Do you wonder if your team genuinely loves working for you... or if they're secretly planning their exit? 

Even well-intentioned leaders can unknowingly become the boss people want to escape from.

In this episode of Leading Beyond the Spreadsheet, host Kris Liebau interviews Joel Hilchey, author of "The Six and a Half Habits of Highly Defective Bosses." Joel reveals the surprising differences between bosses people love and bosses people leave - and how to make sure you're the former.

Kris and Joel dive into:
✅ The 4-quadrant leadership framework that separates great bosses from forgettable ones
✅ The hidden mistakes that make your top performers want to quit
✅ The 5-minute reflection exercise that transforms how your team sees you
✅ Simple ways to show employees you care about more than just their output

Watch if you want to:
💡Know for certain that your team loves working for you
💡Understand why good intentions aren't enough in leadership
💡Learn what your best employees really want from their boss

Take the bad boss self-assessment now! - https://www.joelhilchey.com/bosses.html

#Leadership #Management #TeamRetention #EmployeeEngagement #LeadershipSkills #ManagementTips #TeamCulture #PeopleLeadership #WorkplaceCulture #LeadershipDevelopment

Transform your one-on-ones from mundane check-ins to powerful performance drivers!

Grab our free "One-on-One Upgrade Toolkit" and start unlocking your team's true potential today.

Download your guide at https://www.actionandeasecoaching.com/toolkit

Stop treating well-being as dessert after you've eaten your performance vegetables. Learn why integration, not sacrifice, is the key to sustainable high performance.

In this episode of Leading Beyond the Spreadsheet, leadership coach Kris Liebau reveals why the most successful leaders don't choose between performance and wellbeing—they master both.

Perfect for leaders who:

• Feel guilty taking breaks while their team is working hard
• Can't turn off their racing minds, even during downtime
• Believe wellbeing is "selfish" or takes away from results
• Notice their high-performing teams slowing down
• Struggle with the "I'll rest when..." mentality

  Key Takeaways:

• How culture of performance and results hurts vs helps
• Myths of performance and well-being
• Mindsets that impact positive shifts in integrating well-being

Ready to optimize both performance and well-being? Book a Strategic Mindset Consult: https://www.actionandeasecoaching.com/mindset-consult

#LeadershipDevelopment #PerformanceOptimization #Wellbeing #ExecutiveCoaching #SustainableLeadership #TeamPerformance #LeadershipMindset #WorkLifeIntegration

Transform your one-on-ones from mundane check-ins to powerful performance drivers!

Grab our free "One-on-One Upgrade Toolkit" and start unlocking your team's true potential today.

Download your guide at https://www.actionandeasecoaching.com/toolkit

Are you frustrated that your team isn't buying into new initiatives despite having all the facts and data to support your decisions? You're not alone. 

Most analytical leaders make the mistake of thinking more PowerPoint slides and detailed explanations will overcome resistance.

In this episode of Leading Beyond the Spreadsheet, leadership coach Kris Liebau reveals the real reasons teams drag their feet on change - and it's not what you think.

🔑 What You'll Learn:

• The 2 communication channels every leader MUST use (most only use one)
• Maher's 3-level resistance model that explains why logic alone fails
• Why your 47-slide presentation is actually making resistance worse
• How to identify if resistance is about understanding, emotions, or trust
• Practical strategies to turn resistance into buy-in

⚡ Key Takeaway: Change resistance isn't about your data quality - it's about meeting people where they are emotionally and building the trust needed to move forward together.

Perfect for engineering managers, project leaders, and analytical professionals who need their teams to adapt quickly in dynamic environments.

📥 Free Resource: Download the One-on-One Upgrade Toolkit with leadership cheat sheets and conversation starters at www.actionandeasecoaching.com/toolkit

#LeadershipDevelopment #ChangeManagement #TeamMotivation #AnalyticalLeaders #ManagementSkills #LeadershipCoaching #TeamBuilding #WorkplaceChange

Transform your one-on-ones from mundane check-ins to powerful performance drivers!

Grab our free "One-on-One Upgrade Toolkit" and start unlocking your team's true potential today.

Download your guide at https://www.actionandeasecoaching.com/toolkit

Are your factual data-driven presentations falling flat? Getting endless clarifying questions instead of action? 

If you're an analytical leader struggling to build buy-in despite having solid data and compelling spreadsheets, this episode is for you. Leadership coach Kris Liebau interviews communication expert Barbara Boldt to reveal why technical professionals often fail to persuade—and how to fix it.

Key Takeaways:
🔑Why informing ≠ persuading (and when you're actually "pitching" without knowing it)
🔑The PSTA Formula: Problem → Solution → Transformation → Ask
🔑Why most technical presentations fail at the "Ask" stage

Perfect for: Engineering managers, data analysts, technical directors, project managers, and any analytical professional who needs to influence stakeholders, secure resources, or motivate their teams.

Stop assuming your data speaks for itself. Learn the proven formula that transforms technical experts into persuasive communicators who get results.

Guest: Barbara Boldt - Executive coach specializing in helping introverted professionals communicate confidently
Learn more about Barbara and resources at https://boldtglobal.com/toolkits

Host: Kris Liebau - Leadership coach for analytically-minded leaders; 
Learn more https://www.actionandeasecoaching.com and 
Connect at https://www.linkedin.com/in/krisliebau/

#AnalyticalLeadership #TechnicalCommunication #DataDrivenLeadership #ExecutivePresence #EngineeringManagement #PersuasivePresentation

Transform your one-on-ones from mundane check-ins to powerful performance drivers!

Grab our free "One-on-One Upgrade Toolkit" and start unlocking your team's true potential today.

Download your guide at https://www.actionandeasecoaching.com/toolkit

Do you cringe at the word "networking"? 

In this episode of Leading Beyond the Spreadsheet, host Kris Liebau and guest Greg Peters (The Reluctant Networker) reveal why most analytical leaders hate networking—and how to completely redefine it.

Forget awkward small talk and business card exchanges. Discover a practical approach to building genuine professional relationships that actually deliver value. Learn why networking isn't about putting on your "funeral suit" but about strategically making "friends on purpose" who can help you succeed.

Key insights include:

• Why true networking has nothing to do with business card exchanges
• How to build relationships without the uncomfortable "networking event" approach
• The power of consistency over intensity in relationship building
• Making specific, strategic asks without damaging relationships
• How to nurture connections before you need them

Perfect for directors, executives, and analytical professionals who want powerful connections without the discomfort of traditional networking. Transform networking from something you avoid into a strategic advantage you embrace.

Connect with Kris Liebau: https://www.actionandeasecoaching.com
Connect with Greg Peters: https://thereluctantnetworker.com/

#LeadingBeyondTheSpreadsheet #NetworkingForAnalyticalLeaders #RelationshipBuilding #ReluctantNetworker #LeadershipDevelopment #StrategicNetworking

Transform your one-on-ones from mundane check-ins to powerful performance drivers!

Grab our free "One-on-One Upgrade Toolkit" and start unlocking your team's true potential today.

Download your guide at https://www.actionandeasecoaching.com/toolkit

In this episode of Leading Beyond the Spreadsheet, host Kris Liebau and executive coach Aaron Fields explore the hidden psychology of procrastination for high-achieving professionals. 

Discover:

• why procrastination isn't about laziness but about avoiding uncomfortable feelings, 
• how perfectionism masquerades as productivity, and 
• practical strategies to shift from analysis paralysis to meaningful action
• how to recognize when you're procrastinating (even when you're busy), create accountability structures that work, and 
• develop a mindset that eliminates procrastination guilt while enhancing team performance. 

Perfect for analytical leaders who hold high expectations of themselves and their teams.

Connect with Aaron Fields at aaronfieldscoaching.com
Connect with Kris Liebau at actionandeasecoaching.com

Transform your one-on-ones from mundane check-ins to powerful performance drivers!

Grab our free "One-on-One Upgrade Toolkit" and start unlocking your team's true potential today.

Download your guide at https://www.actionandeasecoaching.com/toolkit

When you've invested heavily in processes but aren't seeing the expected returns, the problem might not be in your systems—it's in your and your team's thinking patterns. In this episode of Leading Beyond the Spreadsheet, coach Kris Liebau reveals how high-achieving leaders sabotage results through overplayed strengths like perfectionism, achievement addiction, and hypervigilance.

Discover:

• Why we struggle to see when our greatest strengths become limiting weaknesses
• The hidden costs of achievement addiction, perfectionism, and people-pleasing
• Why awareness alone isn't enough—the critical steps to transform insight into change

Perfect for directors and executives who've implemented process improvements and culture change initiatives but still face roadblocks. 

#ExecutiveLeadership #ProcessOptimization #PerformanceImprovement #LeadershipDevelopment #StrategicThinking #BusinessEfficiency #ManagementConsulting

Transform your one-on-ones from mundane check-ins to powerful performance drivers!

Grab our free "One-on-One Upgrade Toolkit" and start unlocking your team's true potential today.

Download your guide at https://www.actionandeasecoaching.com/toolkit

Discover how improv techniques can transform your leadership style from task-focused to truly present and engaging. In this Leading Beyond the Spreadsheet episode, improv experts and coaches Betsy Salkind and Amy Warshawsky reveal how structured improvisation techniques can help analytical leaders build stronger teams and clearer communication.

Gain insights on why:

• Structure and rules actually enhance creativity
• Simple communication often yields better results
• Being present unlocks genuine curiosity

Perfect for directors, managers, and leaders ready to move beyond spreadsheets to create meaningful team connections while maintaining their analytical edge. 

Connect with Kris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krisliebau/

Learn more about BNA Mentor Coaching: https://www.BNAMentorCoaching.com/corporate-team-coaching

#LeadershipDevelopment #ManagementSkills #TeamBuilding #ImprovSkills #BusinessCommunication #ExecutivePresence #CorporateTraining

Transform your one-on-ones from mundane check-ins to powerful performance drivers!

Grab our free "One-on-One Upgrade Toolkit" and start unlocking your team's true potential today.

Download your guide at https://www.actionandeasecoaching.com/toolkit

Engineering leader Jim Mason shares powerful insights on managing scope creep, making effective course corrections, and maintaining project momentum. Join Kris Liebau, host of Leading Beyond the Spreadsheet, and Jim as they explore how sailing's "Velocity Made Good" principle transforms project management and team leadership. 

In this episode, Kris and Jim unpack strategies for:

⛵ Optimizing team velocity while navigating obstacles
🗺️ Making data-driven course corrections without losing sight of goals
🧭 Mentoring junior engineers through project challenges

Perfect for engineering managers, project leaders, and technical teams looking to improve project outcomes while maintaining team momentum. Kris brings her expertise in helping analytically-minded leaders balance technical excellence with people leadership. Watch to unlock the secret of efficient progress, even when the path isn't straight.

New episodes of Leading Beyond the Spreadsheet drop every other Tuesday.

#EngineeringLeadership #ProjectManagement #TeamLeadership #Engineering #Mentoring

Transform your one-on-ones from mundane check-ins to powerful performance drivers!

Grab our free "One-on-One Upgrade Toolkit" and start unlocking your team's true potential today.

Download your guide at https://www.actionandeasecoaching.com/toolkit

Transform your leadership effectiveness with a data-driven approach to time management. Join Kris Liebau as she breaks down the four essential pillars of productivity: volume management, focused execution, mental energy optimization, and strategic perspective.

🎯 Perfect for engineering managers, technical directors, and data-driven leaders looking to maximize their impact while minimizing overwhelm.

In this episode, discover:

• Strategies for maintaining deep focus
• Methods for optimizing your peak mental performance hours
• Practical techniques for building team clarity and momentum

 🔑 Learn how top tech leaders are reducing context switching, eliminating productivity bottlenecks, and creating high-performance team cultures through strategic time management.

#TechLeadership #ProductivityHacks #EngineeringManagement #TimeManagement

Transform your one-on-ones from mundane check-ins to powerful performance drivers!

Grab our free "One-on-One Upgrade Toolkit" and start unlocking your team's true potential today.

Download your guide at https://www.actionandeasecoaching.com/toolkit