Level 10 Leaders

Ryan Castle sits down with Darren Tompkins, founder of the Vedra Ray Group, to unpack what really holds technical professionals back from making the leap into people leadership, and it has nothing to do with their qualifications. Drawing on years of experience placing candidates across engineering, construction, and manufacturing, Darren exposes the hidden traps in the hiring process, why cultural fit matters more than the job description, and why showing leadership intent throughout the year beats announcing it at an annual review.

Darren shares three powerful insights: how to look beyond the job posting, why leveraging virtual support is a game-changer for reclaiming your time, and how to think strategically about maximising long-term value, not just your next pay rise. This episode is for engineers, project managers, and technical professionals ready to step into leadership. If you're job hunting, already in the seat, or simply wondering if management is the right move, Darren's honest, no-nonsense perspective delivers a practical roadmap. Oh, and stay till the end for the story behind a carrot-based hot sauce company with a pro-wrestling twist.

Useful links:
Connect with Darren Tompkins on LinkedIn
vaderrey.com

Darren's carrot-based, wrestling-approved hot sauce. Fair warning: it creeps up on you. 🌶️
headlockhotsauce.com

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Where else you can find us

Website: https://www.level10leaders.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/level10leaders/

This Level 10 Leaders Power Tip is from Adam Law of SOS Care, sharing a simple yet powerful way to bring core values to life using the headlines segment of Level 10 Meetings. Instead of just recognizing tasks, Adam emphasizes calling out the specific core values demonstrated by team members.

By consistently linking recognition to values, teams gain clarity on what those values actually look like in action. Over time, this approach reinforces culture, builds alignment, and transforms core values from words on a wall into everyday behaviors.

Connect with Adam Law:
LinkedIn
SOS Care

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Where else you can find us

Website: https://www.level10leaders.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/level10leaders/

Ryan Castle sits down with Mike to unpack a challenge most leadership teams quietly accept: the gap between strategy and execution. Drawing from real conversations with CEOs and operators, they explore why even well-crafted strategies consistently fall short, often by 10–20%, and how inertia, lack of visibility, and weak accountability allow that gap to persist. From poor communication of strategy to teams being consumed by day-to-day “busyness,” this episode highlights why intentions rarely translate into results without deliberate structure and focus. 

They break down what it really takes to “mind the gap”, aligning daily activity with business outcomes, creating time for meaningful work, and building manager capability through consistent, habit-driven execution. The conversation also explores the evolving role of AI in leadership, the risk of mistaking outputs for real progress, and why great managers must develop both capability and judgment. If you’re leading a team and feel the frustration of missed targets despite clear plans, this episode offers practical insights to close the gap and drive real performance.

Connect with Dr Mike Ashby on LinkedIn

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Where else you can find us

Website: https://www.level10leaders.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/level10leaders/

This Level 10 Leaders Power Tip is from Ruth Uribes, Heroic Voice Academy, sharing a key insight on applying the EOS® concept of GWC (Get It, Want It, Capacity to Do It) with an often-overlooked element: intuition. While GWC helps ensure the right people are in the right seats, Ruth explains that true alignment goes beyond skills and experience.

Through real-world examples, she highlights how ignoring red flags, especially when someone has to “convince” others they fit, can lead to broken trust and a damaged culture. Her message is clear: great leaders don’t rely on frameworks alone. By trusting your gut alongside GWC, you can make better decisions, protect your team culture, and lead with greater confidence and alignment.

Connect with Ruth Uribes:
LinkedIn
heroicvoice.com

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Where else you can find us

Website: https://www.level10leaders.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/level10leaders/

Ryan Castle sits down with Mark Stanley, EOS Implementer and co-author of "Data: Harness Your Numbers to Go from Uncertain to Unstoppable", to explore the practical realities of building and scaling a business through a data-driven lens.

Mark shares three powerful insights from his journey: the importance of truly understanding the market you operate in, why gross profit matters more than revenue, and how speed creates a meaningful competitive advantage. Drawing from decades of experience, including multiple failed ventures, he unpacks the lessons that shaped his approach to leadership, decision-making, and growth.

This episode is for entrepreneurs, founders, and leadership teams looking to simplify complexity, sharpen their numbers, and execute with greater clarity. If you’re navigating growth, struggling with focus, or want to build a more disciplined, data-driven business, Mark’s insights offer both practical tools and hard-earned perspective.

Useful links:
Connect with Mark Stanley on LinkedIn
Data: Harness Your Numbers to Go from Uncertain to Unstoppable
unstoppable-biz.com

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Where else you can find us

Website: https://www.level10leaders.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/level10leaders/

This Level 10 Leaders Power Tip features Sid Jashnani, Certified EOS Implementer, sharing a practical strategy for achieving process mastery through weekly micro-training. While many companies are good at documenting processes, the real challenge is making sure those processes are consistently followed by everyone on the team. Sid explains that strong businesses build scalability and consistency by ensuring processes are not only documented, but also regularly trained, measured, and reinforced.

Instead of running long and often ineffective training sessions, Sid recommends adding 10-minute micro-training segments into weekly Level 10 meetings. Each week, a team member teaches a specific process, reinforcing learning while embedding training into the team’s regular meeting rhythm. Over time, these short sessions compound into dozens of hours of process training each year: strengthening accountability, improving process adoption, and helping leadership teams reduce operational issues.

Connect with Sid Jashnani:
LinkedIn
https://sidjashnani.substack.com/welcome
sidjashnani.com

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Where else you can find us

Website: https://www.level10leaders.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/level10leaders/

Ryan Castle sits down with Rachel Downey, EOS Implementer and founder of Guide Studio, to explore the deeply human side of entrepreneurship: what happens when success on the outside doesn’t match how you feel on the inside.

Rachel shares three powerful insights from her journey: the loneliness that can come with leadership, the importance of listening to the “quiet voice” that signals when something needs to change, and why investing in yourself is the most impactful investment an entrepreneur can make. She opens up about moments of feeling lost despite running a thriving business, the pivotal role of community through EO, and how implementing EOS helped her build leaders within her company and step into a bigger vision.

This episode is for founders, leaders, and high achievers who feel stuck, stretched, or disconnected. If you’re navigating growth, searching for clarity, or ready to evolve into your next level of leadership, Rachel’s story offers both reassurance and a practical path forward.

Useful links:

Connect with Rachel Downey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/racheldowney/
https://www.rachelbizguide.com/

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Where else you can find us

Website: https://www.level10leaders.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/level10leaders/

This Level 10 Leaders Power Tip is from Tonya Petrozzi, EOS Implementer at Petrozzi Coaching & Consulting, who shares a powerful leadership mindset shift called Reframing Time & Accountability. Many leaders unintentionally give away their power by saying, “I didn’t have time.” Tonya explains why this language weakens accountability and how a simple shift can change the way leadership teams think about commitments and priorities.

Instead of saying “I didn’t have time,” Tonya challenges leaders to reframe it as “I chose to do X instead of Y.” This subtle change moves the conversation from excuses to ownership, helping teams get honest about priorities and decisions. When leaders take responsibility for how they spend their time, accountability strengthens and teams gain real traction.

Connect with Tonya Petrozzi:
LinkedIn

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Where else you can find us

Website: https://www.level10leaders.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/level10leaders/

Ryan Castle sits down with Ron Higgs, leadership coach at Wolf Management, former Naval Flight Officer, and aerospace engineering leader who now helps technical professionals transition into effective people leaders.

Ron shares three practical leadership principles drawn from aviation, engineering, and years of coaching: stay open and curious, build genuine relationships before trying to lead, and always expect the unexpected. He explains why many technical leaders struggle when moving from individual contributor to manager, and how frameworks like “connect, inspire, lead” help bridge that gap.

If you lead engineers, technical teams, or fast-growing organizations where communication, trust, and execution matter, this episode offers practical tools for building stronger teams and leading with clarity when things don’t go according to plan.

Useful links:

Connect with Ron Higgs on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ron-higgs
Wolf Management Solutions

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Where else you can find us

Website: https://www.level10leaders.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/level10leaders/

This Level 10 Leaders Power Tip is from Kyle Danner, Certified EOS Implementer at EOS Worldwide, to unpack two universal human needs that sit at the heart of great LMA inside EOS®: the need to feel safe and the need to matter.

Kyle explains why psychological safety is foundational to healthy teams. When people feel safe, they raise issues without fear. When they feel heard, they engage in healthy conflict and commit to decisions, even when it is not their preferred option. If you want stronger accountability, better Level 10 meetings, and real traction, start by building a culture where every person knows they are safe and that their voice counts.

Connect with Kyle Danner:
LinkedIn
https://www.eosworldwide.com/kyle-danner/

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Where else you can find us

Website: https://www.level10leaders.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/level10leaders/