Seek the Good and Celebrate: The Confetti Leadership Model with James Ferguson

What if the secret to a culture people can feel the moment they walk in isn't a budget, a program, or a perfect leader — but a habit anyone can start today?

This week, award-winning culture pioneer and best-selling author James Ferguson joins Debra & Ken Corey to share what 16+ years in hospitality — and a cancer diagnosis that arrived just months after his first book — taught him about leading people. James tells the story most leadership books would never touch: the day he passed out in treatment, his daughter Nora arriving as a "buzzer-beater" hours later, and the single question that reframed everything — "Is this happening to me, or for me?"

Then it gets practical. James unpacks his CONFETTI Leadership Model — eight habits for any leader at any level — and we dig into the ones that change teams fastest. Why you should celebrate first downs, not touchdowns. The $40 oven that rebuilt a team's trust. Why saying "thank you" costs nothing yet almost no one does it. And why real inspiration is built on the hard days, not the best ones.

It's warm, honest, and full of things you can use on Monday morning. Confetti only looks fluffy — underneath, it's a system. Press play and seek the good.

Books and speaking: confetti-man.com | Instagram: @confetticulture | LinkedIn: James Ferguson

KEYWORDS: leadership, company culture, employee recognition, gratitude, vulnerability in leadership, present leadership, trust, active listening, employee engagement, hospitality leadership, servant leadership, psychological safety, James Ferguson, Confetti Culture Playbook, Seek the Good and Celebrate

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Welcome — meet James Ferguson, culture pioneer & author

01:03 James' story: 16 years in hospitality, serving his way up

02:06 First job at the front desk — "your title gives you nothing to give"

03:21 The mission behind the book: a cancer diagnosis and Seek the Good

03:50 Nora's buzzer-beater birth — "is it happening to me or for me?"

06:38 Parenting and leadership: becoming a girl dad made him better

07:50 Present, not perfect — why leaders should be vulnerable

11:19 Model it and they'll mirror it: the confetti jacket

12:30 Admitting you don't know turns 1 brain into 11

13:56 The CONFETTI Leadership Model and its 8 principles

15:31 Building an acronym: mission, values, and earning the book

17:08 Nurture Trust: do what you said, listen, then act ($40 oven)

22:14 Active listening vs. being near someone who's talking

22:55 Celebrate Often & Thankfulness: first downs, not touchdowns

27:59 What does "thank you" cost? Nothing

31:17 Inspire Daily: inspiration is built on the hard days

34:00 The Ben story — leadership from someone who wasn't your boss

36:07 Stay curious: seek the good and celebrate it

39:20 Where to find James