Lubar Executive Education Podcast

In this episode, we sit down with JL Heather, co-founder and managing partner of Centered, to talk about the concept of “Can’t Culture” - how organizations often limit innovation, transformation, and growth by disguising decisions as unavoidable realities. 

During our time together, we discuss practical strategies leaders can use to uncover hidden assumptions, reduce innovation bottlenecks, and create systems that encourage experimentation and learning.  Highlights include:

• What "Can't Culture" is and why it quietly undermines innovation and transformation efforts
• The difference between a true constraint, a choice, and a capability gap using JL's Can't, Won't, or Haven't framework
• Why saying "no" is often easier and safer for individuals, even when it creates significant costs for the organization
• How leaders can identify hidden constraints embedded in policies, procedures, and organizational norms
• Why many organizations engage in "innovation theater" rather than building innovation into the way work actually gets done
• Why curiosity is often more valuable than having the "right answer" as a leader
• How to increase support for innovation by positioning ideas as low-risk experiments with clear success and failure criteria
• Why courage alone is not a sustainable organizational strategy and why systems matter more
• How organizations can balance speed and quality while reducing innovation cycle times
• A simple challenge leaders can use to uncover hidden "can'ts" within their organizations

To learn more from JL Heather:

• Visit centered.work
• Connect with JL on LinkedIn
• Learn more at JLHeather.com
• Listen to the Breakthrough Innovation Podcast

In this episode of the Lubar Executive Education Podcast, we sit down with JonRobert Tartaglione, psychologist, behavioral scientist, and Founder & CEO of Influence 51, to discuss the science behind influence, persuasion, and change leadership.

JonRobert shares his Five Principles of Influence and explains why effective leadership is about more than presenting facts and data. Leaders must understand how people think, make decisions, respond to change, and interpret messages if they want to create genuine buy-in.

During our time together, we discuss:

• Why people are often "rationalizing" rather than purely rational decision makers.
• How social norms influence behavior and organizational culture.
• Why curiosity is one of the most powerful leadership tools.
• How psychological reactance creates resistance to change.
• Why message framing can dramatically impact communication effectiveness.

If you want to learn more from JonRobert, visit his website to access

• Free assessments to better understand your default style influencing people.
• Free leadership guides based on JonRobert's 5 Principles. 
• Videos explaining the five principles in more detail.

In this episode, we sit down with DeeAnn Palin, founder and CEO of On Point Business Solutions, to explore how talent strategy can either drain a business or become a powerful driver of growth. 

Known as the CEO Whisperer, DeeAnn has spent more than 20 years in executive leadership and over a decade helping founder-led companies avoid costly talent mistakes, improve EBITDA, and prepare for strategic growth and transition. 

Drawing on her experience leading operations, turnarounds, and transformational growth initiatives, DeeAnn shares why HR is often misunderstood as an expense instead of being leveraged as a strategic business asset. 

During our time together, we discuss:

• Why traditional HR is often viewed as a cost center—and how that mindset limits growth
• The concept of the “Million Dollar Mistake” and how hidden talent problems quietly erode profitability
• The role HR should play in helping CEOs achieve long-term growth objectives
• How modern assessment tools and AI can improve leadership effectiveness, team performance, and hiring decisions
• Why organizations should rethink their total rewards strategy rather than focusing solely on compensation
• How to solve talent gaps without overspending on the wrong benefits, incentives, or hires
• A real-world case study showing how one organization transformed culture, performance, and financial outcomes through strategic talent management
• The importance of Jim Collins' Hedgehog Concept in aligning talent with organizational success

This episode provides practical insights for leaders who want to unlock hidden value in their workforce and build people systems that accelerate business growth.

To learn more from DeeAnn visit www.onptbiz.com 

• Request a business X-ray assessment
• Learn more about Aptiv Index and strategic talent solutions
• Connect with the On Point Business Solutions team

In this episode, we sit down with Noel Sobelman, innovation advisor, portfolio management expert, and author of Innovation Portfolio Management: Linking Strategy to Execution to explore why many innovation strategies never translate into meaningful business results and what leaders can do to improve investment decisions, resource allocation, and innovation governance.

During our time together, we discuss:

• Why innovation should be viewed as a spectrum of uncertainty rather than a single activity
• The difference between core, adjacent, and exploratory innovation
• Why annual planning cycles are no longer sufficient in today's environment
• The critical role portfolio management plays in connecting strategy to execution
• The challenge of balancing short-term performance pressures with long-term growth investments
• Improving innovation outcomes through better resource allocation and creating separate governance approaches for core and exploratory innovation
• What world-class innovation portfolio management looks like in practice
• How benchmarking and maturity models help organizations identify capability gaps
• Practical strategies for overcoming resistance to change and creating lasting adoption

To learn more from Noel:

• Connect with Noel on LinkedIn
• Order a copy of Innovation Portfolio Management: Linking Strategy to Execution  (Pre-order the book to receive immediate access to the e-book version before the official release.)

In this episode, we sit down with Savio Clemente—keynote speaker, journalist, healthcare leadership strategist, and two-time cancer survivor—to explore what leaders must do after a crisis ends but performance has not yet fully recovered. 

During our time together, we discuss:

• Why leadership rarely fails during crisis—but often struggles in the aftermath
• Early warning signs of a brewing crisis to watch for
• Why leaders must strengthen their connection to self before they can lead others effectively
• The role of micro-habits (not big interventions) in building resilience
• Savio’s ALOHA Reboot Framework for regaining clarity: 
  • Acknowledge
  • Listen
  • Open
  • Harness
  • Act (with courage)
• How metacognition (thinking about your thinking) enhances emotional intelligence
• Practical ways to manage decision fatigue and avoid over-optimization during high-pressure periods
• Why recovery and performance are not linear—and how leaders can adapt accordingly
• The importance of psychological distance, perspective, and collaboration when solving complex problems

This episode is a powerful reminder that leadership effectiveness after disruption is less about speed—and more about clarity, awareness, and intentional action.

To learn more from Savio:

• Visit saviopclemente.com
• Watch his TEDx talk - 7 Minutes to Wellness:  How to Love Your Inner Stranger 
• Subscribe to The Human Resolve newsletter
• Follow him on social media @TheHumanResolve

In this episode, we’re joined by Joyce Odidison, a globally recognized thought leader in workplace wellness and resilience and the founder of Interpersonal Wellness Services Inc. 

Joyce is the creator of the Resilience Index and the Wellbeing Intelligence System, author of seven books, and host of the Resilience Catalyst: Burnout Fix podcast. For nearly three decades, she has helped organizations build healthier, more resilient workplace cultures.

Joyce shares her journey from conflict analysis into whole‑person well‑being and explains why resilience is not just a trait—but a currency leaders spend every day in how they think, act, and relate to others.

During our time together, we discuss:

• Why unresolved workplace conflict often signals deeper well‑being challenges.
• How Joyce’s nine‑dimension well‑being model was born from real client struggles.
• Why resilience should be viewed as a currency we spend daily.
• How burnout, disengagement, and conflict are symptoms of a growing resilience deficit.
• The nine dimensions of well‑being and why interpersonal health sits at the core.
• How measuring well‑being changes behavior in ways traditional assessments do not.
• Real transformation stories of employees who regained energy, focus, and purpose.
• Why leaders must “put on their own oxygen mask first” before helping others.
• How leaders can use resilience tools to support teams without overwhelming them.

This episode is a compelling reminder that leadership effectiveness, team health, and personal well‑being are deeply interconnected—and that small, intentional actions can make a meaningful difference every day.

To learn more from Joyce:

• Visit interpersonalwellness.com
• Explore joyceodidison.com
• Try the Resilience Index assessment and learn more about the nine dimensions of well‑being.

In this episode, we sit down with Kim Sawyer, the "Career Master", to explore a powerful but often overlooked idea: your career should be managed like a business enterprise.

Kim brings more than 25 years of experience as an entrepreneur, executive, organizational development professional, and coach. He has worked with leaders from organizations such as Continental Airlines, JPMorgan Chase, the BBC, IBM, Chevron, and many high‑growth companies. His work helps executives take ownership of their careers, create meaningful opportunity, and build long‑term success on their own terms.

During our time together, we discuss:

• Why most professionals never think of themselves as the CEO of their own career.
• How viewing your career as a business shifts power, ownership, and opportunity.
• What it really means to define a career value proposition — and why most people get it wrong.
• How executives can articulate the value they bring in resumes, conversations, and interviews.
• Why successful leaders must invest time outside their “day job” to grow their career business.
• How Kim’s Career Mastery Program helps leaders create systems to manage their careers intentionally.
• Why networking often feels transactional — and how reframing it as social capital changes everything.
• How to build long‑term, mutually beneficial professional relationships.
• What to do if you suddenly need help fast and haven’t maintained your network.

Are you a successful executive who feels stuck in your career and not sure what to do about it?

Kim is offering you his $300 Career Mastery Session – FREE when you mention this podcast.

There are limited spots, so sign up now:
 👉 https://calendly.com/thewealthsource

In this episode, we sit down with Brad Henderson, leadership coach and author of The Consistency Effect: How to Turn Reliable Actions into Remarkable Success. 

Drawing on more than four decades of experience as a CEO and senior executive across real estate, telecommunications, technology, and manufacturing, Brad makes the case that consistent effort—not heroic bursts—drives lasting leadership success. 

Using the metaphor of hitting singles and doubles instead of chasing Grand Slams, Brad shares how leaders can build resilient teams, sustain momentum, and avoid burnout by celebrating progress along the way.

During our time together, we discuss:

• Why consistency often gets overlooked in favor of dramatic, short‑term wins.
• The neurological and cultural barriers that make consistency hard to sustain.
• Why organizations tend to reward “firefighters” more than those who prevent problems.
• How reward and recognition systems can unintentionally undermine consistency.
• The importance of celebrating progress (the gain) instead of fixating on what’s missing (the gap).
• Brad’s GRAND SLAM framework for success—and why no single factor works alone.
• How consistency helps leaders recover from setbacks and navigate failure.

This episode is a powerful reminder that leadership excellence isn’t about rare moments of brilliance—it’s about showing up, listening, and taking thoughtful action every day.

To learn more from Brad:

• Visit Brad's website
• Explore his book The Consistency Effect: How to Turn Reliable Actions into Remarkable Success.

In this episode, we talk with Daria Rudnik — team architect, executive coach, author of Clicking, co‑author of The AI Revolution, and creator of Aidra.AI, an AI‑powered coach for leaders. With 15+ years of global leadership experience as a former Chief People Officer and Deloitte professional, Daria helps overloaded leaders redesign their teams so they’re not the center of every decision.

Together, we explore how leaders can distribute decision‑making, share cognitive load, and use AI to enhance — not replace — human judgment.

During our time together, we discuss:

• Why today’s complexity makes the old “heroic leader” model impossible.
• Use of intentional rituals to build trust and connection in remote teams.
• Why leaders must create many‑to‑many connections within the team — not just rely on one‑to‑one relationships.
• The cognitive risks of offloading too much thinking to AI.
• A step‑by‑step example of how to use AI properly.
• Why teams need AI norms.
• How leaders can responsibly experiment with AI without risking company data.
• What hybrid human‑AI teams may look like — and why clearly defining AI roles is critical.

To learn more from Daria:

• Visit her website
• Connect with her on LinkedIn
• Explore her books Clicking and The AI Revolution

In this episode, we talk with Allen Martinez — brand strategist, founder of Noble Digital, and creator of the Brand Experience AI Operating System, a framework for constitutional governance of corporate AI. 

Allen is widely known for engineering the largest exit in Shark Tank history, helping Plated grow from near insolvency to a $300M acquisition in just 18 months. 

He brings a rare blend of design thinking, filmmaking, brand strategy, and enterprise AI architecture to his work.

During our time together, we discuss:

• Why so many companies feel “stuck” with AI tools, despite heavy investment.
• How misaligned systems create contradictions for customers and employees.
• Why AI doesn’t just need better prompts — it needs a constitution.
• The three pillars of AI governance - Permissions, Prohibitions, and Obligations.
• How to avoid “intelligence debt,” the hidden cleanup cost that destroys ROI.
• The risks of AI fragmentation — and how to prevent it.
• How leaders can build a defensible, measurable AI business case.
• Where leaders should begin: choosing the first internal workflow to govern and measure.

If you’d like to learn more from Allen, visit Noble Digital, take his 2-minute AI assessment for your organization, or explore his new book, The Brand Experience AI Operating System: How Leaders Turn Governance Into Competitive Advantage