Ignoring your haters is not the answer.

Here’s why:

In March of 2025 my daughter and I winged our way thousands of miles across the country to catch a few Yankee spring training games in Tampa, Florida.

The vibe at these spring games was absolutely delicious.

The crowds were so much smaller than regular season games in the big stadiums and it was just the most relaxing setting to spend a couple hours chatting and watching your favorite players get ready for Opening Day.

I’d go as far as to call it serene.

Except for the moment when that one Tigers fan decided to express VERY LOUDLY how overrated he felt Yankee right fielder Aaron Judge was during a first inning at bat. 

That part was less than serene.

So much less than serene that the fan was removed from the stadium. In the bottom of the first inning. During a spring training game.

The fan was brash, fully out of line, and would be proven definitively wrong when Aaron Judge went on to hit .331 (the best in his league) with 53 home runs, earning the American League MVP by the end of the 2025 season.

And I really hope big Aaron Judge heard what he had to say.

Plot twist.

You’ve probably been told to ignore the haters, but I want to argue for a more measured approach.

Leadership requires you to make unpopular decisions and take responsibility for things that don’t go to plan. All of which set you up for criticism. Some of which will be patently unfair.

But if the goal is to be the best leader you can be, you can’t choose to dismiss the opinions of your detractors out of hand just because they don’t like you.

You don’t have to believe everything people say about you, but you should be able to open your curiosity filter to say, “what does this mean?”

In my 5 Secrets of Impossibly Effective Teams workshops I highlight the value of leveraging trust and a consistent posture of wanting to help your people win as the best way to have your encouragement and correction taken seriously, but don’t assume that the only valuable encouragement and correction comes from people who care about you.

If you play your cards right you might find that your haters accidentally give you a really valuable insight from time to time.

Don’t waste it.

TRY THIS: The next time you want to dismiss uncomfortable feedback because the messenger isn’t someone you trust, follow this framework:
Can I easily disprove this? This is not about rationalizing it away because you know your intentions, but about asking yourself – like a lawyer –  if there is legitimate evidence that this is inaccurate? If so, you’re done. Considered and rejected. Move on.

Have I heard something like this before? Does this match other feedback you’ve received in the past? Is there a chance you’re feeling defensive because they might be onto something? If there is a chance this fits a subtle pattern, consider other places this has shown up to determine if there is a real opportunity to close a performance gap.

Phone a friend. If you can’t disprove it, and aren’t sure if a pattern exists, check in with a trusted friend, peer, leader, or coach who will be fully honest with you. “I recently received this feedback from someone I’m not sure I can trust and I’m not sure what to do with it. Can you help me parse it?” 
My free PDF, “The 5 Secrets of Impossibly Effective Teams,” will show you the simple leadership moves that help teams unlock their full potential and deliver outsized results, without burning out. Grab your copy now at geoffwelch.com/secrets

This episode is proof that you don’t need a detailed map to have a fulfilling career if you lean into curiosity, meaningful relationships, and a mission bigger than yourself.

This week, I sit down with Tlisa Northcutt, President of the University of Alaska Foundation, to explore what it really looks like to grow into leadership over time. 

We talk about the power of asking great questions, why the best leaders don’t need to be the first to speak, and how a “shoulder-to-shoulder” approach transforms both teams and donor relationships.

Tlisa shares how her career evolved through opportunity and trust, what it means to move from “doer” to leader, and why empowering others, rather than just directing them, is where real impact happens.

This is a conversation about leadership that’s grounded, human, and deeply practical. If you’ve ever struggled to let go, speak less, or trust your team more… this one’s for you.

Connect with Tlisa Northcutt on LinkedIn

My free PDF, “The 5 Secrets of Impossibly Effective Teams,” will show you the simple leadership moves that help teams unlock their full potential and deliver outsized results, without burning out. Grab your copy now at geoffwelch.com/secrets

The first time I saw it I knew I loved it.

And I knew I had a problem.

Late last year I replaced my truck and decided that it was time to put a topper on the load bed.

When I picked it up from the installer I was in love. It looked great and was going to solve a handful of problems I had with having a truck with an open bed.

The ravens wouldn’t tear up trash during the winter and our camping gear would be better protected in the summer.

But I immediately discovered that having a topper would create a few new problems.

With an open load bed I could reach almost every part of the bed by reaching over one of the three sides. With a topper, anything that slid away from the tailgate would now require climbing into the bed and crawling around to retrieve it.

Or would it?

One day while taking some trash to the transfer station I thought, I just need a pole with a hook on it and then I wouldn’t have to climb in the bed.

Such a pole is a readily available thing called a boat hook.

For about $15 I grabbed a 4 foot boat hook that allows me to reach – and snag – almost anything rolling around the load bed. No crawling required.Why should you care? 

Because we often think we need a massive, complex, nuanced skill upgrade to be better leaders. But the reality is that most of us just need a “boat hook” we can use over and over again.

Don’t dismiss a leadership upgrade as insignificant just because it’s a small tweak. 

Pay attention to how often that small tweak comes into play.

A small upgrade you actually use on most days is actually a tremendous improvement.

Just like the silly little boat hook that lives in my truck bed.
My free PDF, “The 5 Secrets of Impossibly Effective Teams,” will show you the simple leadership moves that help teams unlock their full potential and deliver outsized results, without burning out. Grab your copy now at geoffwelch.com/secrets

When today’s guest realized most companies were automating chaos instead of clarity, they decided to fix it.

In this conversation, I check in with Shelly Thomas, the founder of Building Beta, to unpack what’s actually happening with AI inside organizations right now. Not the hype. Not the buzzwords. The real work.

Shelly brings a rare mix of engineering rigor and operator experience, and it shows. We talk about why so many AI efforts fail before they start, how leaders are using it backwards, and the simple idea that changes everything: you cannot automate what you cannot explain.

We also dig into trust, ownership, and why automation isn’t a “set it and forget it” tool, it’s more like hiring a new employee who still needs guidance. This conversation cuts through the noise to focus on what actually matters, and highlights some AI principles that are just good leadership principles.

Connect with Shelly on LinkedIn

My free PDF, “The 5 Secrets of Impossibly Effective Teams,” will show you the simple leadership moves that help teams unlock their full potential and deliver outsized results, without burning out. Grab your copy now at geoffwelch.com/secrets

I probably shouldn’t be telling you this…

For the record: whatever you say to an employee you lead about another employee you lead after saying those seven words is a truly bad idea.

In fact, if you ever hear those words coming out of your mouth about any topic at all, just stop talking.

The problem for many leaders is that they NEED to verbally process a challenge they are experiencing with someone on their team, but they don’t have access to someone with whom it is safe (and appropriate) to do so.This is why leaders need coaches.

It’s okay to need to talk through it. To verbalize your thoughts and organize your thinking with a trusted partner who will challenge your perspective and offer wise counsel.

It’s not okay to enlist someone you lead to listen to your frustrations just because you trust them.

Think of it like this: It’s okay to talk to your doctor about that rash that just won’t clear up and ask for advice about how to deal with it, but it’s not okay to have the same conversation with someone you lead.

Coaches are there to help you navigate the obstacles and opportunities you can’t address with just anyone. They are there to help you find alternative perspectives and offer unbiased feedback. 

They are there to care about you and your success, and give you the encouragement and straight talk you need to make the best choices possible for you, your people, and your organization.

A coach offers an appropriate outlet for the frustrations you need to sort out so you can protect the people you lead, instead of dragging them into the muck and mire.

You don’t have to carry the load of leadership alone, but you can’t place that burden on the people you lead.
OPPORTUNITY FOR ACTION: Consider what you share with the people you lead and ask yourself if any of it might border on being out of bounds. How would those conversations feel different with an unbiased and trusted partner? If I could help you clarify any aspect of your work right now, what would it be?

Want to connect? geoffwelch.com/discovery 
My free PDF, “The 5 Secrets of Impossibly Effective Teams,” will show you the simple leadership moves that help teams unlock their full potential and deliver outsized results, without burning out. Grab your copy now at geoffwelch.com/secrets

What do you call it when the work you do and the thing you love are so tangled together you can’t quite tell them apart?

In this conversation, I sit down with Joe Sprague, former CEO of Hawaiian Airlines, to explore what it actually takes to lead at the highest levels, and why his love of aviation made his career a little bit less like work.

Joe shares how his early days working the ticket counter in Southeast Alaska shaped his leadership philosophy, why delegation didn’t come naturally (and how he learned it anyway), and the surprising role humility plays in sustained success.

We talk about balancing safety and service, leading through massive organizational change, and why the best leaders spend more time listening than talking.

But what stood out most to me was Joe’s grounded perspective: leadership isn’t about status, it’s about stewardship.

This is a conversation about clarity, curiosity, and staying centered when everything around you is moving fast.

If you lead people, or aspire to, you’ll take something meaningful from this one.

Connect with Joe Sprague on LinkedIn

My free PDF, “The 5 Secrets of Impossibly Effective Teams,” will show you the simple leadership moves that help teams unlock their full potential and deliver outsized results, without burning out. Grab your copy now at geoffwelch.com/secrets

A couple months back I spent about 3 days fully wiped out with the flu. I just had zero juice in the tank.

And for reasons not fully clear, even to me, I spent a lot of time watching old episodes of Matlock.

A couple things struck me as I took this nostalgic trip back to my youth:
Ben Matlock was far more ornery than I remembered.

Almost nothing about the court proceedings in Matlock is accurate.

It’s not that I’m some sort of legal maven, but I’ve been a juror enough times to know that a trial is more of a well-scripted performance for the jury than a night at the improv. The surprise witnesses and surprise evidence make for an exciting climax on TV, but real trials are pretty boring in comparison. 

This disparity is a good reminder that leadership also looks different in the real world than it does in scripted movies and on TV.

And even the other leaders you compare yourself to don’t necessarily have it all figured out in the way you believe.

Most leaders quietly make things better for their people without a great deal of fanfare or recognition.

The best leaders are happiest when their people are getting the accolades.

Great leaders spend a lot of time and energy on “invisible” work like coaching and mentoring their people to help them realize their potential.

Even the best leaders question themselves and aren’t as perpetually sure of themselves as you may think.

Instead of worrying about how you measure up to an idealized version of leadership in the movies – or to another leader who actually isn’t as perfect as you think – just focus on helping your people, your team, and your organization win.

All the rest is just stealing your time, energy, and focus.

TRY THIS: Spend a few minutes this week considering how to help your people win. What can you do as their leader to encourage them, correct them, and make success more likely for them? This is the crux of leadership, after all. It’s not a super hero moment, it’s showing up day after day to help your people unlock the best of themselves.

My free PDF, “The 5 Secrets of Impossibly Effective Teams,” will show you the simple leadership moves that help teams unlock their full potential and deliver outsized results, without burning out. Grab your copy now at geoffwelch.com/secrets

What does it take to lead an organization where creativity, community, and logistics collide every week?

In this conversation, I sat down with Daniel Ponickly, Executive Director of the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra, whose background spans professional dance, film, arts education, and nonprofit leadership, a unique mix that shapes how he thinks about leadership.

We talked about how he moved to Alaska during a global pandemic, what leadership looks like inside a volunteer arts organization, and why listening may be the most underrated leadership skill.

Daniel also shared insights from the performing arts world that apply far beyond the stage, from adapting when things go wrong in live performances to building teams that can succeed without you.

What stood out most was his belief that leadership ultimately comes down to care: caring about your people, your community, and the work you’re doing together.

If you’re interested in leadership, creativity, or building something meaningful in your community, I know you’ll enjoy this conversation. 

Connect with Daniel Ponickly:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielponickly/

My free PDF, “The 5 Secrets of Impossibly Effective Teams,” will show you the simple leadership moves that help teams unlock their full potential and deliver outsized results, without burning out. Grab your copy now at geoffwelch.com/secrets

When my brain gets the best of me in the middle of the night I use two simple techniques to short circuit the chaos:
1. I count to 100 in French
2. I list the 50 states in alphabetical order

But this isn’t really about sleeping better. It’s about paying attention to what we rehearse.

Because the byproduct of this exercise is that, while my conversational French is absolutely trash, I know my numbers cold.

And while I would struggle to fill in a blank US map correctly, I could make a rock solid list of the states and tell you how many states start with any letter of the alphabet. 

You get better at the things you rehearse, so it matters a great deal WHAT you rehearse.

When my daughter was younger she had a tendency to fixate on the reasons something might not work. A pastime about which I personally know a thing or two. 

I would tell her, “It sounds like you’re rehearsing your misery.” 

And I bet you can relate.

Instead of using worry and anxiety to engineer an alternative outcome, you end up reviewing and reinforcing how badly things are likely to go.

Your brain is really smart, but it’s also really dumb. 

If you feed it the same messages and images, even negative ones, it will help you make them real.

But you have a choice.

You might not be able to prevent fatalistic thoughts from arising, but you can choose whether you rehearse them or whether you rehearse something more helpful.

TRY THIS: When you find yourself confronted by an overwhelming fear or worry, ask yourself the following questions: 1. What can I do to have a positive influence on this circumstance? 2. How would [capable person you respect] navigate this circumstance? 3. What if I’m completely wrong about my assessment of this circumstance?
My free PDF, “The 5 Secrets of Impossibly Effective Teams,” will show you the simple leadership moves that help teams unlock their full potential and deliver outsized results, without burning out. Grab your copy now at geoffwelch.com/secrets

When Fotini Iconomopoulos was growing up, she earned the nickname “the negotiator” and she’s been turning high-stakes conversations into high-impact outcomes ever since.

In this episode, I sit down with negotiation expert, author, and speaker Fotini Iconomopoulos to unpack what real negotiation looks like in everyday leadership, not power suits and table-pounding, but clarity, empathy, and trust.

Fotini shares why negotiation isn’t about “winning,” how to create more value by asking better questions, and why the most powerful move you can make in a tense conversation is often… to pause. We talk about the hidden cost of steamrolling, the underestimated advantage introverts have in negotiations, and how to shift from “yes/no” thinking to creative problem-solving that works for both sides.

If you’ve ever avoided a difficult conversation because you didn’t want to look foolish, or worried that speaking up might damage the relationship, this episode is your permission slip to stop performing and start negotiating like a leader.

Connect with Fotini:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fotiniiconomopoulos/
Website: https://fotiniicon.com/ 
My free PDF, “The 5 Secrets of Impossibly Effective Teams,” will show you the simple leadership moves that help teams unlock their full potential and deliver outsized results, without burning out. Grab your copy now at geoffwelch.com/secrets