Manager on a Mission

What makes the difference between organizations that consistently execute their strategies and those that constantly struggle? According to Philipp Schett, it often comes down to how they set and manage their goals.

When Philipp Schett moved from Germany to Silicon Valley as an innovation scout for T-Mobile, he expected to find radically different ideas. Instead, he discovered something more powerful: the ideas were similar, but the execution was transformative. The key difference? How organizations set and manage their goals.

In today’s conversation, Philipp shares insights from implementing OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) at hundreds of organizations worldwide through his company Wave Nine. We explore why traditional top-down goal cascading often fails to create real engagement, and how involving employees in the goal-setting process can fundamentally change organizational dynamics.

Philipp breaks down the critical distinction between setting targets and changing behaviors. A revenue goal of $10 million tells you where to aim but nothing about how to get there. We get real about the challenges of goal-setting transformation, and why quarterly cycles are better than annual ones.

We also talk about a surprisingly common pitfall: organizations treating strategic transformation as a side project for junior staff, when it actually requires dedicated leadership attention. Philipp offers concrete advice for anyone looking to improve their organization's goal-setting, whether they're in the C-suite or just starting their career.

Educational Resources

1. Measure What Matters by John Doerr - Foundation text on OKRs with inspiring case studies
2. Wave Nine OKR Crash Course - Free comprehensive guide with 100+ pages of implementation strategies
3. Wavenine.com - Resources and frameworks for OKR implementation

Organizations & Leaders

1. Philipp Schett on LinkedIn - Regular insights on modern goal-setting and organizational effectiveness
2. WorkBoard - OKR platform company that pioneered software-supported goal management
3. Deidre Paknad - WorkBoard founder and thought leader in strategic execution

Get Tosca's book - NSFW: A good manager's guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture

On October 28, 2025, 14,000 Amazon employees discovered they'd lost their jobs via text message. CEO Andy Jassy claimed it wasn't about money or AI—it was about "culture." His 2024 compensation? Over $40 million.

In this episode we’re looking at the truth behind Amazon's massive layoffs, revealing how they’re using culture and innovation as an excuse. How can you claim to care about culture when your actions repeatedly tank your company's morale? And how can you claim “innovation” when you’re following the 40-year old playbook of Jack Welch - the CEO with the now-questionable legacy who made “downsizing” a household word.

To get to the truth, we look closely at the post-layoff words from Amazon execs themselves, as well as recent news articles about the devastating job eliminations, and we reconcile it all against facts about the tech industry and AI, middle managers, and startups - what they are, and what they’re not. Spoiler: Amazon isn’t even close to being a startup. Not even the “world’s largest” one.

And of course, we talk about what this means for employees of Corporate America - especially the ones who care about the people who actually do the work.

• The Man Who Broke Capitalism by David Gelles -The definitive account of Jack Welch's destructive legacy at GE
• NSFW - A good manager’s guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture (by me)

• Amazon's Official Layoff Announcement
• Forbes: "AI Didn't Layoff 14,000 People, Amazon Did"
• CNN: David Solomon on AI and Jobs
• Fortune: Amazon Layoffs and Middle Management
• Amazon Employee Subreddit 

Featuring an Episode of Embrace Your Value - with Jen Anderson and Kristin Burris. Embrace Your Value combines the wisdom of therapy with the empowerment of coaching to help you unlock your worth and take control of your life.

In this episode of Embrace Your Value, Jen and Kristen sit down with Tosca Fasso, a former Fortune 100 executive turned author, podcaster, and entrepreneur. Tosca shares her journey from climbing the corporate ladder as an admin assistant to becoming a Wall Street executive, and her ultimate decision to leave corporate America. She discusses the challenges and transformations she experienced, the importance of community, and how she now helps women start their own businesses. Tune in to hear empowering insights, practical advice, and inspiring stories of resilience and growth.

Like this episode? Get more Embrace Your Value on Apple and Spotify

Get Tosca's book - NSFW: A good manager's guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture

In this episode C-Suite Advisor, Jonathan Bennett, shares his approach to working with executive leaders, starting with the question "what feels heavy?" to get past surface-level issues. We explore the story of a leader who thought she had a leadership problem when she actually had a business model problem, and discuss why asking "what have you already tried?" prevents you from solving the wrong problem.

Jonathan breaks down the differences between coaching, consulting, and mentoring (something I honestly had never thought about previously) explains the three levels of accountability that exist in healthy organizations, and reveals why the best workplaces have psychological safety AND accountability at every level. We also discuss the origins of strong organizational cultures, the risks of bringing your whole self to work, and why clarity about boundaries creates the healthiest workplace relationships.

Key quotes:

1. "What feels heavy right now?" - Jonathan's opening question to get past surface issues
2. "What have you already tried?" - The get-out-of-jail-free card question
3. "The first presenting problem is probably not the right one"
4. "The healthiest organizations - that third level of accountability happens everywhere, all down the organization"
5. "You haven't just had to let somebody go. You've taken a part of them away from themselves" - on the risks of employees over-identifying with their workplace

The three levels of accountability:

1. Accountability to yourself - doing what you say you'll do, holding yourself to fair standards
2. Accountability to your team - following through with colleagues, maintaining equity
3. Accountability to the organization - fiduciary duty, caring for the long-term health of the entity

Connect with Jonathan:

1. LinkedIn - he responds to DMs!
2. Website
3. Private Podcast Series: Six coaching sessions you can listen to

Additional note: Jonathan is also a published author of literary fiction and poetry, writing about his childhood in Australia, modern family dynamics, and reflections on fatherhood and life.

Get Tosca's book - NSFW: A good manager's guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture

Why do we dismiss the skills that come naturally to us? That's just one of the questions we explore with Brianca Johnson, Strategic Brand and Business Consultant, in this episode. Brianca shares her path from working on political campaigns to building a consulting business that helps women leverage their corporate expertise into consulting roles.

We discuss why women minimize their natural talents, how to prove your expertise by documenting quantitative and qualitative results, and why everyone has a unique "fingerprint" in how they work. Brianca explains the importance of developing frameworks that deliver consistent results, tackles the shame around self-promotion that holds women back, and reveals why imposter syndrome disappears when you face the facts of your contributions. We also explore how to set your own pace in business, why you don't need everything figured out before you start, and how being of service is the real mission behind consulting work.

Brianca also addresses the visibility challenge for women who've built careers being of service, why shameless self-promotion shouldn't feel shameful if you're qualified, and how to set sustainable boundaries in your business instead of chasing hustle culture.

Key quotes:

1. "The things that come the easiest to us are often the things that we are the quickest to disregard"
2. "I'm the sauce" - Why your framework can't be replicated without you
3. "Who are you NOT to be of service?"
4. "You get to set your pace... My only request would be that whatever boundary you set, you maintain"

Connect with Brianca:

Briancajohnson.com

Instagram: @thebriancajohnson (DM her for a free guide called "The Pivot Plan")

LinkedIn

Get Tosca's book - NSFW: A good manager's guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture

After climbing Mount Kilimanjaro at age 50, John Donnelly - a seasoned mortgage professional - found himself somewhat unexpectedly on a thought leadership trajectory. In today’s episode, John and I discuss leadership in unexpected places, the power of listening, creating your personal board of directors, and how taking action - even when you don't know where it leads - can reveal a deeper purpose.

We dive into why leadership matters in real estate transactions and every industry, and explore listening as a superpower using John's "WAIT" acronym (Why Am I Talking). John shares his concept of creating a personal "board of directors" of 10 people to model yourself after, and explains what it means to be a "class act" who shows up with intention. And he explains why he needed to climb a mountain to feel worthy of being on stage.

John and I also discuss servant leadership through the lens of wanting more FOR people than FROM them, and hear about the 12-hour walk that led John’s epic mountain hike. He also opens up about being pulled into speaking after achieving something outside his comfort zone, finding purpose by helping others reach theirs, and why you don't have to wait until you "feel ready" to do something brave.

Books mentioned:

1. "Mindset" by Carol Dweck
2. "Never Split the Difference" by Chris Voss
3. "The 12 Hour Walk" by Colin O'Brady
4. "The E-Myth Revisited" by Michael E. Gerber
5. "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill
6. "Good to Great" by Jim Collins
7. "Your Next Five Moves" by Patrick Bet-David

Key quotes:

1. "I want more FOR you than I want FROM you."
2. "Are you listening to respond or are you listening to comprehend?"
3. "If you don't know your purpose, go find somebody that has one and help them reach their purpose"

Connect with John:

1. LinkedIn: John Donnelly
2. Company: Service First Mortgage

Get Tosca's book - NSFW: A good manager's guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture

What if you don’t want to just “survive” in your career? What if there’s something else? That’s exactly what we’ll be covering more of in this new era of Manager on a Mission. Of course we’re still talking about how to be a great manager in difficult environments. But we're also exploring what happens when talented people decide there's another path: building something new.

This season we’ll be sharing more post-corporate stories and second acts. It’s not about telling everyone to leave their jobs, but about expanding what's possible. And while we’ll have more stories from people who've made the leap, we’ll also feature people staying in corporate but doing it differently, and of course, sassy solo rants from me.

Do you have a story I should cover? Let’s connect:

LinkedIn

Instagram - Tosca Fasso

Instagram - Dreamtech

Email: [email protected]

Get my book

Today’s episode is exactly what we need for hard times when it seems like good people can’t finish first. My guest is an author, thought leader and visionary who proves every day that principled leadership isn’t just possible but actually drives results. 

I’m so excited to introduce Irma Neal, who has navigated everything from being the actual Deputy Mayor of Indianapolis to corporate executive positions to building multiple successful businesses, all while maintaining her core principles and beliefs. Irma shares how she identifies and handles people who thrive on chaos, why she always looks at herself first when mistakes happen, and how creating clear values-based boundaries actually empowers teams to self-police toxic behavior.

Rather than accepting that you have to compromise your integrity to succeed, Irma shows us how leaders who stay true to their values create loyalty, reduce turnover, and build environments where people genuinely want to contribute their best work. She also reveals why financial wellness programs aren't just nice-to-haves but strategic investments that create measurable returns in productivity, retention, and employee loyalty.

Resources:

• "Leading in Chaos" by Irma Neal
• Onyx Rising website 
• Onyx Rising on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook
• Free Money Mindset Quiz
• Irma Neal on LinkedIn

Many of us secretly (or not so secretly) believe that being successful means being boring, safe, and having basically no fun at work. But if you scratch beneath the surface, you’ll probably remember a few shining moments where you were having a great time AND doing some of the best work of your life. My guest, Todd Schuchart, is all about creating these moments for himself and his teams. 

Sure, you aren’t going to love everything about your work, but why is it inevitable that we accept environments that squeeze the creativity and humanity out of talented people when we have experts like Todd dedicating their lives to making work more fun and creative?

In this episode, you'll learn how to do exactly this from Todd, who went from corporate executive to self-proclaimed "certified goofball" running a multi-million dollar lead generation company. Todd challenges the myth that you have to choose between being successful and being yourself, sharing his "sandbox method" for managing teams and his philosophy that being serious about results doesn't mean you can't have fun doing the work.

Rather than accepting the soul-crushing aspects of traditional corporate culture, Todd shows us how setting boundaries, maintaining your sense of humor, and focusing on what really matters can create both better business outcomes and a workplace where people actually want to show up.

Conventional wisdom often says that leadership is about having all the answers. But I’d argue that today’s business world requires the opposite: the skill and comfort to ask the right questions and help teams navigate change and ambiguity.

If you’re a leader, I implore you to ask yourself: when was the last time you helped someone see a "failure" as an iteration? Or created space for your team to actually innovate instead of just survive?

In this episode, we explore these questions with adaptive leadership coach Valerie Sandjivy, who challenges us to find harmony amidst the chaos by fundamentally reframing how we think about change, mistakes, and what it means to lead.

In this moment when businesses desperately need innovation and resilience, too many leaders are clinging to outdated approaches that create fear instead of the creative, collaborative cultures that would actually drive real results and retain talent.

Rather than resisting the constant shifts in our world, Valerie shows us how adaptive leadership means staying "one step ahead" by listening to signals and creating with intention instead of reacting from fear. She breaks down her four-pillar foundation for leadership and reveals why the most successful leaders treat every challenge as a training room for the next level.

Resources:

• Valarie’s Free Leadership Self-Assessment Quiz
• Valerie Sandjivy on LinkedIn
• Book: "Not Safe for Work: A good manager's guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture" by me