Leadovation

A founder can delegate the work and still become the biggest obstacle to business growth. 

In this episode, Dean Newlund and Mike Krupit explore the shift from doing everything to leading others, the challenges of accountability in family businesses, and how clearer boundaries and greater curiosity can help leaders move forward.

In this episode, Dean Newlund and Mike Krupit discuss:

• The transition from hands-on founder to effective leader
• Recognizing when leadership habits begin limiting business growth
• Family dynamics, accountability, and generational succession
• Setting boundaries between professional responsibilities and personal relationships
• Curiosity as a way to approach conflict, change, and new possibilities

Key Takeaways:

• Leaders can recognize when they are holding a business back by examining growth, performance, retention, and their own leadership habits.
• Effective delegation means giving people authority to achieve results, not just assigning tasks and prescribing how to do them.
• Family businesses can preserve stability and institutional knowledge, but clear roles and genuine authority for the next generation help prevent family dynamics from hindering progress.
• Leaders can strengthen relationships by giving positive feedback before difficult conversations and applying the same care, boundaries, and communication skills at home.

"Cracks just shouldn't be filled. That contributes to the instability. I see cracks as an opportunity to evolve something to another to be something else.” — Mike Krupit

About Mike Krupit:

Mike Krupit is the founder and CEO of Trajectify, where he helps growth-stage technology, professional service, and family businesses bridge the gap between early success and scalable leadership. With more than 30 years of experience as a CTO, COO, and CEO, Mike has led organizations through rapid growth, IPOs, and M&As, giving him rare, real-world insight into what actually works when the stakes are high. Known for his practical, candid approach, he helps founders and CEOs build courage, align their organizations, and unlock momentum from the inside out.

Connect with Mike Krupit:  

Website: https://www.trajectify.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mkrupit/

See Dean’s TedTalk “Why Business Needs Intuition” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEq9IYvgV7I

Connect with Dean:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgqRK8GC8jBIFYPmECUCMkw

Website: https://www.mfileadership.com/

The Mission Statement E-Newsletter: https://www.mfileadership.com/blog/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannewlund/

X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/deannewlund

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MissionFacilitators/

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 1-800-926-7370

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Companies do not always stall because they have a strategy problem. In this episode, Dean Newlund and Jonathan Lewis explore how identity shapes growth, culture, succession, and the way leaders respond to a changing workforce.

In this episode, Dean Newlund and Jonathan Lewis discuss:

• Identity as a driver of business growth
• The five phases of the disruption cycle
• Culture and the idea behind the leader
• Succession and generational leadership

• Rebuilding work through relationships and purpose

   

Key Takeaways:

• Identity acts as a form of leverage because who you are determines which strategies and opportunities you are willing to consider.
• Organizations can respond to saturation by returning to the growth cycle, defining a new market, and finding new ways to bring life into the company.
• Strong cultures are built around an enduring idea that new leaders can embody in their own way rather than depending entirely on one individual.
• Leaders can better understand their identity by looking at the people they serve, the responsibilities they carry, and the relationships around them.
• Leaders can become rebuilders by taking responsibility for their community, company, or department and creating a more relational, purposeful story of work.

"People are culture, people are identity, and so if you change people, you are changing your identity and your culture.” — Jonathan Lewis

About Jonathan Lewis:

Jonathan David Lewis is the owner and president of McKee Wallwork, a nationally recognized brand strategy firm that helps CEOs and leadership teams through pivotal moments. A sought-after speaker, Forbes contributor, and author of three books, including Brand vs. Wild: Building Resilient Brands for Harsh Business Environments and The Rebuilders: Daily Foundations for the Leaders We Need, Jonathan draws on more than a decade of proprietary research and hard-won experience to help audiences restore decisiveness in the face of disruption, stalled growth, and organizational change. He is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

Connect with Jonathan Lewis:  

Website: https://www.mckeewallwork.com/

Books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jonathan-David-Lewis/author/B01N6U2ABA

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanlewis11/

See Dean’s TedTalk “Why Business Needs Intuition” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEq9IYvgV7I

Connect with Dean:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgqRK8GC8jBIFYPmECUCMkw

Website: https://www.mfileadership.com/

The Mission Statement E-Newsletter: https://www.mfileadership.com/blog/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannewlund/

X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/deannewlund

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MissionFacilitators/

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 1-800-926-7370

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

What separates elite performers may have less to do with talent and more to do with mindset, daily rituals, and sustainability. 

Dean Newlund and Gary Chupik explore what business leaders can learn from elite athletes about performance, recovery, decision-making, and lasting change.

In this episode, Dean Newlund and Gary Chupik discuss:

• Mental performance across sports and business
• Daily rituals and recovery
• Sustainability, ambition, and personal capacity
• Decision-making and limiting choices
• Questions, ownership, and organizational change

Key Takeaways:

• Create a personal daily regimen of five or seven things that put you in the best position to succeed, such as getting enough sleep, hydrating, or making time for future-focused thinking.
• Protect periods of rest and reduce reactionary inputs by creating space away from phones, email, and social media so you can approach the day more intentionally.
• Sustainable growth may require choosing opportunities based on what feels manageable and enjoyable rather than automatically pursuing everything that appears lucrative or beneficial for your career.
• Excellence often requires limiting choices and closing doors that do not align with the direction, purpose, or level of performance you want to achieve.
• Change is more likely to take hold when people are actively involved in figuring out the next steps, with a designated change champion helping keep the process moving.

“Don’t trust the process. Attack the process.” — Gary Chupik
 

About Gary Chupik:

Gary Chupik is internationally recognized as one of the top mental performance coaches in the world, helping professional teams, athletes, and business professionals find their next level in performance. He is an international speaker, writer, and certified leadership coach, with clients including the Houston Texans, Seattle Mariners, Microsoft, Amazon, and Boeing. With over 30 years of leadership experience, Gary has inspired over 25,000 high-performers and coached over 600 athletes and business people.
 

Connect with Gary Chupik:  

Website: http://www.elitemindsetnation.com/ & https://www.onedayelevate.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garychupik

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elitemindset/

See Dean’s TedTalk “Why Business Needs Intuition” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEq9IYvgV7I

Connect with Dean:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgqRK8GC8jBIFYPmECUCMkw

Website: https://www.mfileadership.com/

The Mission Statement E-Newsletter: https://www.mfileadership.com/blog/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannewlund/

X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/deannewlund

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MissionFacilitators/

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 1-800-926-7370

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

AI is changing how businesses communicate, work, and make decisions, but it also raises new questions about trust, authenticity, and original thinking. In this episode, Dean Newlund and Gal Borenstein explore hybrid work, digital trust, responsible AI adoption, and why innovation still depends on human judgment and creativity.

In this episode, Dean Newlund and Gal Borenstein discuss:

• How hybrid work is reshaping business and workplace culture
• Building authenticity into digital communication
• AI's impact on attention, creativity, and original thinking
• Questions leaders should ask before adopting AI
• Why disruptive innovation requires CEO backing

Key Takeaways:

• Hybrid work can give employees more flexibility while helping companies reduce real estate and other overhead costs.
• Digital trust requires recognizing that what people see online may not be authentic and creating clear signals of human involvement.
• AI can improve productivity, but relying on it without your own intellect, knowledge, values, and judgment can weaken original thinking.
• Businesses should identify a real, validated problem before adopting AI rather than using it simply because competitors are doing so.
• Real innovation requires creating something that challenges existing thinking and has an actual impact.

"Trust no one, verify, and create opportunities to build trust through innovation.” — Gal Borenstein

About Gal Borenstein:

Gal S. Borenstein is the Founder and CEO of The Borenstein Group, a nationally recognized B2B and B2G branding, marketing, and public relations agency serving defense, aerospace, cybersecurity, and technology companies for over three decades. With more than 30 years of experience advising CEOs, CMOs, and founders, he specializes in brand transformation, strategic messaging, digital trust, and go-to-market positioning. He is also the author of Don’t Believe the Hype. When Trust Is on the Line and Beating Goliath with AI: The Small Business Playbook to Outsmart Your Biggest Competitors.

Connect with Gal Borenstein:  

Website: https://www.borensteingroup.com/

Book: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Gal-S.-Borenstein/author/B00J9AZ0GQ

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BorensteinGroup_WashingtonDC

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/galborensteinexecutiveprofile/

See Dean’s TedTalk “Why Business Needs Intuition” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEq9IYvgV7I

Connect with Dean:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgqRK8GC8jBIFYPmECUCMkw

Website: https://www.mfileadership.com/

The Mission Statement E-Newsletter: https://www.mfileadership.com/blog/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannewlund/

X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/deannewlund

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MissionFacilitators/

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 1-800-926-7370

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

What happens when a growing organization’s systems can no longer support its vision?

Dean Newlund and Carol Schultz discuss chief of staff roles, CEO accountability, communication, competency models, feedback culture, and organizational structures that help teams grow.

In this episode, Dean Newlund and Carol Schultz discuss:

• Telling clients the truth and leading with integrity
• What a chief of staff really does
• Recognizing when people problems are systems problems
• Building competency models around organizational needs
• Creating stronger communication, feedback, and leadership accountability

Key Takeaways:

• Tell clients the truth, even when doing so creates a risk of losing the business.
• Look at the systems behind recurring people problems before assuming another person is the solution.
• Use competency models to make hiring and performance reviews more objective and clarify what employees are expected to do.
• Build a culture of feedback by modeling effective communication and teaching people how to use language well.
• Give teams room to make mistakes, learn, and become more independent instead of solving every problem for them.

"An effective CEO is one that is self-aware. An effective CEO is one that, I believe, is vulnerable and authentic. An effective CEO is not afraid of looking bad, and I don't mean physically.” — Carol Schultz

About Carol Schultz:

Carol Schultz, CEO of Vertical Elevation and Inc. Magazine columnist, is an outspoken entrepreneur who helps CEOs stop running their companies and start leading them. She draws on decades of experience as a recruiter and executive coach to deliver The Chief of Staff Scaffold System, a 9-step program that teaches founders to restructure their time, delegate effectively, and refocus on growth. Known for her no-BS honesty and willingness to ruffle feathers, Carol combines bold truth-telling with lessons learned from her own early leadership missteps.

Connect with Carol Schultz:  

Website: https://verticalelevation.com

Email: [email protected]

Book: Powered by People: https://www.amazon.com/Powered-People-Talent-Centric-Organizations-Recruitment-ebook/dp/B09ZZC81J6

Show: Evolving Your Workplace: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/evolving-your-workplace/id1562180951

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolbschultz/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growgreatteams/

See Dean’s TedTalk “Why Business Needs Intuition” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEq9IYvgV7I

Connect with Dean:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgqRK8GC8jBIFYPmECUCMkw

Website: https://www.mfileadership.com/

The Mission Statement E-Newsletter: https://www.mfileadership.com/blog/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannewlund/

X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/deannewlund

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MissionFacilitators/

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 1-800-926-7370

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

What happens when the life you built no longer feels like your own? Dean Newlund talks with Wendy Valentine about self-awareness, rebuilding after rock bottom, changing the thoughts and behaviors that keep us stuck, and finding the courage to become the person we want to be.

In this episode, Dean Newlund and Wendy Valentine discuss:

• Awakening through breakdowns and major life transitions
• Letting go of beliefs and behaviors that no longer fit
• Rebuilding your life through intentional personal growth
• Self-awareness in a world full of distractions
• Embracing discomfort, change, and new possibilities

Key Takeaways:

• When staying stuck and starting over both require effort, choose where you want that energy to take you.
• Focus on who you want to become, not only the goals, plans, and tasks you want to accomplish.
• Experiment with different practices, such as journaling, hiking, meditation, or therapy, to build a personal toolbox that works for you.
• Negative emotions and difficult experiences do not automatically mean you are doing something wrong; they are part of being human.
• Ask what your 90-year-old self would thank you for, then use that perspective to make choices with fewer regrets.

"You've got to get your toolbox. Get your toolbox of things that you know that will work for you.” — Wendy Valentine

About Wendy Valentine:

Wendy Valentine is the author of Women Waking Up: The Midlife Manifesto for Passion, Purpose, and Play, a #1 Amazon New Release, and host of The Midlife Makeover Show. After navigating divorce, menopause, job loss, debt, and an empty nest all at once, Wendy stopped living on autopilot and started designing a life that felt like her own. Today, she empowers women to reconnect with their purpose and create bold, joy-fueled lives. Splitting her time between Portugal and traveling the USA in her RV, Wendy is living proof that life gets better, not smaller, with age. 

Connect with Wendy Valentine:  

Website: https://wendyvalentine.com/

Book: Women Waking Up: https://wendyvalentine.com/womenwakingup

Show: The Midlife Makeover Show: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-midlife-makeover-show-women-over-40-menopause/id1609342417

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellowendyvalentine/

See Dean’s TedTalk “Why Business Needs Intuition” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEq9IYvgV7I

Connect with Dean:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgqRK8GC8jBIFYPmECUCMkw

Website: https://www.mfileadership.com/

The Mission Statement E-Newsletter: https://www.mfileadership.com/blog/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannewlund/

X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/deannewlund

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MissionFacilitators/

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 1-800-926-7370

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

What if strategy isn’t the biggest barrier to business growth? Dean Newlund talks with Nick Avaria, founder of Agency Acquisitions, about founder bottlenecks, organizational blind spots, management, leadership, growth, and AI.

In this episode, Dean Newlund and Nick Avaria discuss:

• Systems and structures that support business growth
• Blind spots that can quietly limit growth
• Challenges in making the jump from $2M to $8M
• Why management matters alongside strong leadership
• AI, talent, and changing approaches to workplace surveillance

Key Takeaways:

• Examine whether your systems reinforce the behaviors you need, rather than assuming a stronger strategy will solve operational problems.
• Treat problems as part of growth and use them to identify where your systems, culture, or communication need to become more sophisticated.
• Build a function to a reasonably working level before handing it off, so a new leader can improve an existing foundation instead of starting from scratch.
• Give management its proper place alongside leadership, with clear systems and direction underneath the energy and vision leaders provide.
• Spend time experimenting with AI before delegating it entirely, so you understand its capabilities well enough to make informed decisions and hold others accountable.

"When you have rock-solid management, and then you come and sprinkle some leadership on top, magic happens.” — Nick Avaria

About Nick Avaria:

Nick has spent over a decade as an agency owner, scaling multiple agencies past 7 and 8-figures per year. He has bought and sold 7 agencies and specializes in scaling, leadership, systems, and company culture.

His philosophy is simple: Make more profit, reinvest in training, pay staff more, hire top performers, and repeat.

After seeing agency owners burn out working 60+ hours per week, Nick began consulting to help them build profitable workplaces where employees and clients can thrive while spending less time behind their desk.

He still owns agencies and has found a system that consistently scales agencies at high profits.

Connect with Nick Avaria:  

Website: https://agencyacquisitions.io/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AgencyAcquisitions

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickavaria/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nick_avaria/

See Dean’s TedTalk “Why Business Needs Intuition” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEq9IYvgV7I

Connect with Dean:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgqRK8GC8jBIFYPmECUCMkw

Website: https://www.mfileadership.com/

The Mission Statement E-Newsletter: https://www.mfileadership.com/blog/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannewlund/

X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/deannewlund

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MissionFacilitators/

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 1-800-926-7370

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Change is part of every leader’s job, but resistance is not always a communication problem.

In this episode, Dean Newlund talks with Travis Hahler about the neuroscience behind resistance and how leaders can help people move forward through change.

In this episode, Dean Newlund and Travis Hahler discuss:

• The brain’s response to uncertainty and why change can trigger resistance
• Neurological barriers that shape transitions and influence responses
• Loss, ambiguity, and emotional reactions during change
• Leadership approaches to resistance and creating room for adaptation
• Staying curious as new technologies reshape how we work

Key Takeaways:

• Resistance is often neurological rather than willful refusal; think in terms of routine, threat bias, and ambiguity aversion.
• Diagnose perceived loss by naming what people may fear losing, such as control, competence, relationships, or comfort.
• Create space and structure for adaptation with pacing, repetition, and safe opportunities to practice and fail.
• Use curiosity to surface root causes by asking what people need and what information or support is missing.
• Balance learning with delivery by protecting time for training and experimentation while keeping essential work moving.

"Every change equals loss. And so it just naturally is something that our brain kind of pushes against.” — Travis Hahler

About Travis Hahler:

Travis D. Hahler transforms how Fortune 500 companies navigate change by revealing a startling truth: Resistance isn't rebellion—it’s biology. As Senior Director of Global Strategy and Transformation at Salesforce and Founder of The Neurological Nomad, Hahler brings neuroscience and business acumen to organizational transformation. Over fifteen years, Hahler has guided more than one hundred companies through successful transformations. Rethink Resistance represents Hahler’s mission to democratize neuroscience for business leaders.

Connect with Travis Hahler:  

Website: https://www.theneurologicalnomad.com/

Book: RETHINK RESISTANCE: Embracing Neuroscience to Lead Transformational Change: https://www.amazon.com/Rethink-Resistance-Embracing-Neuroscience-Transformational/dp/1639081895

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/travisdhahler/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneurologicalnomad/

See Dean’s TedTalk “Why Business Needs Intuition” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEq9IYvgV7I

Connect with Dean:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgqRK8GC8jBIFYPmECUCMkw

Website: https://www.mfileadership.com/

The Mission Statement E-Newsletter: https://www.mfileadership.com/blog/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannewlund/

X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/deannewlund

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MissionFacilitators/

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 1-800-926-7370

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Courage can show up in telling the truth, making difficult decisions, and acting without having all the answers. In this episode, Dean Newlund and Ryan Berman explore what courage looks like in leadership, how fear shapes our choices, and how we can build the courage to move forward.

In this episode, Dean Newlund and Ryan Berman discuss:

Key Takeaways:

"Knowledge plus faith plus action equals courage.” — Ryan Berman

About Ryan Berman:

Ryan Berman is a corporate fear fighter, founder of Courageous, author of Return On Courage, and host of The Courageous Podcast. For 25+ years, Ryan has helped companies operationalize courage where they need it most, counseling organizations including Google, Procter & Gamble, Kellogg’s, Kraft Heinz, Bausch & Lomb, Tropicana, the Atlanta Falcons, and Snapchat. His consulting firm, Courageous, guides clients through courageous conversations, decisions, ideas, and transformation. Ryan believes that change is hard, but the hardships of not changing are far harder. 

Connect with Ryan Berman:  

Website: http://www.ryanberman.com/

Book: Return On Courage: https://www.returnoncourage.com/

Show: The Courageous Podcast: https://ryanberman.com/courageous-podcast/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bravewhatshard/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryan_berman/

See Dean’s TedTalk “Why Business Needs Intuition” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEq9IYvgV7I

Connect with Dean:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgqRK8GC8jBIFYPmECUCMkw

Website: https://www.mfileadership.com/

The Mission Statement E-Newsletter: https://www.mfileadership.com/blog/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannewlund/

X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/deannewlund

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MissionFacilitators/

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 1-800-926-7370

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

AI is reshaping jobs, workflows, and the way organizations operate. In this episode, Dean Newlund talks with Nadav Wilf, founder of ZeremAI, about how CEOs can build an AI strategy that drives business results.

In this episode, Dean Newlund and Nadav Wilf discuss:

Key Takeaways:

"AI is incredibly exciting. There's so much opportunity and things you can do, and there's a lot [you] can't do still, and it's about creating that relationship and finding that balance.” — Nadav Wilf

About Nadav Wilf:

Nadav Wilf is an entrepreneur, investor, and the CEO of ZeremAI, a company at the forefront of AI implementation and systems automation. With a career spanning over two decades, Nadav is a three-time founder with multiple successful exits who has dedicated his life to understanding how technology can unlock human potential.

Rather than viewing AI as a replacement for human talent, Nadav approaches it as a catalyst for a high-performance culture, helping organizations restructure their workflows to reclaim massive amounts of productive time. A dynamic speaker and strategic advisor, he speaks passionately about the transition into an AI-first economy, the rise of AI agents, and how leaders can navigate the massive cultural and operational shifts of the modern workplace.

Connect with Nadav Wilf:  

Website: https://zerem.ai/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadavwilf

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nadavwilf/

See Dean’s TedTalk “Why Business Needs Intuition” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEq9IYvgV7I

Connect with Dean:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgqRK8GC8jBIFYPmECUCMkw

Website: https://www.mfileadership.com/

The Mission Statement E-Newsletter: https://www.mfileadership.com/blog/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannewlund/

X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/deannewlund

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MissionFacilitators/

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 1-800-926-7370

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.