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Do you work all day but still feel behind? The problem may not be your time management. It may be your energy, your leadership habits, and the way you approach your work.

In this episode of Leadership Behind the Scenes, Dr. Rhonda L. Simmons sits down with leadership and executive development professional Itzel Guillén-Arriaga to explore why high performers experience burnout, how leaders become bottlenecks for their teams, and what needs to change as their responsibilities grow.

If you're a high-performing executive, business leader, or manager who keeps putting in more hours without feeling further ahead, this conversation is for you.

In this episode, you'll discover:

- Why working longer hours doesn't always produce better results.
- The four types of energy that influence leadership performance: physical, mental, strategic, and motivational.
- How micromanagement can turn a leader into a bottleneck.
- Why the habits that helped you get promoted may hold you back at your next level.
- How to protect time for strategic thinking and better decisions.
- What to delegate, what to prioritize, and what to stop doing.
- Why planning your top three weekly priorities before Monday can change how you lead.

Here's the leadership question worth asking:

Are you trying to get more done, or are you building the capacity to lead at the level your responsibilities now require?

Because your next level of leadership will require more than working harder. It will require you to think differently, protect your energy, develop your people, and make better decisions.

YOUR NEXT STEP

Ready to examine what's keeping you or your team from growing?

Explore the Close the Leadership Gap Diagnostic™: https://the-close-the-gap-diagnostic.tiiny.site/

ABOUT THE HOST

Dr. Rhonda L. Simmons is a leadership formation advisor, executive consultant, author, and founder of Rhonda L. Simmons LLC. With more than 30 years of leadership experience, she helps high-capacity leaders close the gap between who they are today and who their next level requires them to become.

Subscribe to Leadership Behind the Scenes for conversations about executive leadership, decision-making, leadership capacity, team development, and the work of becoming the leader your next level requires.

CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST

Itzel Guillén-Arriaga
nollingproductivity.com

#LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveLeadership #LeadershipBurnout

Interested in Close the Educational Leadership Gap™ Workshops and related implementation opportunities? https://rhonda-l-simmons-llc.thrivecart.com/close-the-educational-leadership-gap/

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What if the leadership habits that made you a successful school administrator are the same habits limiting your next level?

School leaders carry expectations from every direction: teachers, students, families, districts, and communities. But the next stage of leadership rarely comes from becoming available to everyone all the time.

In this episode of Leadership Behind the Scenes™, Dr. Rhonda L. Simmons examines an often-overlooked transition in educational leadership: moving beyond being the person who handles everything to developing the capacity for a school to thrive.

For principals, assistant principals, aspiring administrators, and district leaders who sense they're ready to grow but can't afford another layer of exhaustion, this is a conversation worth having.

Interested in Close the Educational Leadership Gap™ Workshops and related implementation opportunities? https://rhonda-l-simmons-llc.thrivecart.com/close-the-educational-leadership-gap/

School leaders: What responsibility keeps landing back on your desk, even when you've tried to delegate it? Join the conversation below.

Subscribe for practical, thoughtful conversations about educational leadership.

#EducationalLeadership #SchoolLeadership #SchoolAdministrators #PrincipalLeadership #DrRhondaSimmons

Explore the Team Growth Leadership Journey™ ($297): https://www.drrhondalsimmons.com/product/24392424/the-team-growth-leadership-journey

Join the Priority Waitlist for the Leadership Behind the Scenes Virtual Conference: https://www.drrhondalsimmons.com/executive-leadership/leadership-behind-the-scenes-live-virtual-conference

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Your team finally tells you what's really happening. It's uncomfortable. It may even challenge how you see yourself as a leader. What happens next could determine whether anyone speaks honestly again.

Employee feedback is easy to request and much harder to receive. In this episode of Leadership Behind the Scenes™, Dr. Rhonda L. Simmons explores the moment when leaders must decide whether to protect their image or earn their team's trust.

We'll also look at a timely Boston Consulting Group finding that exposes a striking difference between how CEOs perceive employee trust and what employees report. It's a powerful reminder that leadership intentions and employee experiences are not always the same.

If you manage people, lead an executive team, or want a culture where difficult truths can be heard, this episode deserves your attention.

Explore the Team Growth Leadership Journey™ ($297): https://www.drrhondalsimmons.com/product/24392424/the-team-growth-leadership-journey

What kind of response makes you more willing to give a leader honest feedback? Share your experience below.


Source: BCG, October 14, 2026 — https://www.bcg.com/ja-jp/press/14october2026-employees-ceo-transparent-ai


#ExecutiveLeadership #EmployeeFeedback #LeadershipTrust #TeamGrowth #DrRhondaSimmons

You have a book idea. Maybe you even have pages of notes, a few stories, or the perfect title. So why does actually writing the book feel so difficult?

For many first-time authors, the problem begins before the first sentence. The pressure to produce an impressive opening can keep a meaningful message trapped in drafts and notebooks.

In this episode of Leadership Behind the Scenes™, Dr. Rhonda L. Simmons challenges a familiar assumption about where a book should begin. If you've been starting over, second-guessing your structure, or wondering whether your ideas can become a finished manuscript, this conversation is for you.

Ready to move beyond talking about your book? Explore Write Your Book Already™: [INSERT VERIFIED LINK]

What has been the biggest obstacle between your book idea and an actual draft? Tell me in the comments.

Subscribe for candid conversations about leadership, entrepreneurship, and becoming who your next level requires.

#WriteYourBookAlready #WritingABook #FirstTimeAuthor #DrRhondaSimmons

Take a next step with the Close the Leadership Gap Diagnostic™:

https://the-close-the-gap-diagnostic.tiiny.site/

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A leader can keep the title and still step away from the responsibility it carries.

In this faith-based episode of Leadership Behind the Scenes™, I examine Ahab, Jezebel, and Naboth in 1 Kings 21, using the King James Version.

The account raises hard questions about entitlement, authority used in a leader's name, official approval, and accountability. It also shows why the person who benefits from wrongdoing cannot simply point to someone else.

This teaching is for pastors, ministry leaders, and faith-based leadership teams who want to face conduct honestly and carry authority with integrity. The focus is on specific actions and responsibility, rather than using biblical names as labels for people we dislike.

Read 1 Kings 21, KJV:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+21&version=KJV

Take a next step with the Close the Leadership Gap Diagnostic™:

https://the-close-the-gap-diagnostic.tiiny.site/

Where does faithful leadership require you to face a responsibility you have avoided?

Subscribe to Leadership Behind the Scenes™ with Dr. Rhonda L. Simmons. Pull up a chair.

#BiblicalLeadership #ChurchLeadership #LeadershipAccountability #DrRhondaSimmons

Explore your next leadership step through the Close the Leadership Gap Diagnostic™: https://the-close-the-gap-diagnostic.tiiny.site/

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Are you protecting a high standard, or making every step depend on you?

In this episode of Leadership Behind the Scenes™, I explore the difference between micromanagement and high standards. Caring about quality does not require every valid approach to look like yours.

We will look at clear quality requirements, preferred methods, and oversight that fits the risk and the person's readiness. A client-report example helps make the difference practical.

This conversation is for executives, managers, and business owners who want strong results and a team that can take real ownership.

Explore your next leadership step through the Close the Leadership Gap Diagnostic™:

https://the-close-the-gap-diagnostic.tiiny.site/

Which part is hardest for you: making the standard clear or allowing a different way to meet it?

Subscribe to Leadership Behind the Scenes™ with Dr. Rhonda L. Simmons. Pull up a chair.

#Micromanagement #ExecutiveLeadership #TeamDevelopment #DrRhondaSimmons

What do you do when the career you've worked so hard to build no longer feels right?

Rolanda Michele had a successful corporate career and a high-paying position. But in 2023, she faced a truth she could no longer ignore. Something in her life was out of alignment.

In this conversation with Dr. Rhonda L. Simmons, Leadership Formation Advisor, Rolanda shares why she walked away from corporate success, what she learned about fear and purpose, and how she now helps entrepreneurs build businesses without losing themselves in the process.

We explore the difference between outward success and inward alignment, the hidden role of perfectionism and people-pleasing, and the power of choosing one meaningful move instead of trying to change everything at once.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why a successful career can still feel misaligned
• How fear may be shaping your most important decisions
• Why building confidence matters as much as building a business
• How the One Move Commitment can help you move forward
• What it means to become the person your next level requires

Join the conversation: What is one area of your life or leadership where success looks good on paper, but something no longer feels aligned?

Subscribe for conversations about leadership formation, decision-making, personal growth, and becoming who your next level requires you to become.

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Ways to connect with Rolanda Michele:

• Payhip — Stay Connected & Resources: https://payhip.com/RolandaMichele/collection/all — The Stay Connected signup is at the top of the page, where listeners can join my email list and also explore my free and paid resources.

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RolandaMichele

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rolanda-footman/

• 30-Minute Clarity Call: https://calendly.com/rolandafootman/discovery-call — If any of your listeners would like to connect with me personally, they’re welcome to schedule a call to get to know me and learn more about my work.

Download the Team Growth Self-Check™ and choose one pattern to examine. https://dr-rhonda-simmons.myflodesk.com/the-team-growth-selfcheck 

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Your team asks you everything. What is your answer teaching them?

In this episode of Leadership Behind the Scenes™, I explore how leaders can respond to recurring questions in ways that build judgment, confidence, and ownership.

We will look at what sits beneath a question, how to help people think through a choice, and why the reason behind an answer matters. We will also keep a clear place for questions and risks that truly need your attention.

This is for executives, managers, and business owners who want fewer repeated questions because their team is growing, while keeping honest communication open.

Download the Team Growth Self-Check™ and choose one pattern to examine.

https://dr-rhonda-simmons.myflodesk.com/the-team-growth-selfcheck 

What question comes back to you most often?

Subscribe to Leadership Behind the Scenes™ with Dr. Rhonda L. Simmons. Pull up a chair.

#TeamDevelopment #Delegation #LeadershipSkills #DrRhondaSimmons

Download the Team Growth Self-Check™ to examine where your leadership may be keeping decisions dependent on you. https://dr-rhonda-simmons.myflodesk.com/the-team-growth-selfcheck 

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Your team has grown. Has its decision authority grown with it?

When every choice needs your approval, more people can mean more waiting. In this episode of Leadership Behind the Scenes™, I explore how to delegate decisions so capable people can act within clear limits.

We will look at decision owners, levels of authority, consultation, and when a decision needs to come back to you. You will also hear why a leader's response can undo the authority the team was told it had.

This is for executives, managers, and business owners who want a team that can make sound choices and keep work moving.

Download the Team Growth Self-Check™ to examine where your leadership may be keeping decisions dependent on you.

https://dr-rhonda-simmons.myflodesk.com/the-team-growth-selfcheck 

Which routine decision still waits for your approval?

Subscribe to Leadership Behind the Scenes™ with Dr. Rhonda L. Simmons. Pull up a chair.

#Delegation #DecisionMaking #ExecutiveLeadership #DrRhondaSimmons