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Leadership on the Rocks
Leadership on the Rocks episodes
- #126 Leadership That Opens Doors: Seeing Potential in Overlooked People with Bobbie Bournes-McNutt
What if the person you're overlooking today is the person who could change tomorrow?
Leadership isn't just about achieving goals, managing operations, or getting results. It's about recognizing potential in people—even when they can't see it in themselves—and helping them discover what's possible.
In Episode 126 of Leadership on the Rocks, Bethany Rees sits down with Bobbie Bournes-McNutt, Director of Adult Education at the University of Arkansas Pulaski Technical College, for an inspiring conversation about servant leadership, second chances, and the power of believing in people.
Bobbie knows firsthand that your circumstances don't have to determine your future. From growing up in poverty and earning her GED to pursuing multiple degrees and leading a growing adult education program, her journey demonstrates what can happen when education, determination, and supportive relationships come together.
Together, Bethany and Bobbie explore:
- Why great leaders look beyond someone's circumstances to recognize their potential.
- How assumptions and judgment can prevent us from seeing what people are capable of becoming.
- Why encouragement, empathy, and consistent support matter as much as training and opportunity.
- How servant leadership creates a culture where people feel valued, respected, and empowered.
- Why leaders must model humility, vulnerability, and lifelong learning.
- Practical ways businesses and community members can open doors through mentorship, internships, job shadowing, and employment.
- How adult education provides far more than a GED, including career certifications, workforce training, coaching, and essential life skills.
- Why it's never too late to take the next step toward a different future.
The leadership challenge: Don't just ask what someone can do for your organization. Ask what you can do to help that person grow.
Whether you lead a business, school, nonprofit, ministry, or family, this conversation will challenge you to see people differently and use your influence to create opportunities that change lives.
🔗 Connect with Our Guest: Bobbie Bournes-McNuttUniversity of Arkansas Pulaski Technical College — search for Adult Education.
You can find more resources at:
U.S. Department of Labor
Arkansas Workforce Connections
CONTACT US:
Visit our website at https://www.leadershipontherocks.com/
Order my book Leadership on the Rocks: How to Survive, Adapt, and Succeed in the Wilderness of Leadership on Amazon.
Follow us online at:
Facebook: Leadership on the Rocks
Instagram: @leadershipontherocks
LinkedIn: Bethany Rees
Email us at [email protected]
38 min - #125 Leading With God: Breaking Free From Self-Sufficient Leadership with Monika Kirkland
What happens when God opens a door, but you try to walk through it in your own strength?
As leaders, we're often the problem-solvers, planners, and get-it-done people. But somewhere between answering emails, managing teams, raising families, and pursuing our calling, it's easy to slip into self-sufficiency—and forget that we were never meant to do it all alone.
In this episode of Leadership on the Rocks, Bethany welcomes Christian author and podcaster Monika Kirkland to discuss what it means to lead, work, and live with God, not just for Him.
Drawing from her book, Ever With You: Becoming Fully Awake to the God Who Is Near, Monika shares how a season of exhaustion led her to discover a deeper dependence on God. She also tells the story of stepping into a teaching opportunity, relying on her own preparation, and realizing she needed God's help not just to open the door but to walk through it.
Together, Bethany and Monika explore:
- Why high-achieving leaders are especially susceptible to self-sufficiency.
- How to invite God into meetings, decisions, presentations, and difficult conversations.
- The difference between faithful preparation and striving for approval.
- Why your title, salary, achievements, and influence should never define your identity.
- How to recognize God's presence during lonely wilderness seasons.
- Why prayer doesn't have to be confined to your morning quiet time.
- How delegation creates opportunities for others to grow.
🔗 Connect with Our Guest:🌐 Website: www.monikakirkland.com
📘 Book: Ever With You: Becoming Fully Awake to the God Who Is Near
📲Instagram: @monikakirkland
🎧Podcast: Inner Revival
CONTACT US:
Visit our website at https://www.leadershipontherocks.com/
Order my book Leadership on the Rocks: How to Survive, Adapt, and Succeed in the Wilderness of Leadership on Amazon.
Follow us online at:
Facebook: Leadership on the Rocks
Instagram: @leadershipontherocks
LinkedIn: Bethany Rees
Email us at [email protected]
35 min - #124 The Biology of Leadership: Why Recovery Is Your Competitive Advantage with Nicole Ward
What if the key to becoming a better leader isn't working harder—but recovering smarter?
Executive leader, author, and performance strategist Nicole Ward joins Bethany to explore why leadership performance is deeply connected to how we care for ourselves.
After a serious car accident forced Nicole to confront the personal cost of chronic overwork, she began a journey to rethink success, health, and sustainable performance.
In this episode, Bethany and Nicole discuss:
- Why leaders should approach performance and recovery like elite athletes.
- How to recognize the warning signs of running on empty.
- What biohacking actually means—and how to start without expensive gadgets.
- Simple ways to incorporate movement and breathing into a busy workday.
- Why sleep and nutrition deserve a place in your leadership strategy.
- Practical ways to protect your routines while traveling.
- How to make meaningful changes without trying to overhaul your entire life.
- Why prioritizing your health sometimes requires courage when others expect you to keep operating the same way.
Nicole also shares insights from her book, Biohacking for the Sales Athlete, and explains why small, consistent changes can help leaders create a more sustainable approach to success.
The bottom line: You don't have to sacrifice yourself to sustain your success.
🔗 Connect with Our Guest:Website: https://www.nicoleelizabethward.com/
Instagram: @nicoleward111
LinkedIn:@NicoleWard111Book: Biohacking for the Sales Athlete
Podcasts: The Executive Athlete and Aeon at the Top
***
Leadership isn’t about wearing different masks—it’s about standing on a firm foundation.
If you’re ready to lead with clarity, consistency, and faith—without separating who you are at work from who you are at home—explore Bethany’s coaching, workshops, and leadership resources designed for real life and real leadership. Visit us at www.leadershipontherocks.com.
Order my book Leadership on the Rocks: How to Survive, Adapt, and Succeed in the Wilderness of Leadership at www.leadershipontherocks.com or on Amazon.
CONTACT US:
Visit our website at https://www.leadershipontherocks.com/
Follow us online at:
- Facebook: Leadership on the Rocks
- Instagram: @leadershipontherocks
- LinkedIn: Bethany Rees
Email us at [email protected]
44 min - #123 Why Leaders Struggle to Delegate (and How to Finally Let Go) with Rachael Davila
Virtual Assistant Strategist Rachael Davila joins Bethany for a very real conversation about one of the hardest leadership skills for high achievers: delegation.
Rachael shares how reaching her own definition of success nearly burned her out—and forced her to recognize that doing everything herself was no longer sustainable. Together, she and Bethany unpack the internal work required to let go, how to decide what should actually be delegated, and why hiring someone based on skills alone can be a costly mistake.
In this episode:
- Why delegation is a leadership skill, not something that comes naturally
- Recognizing your “not this” moment
- How being highly capable can eventually become a liability
- Creating a detailed handoff list
- Why you should hire for qualities, values, and working style—not just skills
- The difference between delegating and simply dumping tasks
- Why the first 90–120 days require intentional communication and trust-building
- How perfectionism can turn you into the bottleneck
- Starting small by practicing delegation at home
- Why the cheapest help may ultimately cost you more
- Creating space for the work that is actually yours to do
🔗 Connect with Our Guest:Website: https://linktr.ee/extrahandsva
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ExtraHandsVirtualAssistanceInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/extrahands_va
LInkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachaeldavila/
Hey! Do I Need a VA? Readiness quiz: https://links.extrahandsva.com/widget/quiz/atHsHeioZb80ntoMzuCR
Visit our website at https://www.leadershipontherocks.com
Order my book Leadership on the Rocks: How to Survive, Adapt, and Succeed in the Wilderness of Leadership on Amazon.
CONTACT US:
Visit our website at https://www.leadershipontherocks.com/
Follow us online at:
Facebook: Leadership on the Rocks
Instagram: @leadershipontherocks
LinkedIn: Bethany Rees
Email us at [email protected]
45 min - #122 Burnout or Under-Recovered? How Leaders Can Reclaim Their Energy with Dr. Ken Ro
After more than 35 years in emergency medicine, Dr. Ken Ro began asking a different question: What could have happened years earlier to prevent the crisis happening in the ER today?
In this episode, Dr. Ro joins Bethany to explore why high-performing leaders—especially in midlife—can slowly normalize exhaustion, brain fog, poor sleep, stress, and declining energy while continuing to perform.
They discuss:
- Why leaders may not be overstressed, but under-recovered
- How physical health directly impacts leadership capacity and decision-making
- Why work gets our best energy while home often gets what’s left
- Protecting the first and last hour of your day
- The danger of 24/7 accessibility and “micromanagement technology”
- Dr. Ro’s RECLAIM Method for addressing root causes instead of symptoms
- Why midlife shouldn’t automatically mean accepting a lower “new normal”
- The powerful question to ask your doctor: “If I stay on this trajectory, what will I look like in five years?”
- Why you cannot lead effectively with an empty tank
🔗 Connect with Our Guest:🌐 Website: https://www.kennethromd.com/
📘 Book (PRIME: How To Win The Second Half Of Life): https://a.co/d/0hwSax2N
💼 Program: Back in the Game Men
Instagram: @DrKennethRo
LinkedIn: @DrKenRo
CONTACT US:
Visit our website at https://www.leadershipontherocks.com/
Order my book Leadership on the Rocks: How to Survive, Adapt, and Succeed in the Wilderness of Leadership on Amazon.
Follow us online at:
Facebook: Leadership on the Rocks
Instagram: @leadershipontherocks
LinkedIn: Bethany Rees
Email us at [email protected]
49 min - #121 Finding Purpose Through “Holy Discontent” with Melissa Wilkinson
Melissa Wilkinson, founder of Anchored With Purpose, joins Bethany to explore what it looks like to lead with faith, purpose, and intention—even when life feels chaotic or the path ahead isn't clear.
Melissa shares how “holy discontent” helped her recognize major transitions in her own leadership journey and why spending intentional time with God can bring clarity to our decisions, priorities, and next steps. They also discuss creating margin, navigating imposter syndrome, rediscovering forgotten dreams, and why leaders need to stop worrying so much about what everyone else thinks.
In this episode:
- Recognizing “holy discontent” and what God may be revealing through it
- Creating a daily faith practice without making it another checkbox
- Having a “business meeting with God” before tackling your task list
- Building margin into an overloaded life
- Finding clarity when you feel stuck or overwhelmed
- Moving past imposter syndrome and trusting your calling
- Asking God to illuminate your next right step
🔗 Connect with Our Guest:Website: anchoredwithpurpose.com
The Bible App Devotional: From Lent to Lifestyle: Building a Daily Faith Practice that Lasts
Anchored with Purpose PodcastAnchored with Purpose Faith Journal
Anchored with Purpose Instagram
Melissa Instagram
CONTACT US:
Visit our website at https://www.leadershipontherocks.com/
Order my book Leadership on the Rocks: How to Survive, Adapt, and Succeed in the Wilderness of Leadership on Amazon.
Follow us online at:
- Facebook: Leadership on the Rocks
- Instagram: @leadershipontherocks
- LinkedIn: Bethany Rees
Email us at [email protected]
46 min - #120 How to Lead Without Burning Out with Curtis Sprouse
What if burnout isn't caused by doing too much... but by carrying the wrong things?
In this episode of Leadership on the Rocks, Bethany sits down with leadership coach and entrepreneur Curtis Sprouse to discuss how leaders can regain clarity, manage pressure, reset between work and home, and create healthier lives without sacrificing performance.
In this episode you'll learn:- Why leaders must elevate themselves before they can elevate others
- The surprising first step to overcoming burnout
- How small daily habits dramatically improve leadership effectiveness
- Practical ways to mentally reset before walking through your front door
- Why defining the real problem changes everything
- How to stop carrying burdens you were never meant to carry
- Why people—not purpose—must always come first
Connect with Curtis Sprouse🌐 EurekaConnect: https://eurekaconnect.com/
Assessment & Leadership Coaching:
📧 [email protected]Institute for Biomedical Entrepreneurship:
🌐 https://www.ibeinc.orgLeadership on the Rocks helps leaders build healthier teams, stronger foundations, and greater harmony between their professional and personal lives through coaching, workshops, speaking, and practical leadership resources. Visit us at www.leadershipontherocks.com.
Order Leadership on the Rocks: How to Survive, Adapt, and Succeed in the Wilderness of Leadership at www.leadershipontherocks.com or on Amazon.
CONTACT US:
Visit our website at: https://www.leadershipontherocks.com/
Follow us online:
- Facebook: Leadership on the Rocks
- Instagram: @leadershipontherocks
- LinkedIn: Bethany Rees
Email: [email protected]
43 min - #119 Faith-Based Leadership and Discipling Your Business with Mark Rowan
In this episode of Leadership on the Rocks, Bethany Rees sits down with Mark Rowan, founder of Sheep Feast, to discuss what it means to disciple your business and lead with faith, surrender, and stewardship.
Together, they explore:
• Why leadership starts with surrendering control to God
• How discipleship applies to business leadership
• The connection between faith and operational systems
• Common mistakes Christian entrepreneurs make
• How strong communication and organization support stewardship
• What it means to truly shepherd the people you leadIf you’ve ever struggled to balance faith, leadership, structure, and service, this episode will encourage you to lead with both conviction and clarity.
🔗 Connect with Our Guest: Mark Rowanhttps://sheepfeast.com
https://disciplemybusiness.com/
Freebies:
Prayer activation download (1 page): https://disciplemybusiness.com/prayer-business-leaders
Overcoming the 3 Greatest Challenges Facing Christian Entrepreneurs (multi-page): https://disciplemybusiness.com/overcome-challenges
---
Leadership isn’t about wearing different masks—it’s about standing on a firm foundation.
If you’re ready to lead with clarity, consistency, and faith—without separating who you are at work from who you are at home—explore Bethany’s coaching, workshops, and leadership resources designed for real life and real leadership. Visit us at www.leadershipontherocks.com.
Order my book Leadership on the Rocks: How to Survive, Adapt, and Succeed in the Wilderness of Leadership at www.leadershipontherocks.com or on Amazon.
CONTACT US:
Visit our website at https://www.leadershipontherocks.com/
Follow us online at:
- Facebook: Leadership on the Rocks
- Instagram: @leadershipontherocks
- LinkedIn: Bethany Rees
Email us at [email protected]
38 min - #118 The Curiosity Curve: Why Curiosity Drives Leadership Performance with Dr. Debra Clary
What happens when leaders stop trying to have all the answers and start asking better questions?
In this episode, Bethany Rees talks with leadership strategist and curiosity expert Dr. Debra Clary about how curiosity drives innovation, improves team culture, strengthens decision-making, and helps leaders create psychologically safe workplaces.
You’ll learn:
✔ Why curiosity is a measurable leadership skill
✔ How certainty kills innovation
✔ Questions every leader should ask
✔ How curiosity helps de-escalate conflict
✔ Why disengaged employees often feel unseen and unheard
✔ How leaders can build cultures where people contribute ideas freelyIf you’ve ever felt pressure to “know it all” as a leader, this episode is for you.
🔗 Connect with Our Guest:Website: www.debraclary.com
Free Resource: Click here for free Curiosity Assessment
In about 6–7 minutes, the assessment provides a personalized snapshot across four dimensions of curiosity: Exploration, Focused Engagement, Inspirational Creativity, and Openness to New Ideas. It’s a practical tool leaders can use to identify where they naturally operate and where strengthening curiosity could unlock better conversations, stronger teams, and more innovative thinking.
Listeners will receive their results immediately and can use the insights to start building more curiosity-driven leadership in their work and organizations.
https://thecultureplatform.com/partner/event/76ea6091acb7dc7834d97fd71c3d4910
***
Leadership on the Rocks helps leaders build healthier teams, stronger foundations, and greater harmony between their professional and personal lives through coaching, workshops, speaking, and practical leadership resources. Visit us at www.leadershipontherocks.com.
Order my book Leadership on the Rocks: How to Survive, Adapt, and Succeed in the Wilderness of Leadership at www.leadershipontherocks.com or on Amazon.
CONTACT US:
Visit our website at https://www.leadershipontherocks.com/
Follow us online at:
- Facebook: Leadership on the Rocks
- Instagram: @leadershipontherocks
- LinkedIn: Bethany Rees
Email us at [email protected]
38 min - #117 Owners, Renters, and Vandals: The Mindsets Shaping Your Culture with Greg Hawks
In this episode, Bethany sits down with culture expert Greg Hawks to unpack what it really takes to build an ownership culture that fuels engagement, accountability, and results.
Greg breaks down why most workplace cultures drift into dysfunction (hint: it’s not intentional) and how leaders can shift from overwhelmed managers to culture shapers. From the three workplace mindsets—owners, renters, and vandals—to the power of accountability and trust, this conversation is packed with practical leadership insight.
You’ll also hear why AI can’t fix broken leadership—and what actually will.
Key Takeaways:
- Why culture is the environment leaders intentionally (or unintentionally) create
- The 3 employee mindsets: owners, renters, and vandals
- How leaders can activate ownership instead of wishing for “better people”
- Why accountability is a progress partner, not punishment
- The role of trust, humility, and language in shaping culture
- Greg’s 5 Unlocks for building a culture people love
- Why upgrading your “human operating system” matters more than AI tools
🔗 Connect with Our Guest: Greg HawksWebsite: https://www.greghawks.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ghawks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greghawks***
Leadership isn’t about wearing different masks—it’s about standing on a firm foundation.
If you’re ready to lead with clarity, consistency, and faith—without separating who you are at work from who you are at home—explore Bethany’s coaching, workshops, and leadership resources designed for real life and real leadership. Visit us at www.leadershipontherocks.com.
Order my book Leadership on the Rocks: How to Survive, Adapt, and Succeed in the Wilderness of Leadership at www.leadershipontherocks.com or on Amazon.
CONTACT US:
Visit our website at https://www.leadershipontherocks.com/
Follow us online at:
- Facebook: Leadership on the Rocks
- Instagram: @leadershipontherocks
- LinkedIn: Bethany Rees
Email us at [email protected]
54 min
About Leadership on the Rocks
From the publisher's feed
The Leadership on the Rocks podcast is about equipping and empowering leaders like you, so you can THRIVE IN and CREATE HARMONY BETWEEN YOUR PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL LIVES. As a community through…
this podcast, we will become equipped with the essential leadership skills needed to grow professionally, but understand that it doesn't have to come at the expense of our home and family lives. Together, we will share struggles and lessons learned as well as look to leadership principles and best practices for being our best at work and at home. Visit us at www.leadershipontherocks.com for more FREE resources as well as online courses, coaching, workshops, and speaking.