The 3x5 Leadership Podcast

Welcome to the 3x5 leadership podcast―a show dedicated to making more intentional leaders regardless of role, rank, or responsibility because we believe that better leaders and build a better world. The reality is, however, that you cannot successfully and sustainably pour into others from an empty cup. So, how do you keep your cup full as a leader? This show aims to help by filling your cup with simple, practical strategies so you can live, lead, and learn more intentionally.

You can listen to the episode on Apple and Spotify!

Occasionally, we all catch ourselves thinking, “someone should do something about this.” Maybe the issue is in your neighborhood, your favorite coffee shop, or your workplace. And maybe—whether you realize it or not—you’re the “someone” who should do “something.” 

In this episode, we’ll show you how taking initiative can elevate your leadership and position you as a catalyst for meaningful change within your team or organization. We’ll offer a fresh perspective on initiative and help you push through the internal hesitation that often keeps people from stepping forward. 

You’ll also see how your initiative can influence others when you begin applying practical habits like: 

Many of the most meaningful improvements in any organization began because one person chose not to wait. The changes you admire likely came from someone doing what others noticed but avoided. This episode is your reminder that leadership often begins before permission is given. If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to step forward, this is your encouragement to become the kind of person who sees what needs to happen—and starts. 

Interested in learning more? Check out these related 3x5 Leadership podcast episodes.

Until next episode, friends, take care and lead well!

Welcome to the 3x5 leadership podcast―a show dedicated to making more intentional leaders regardless of role, rank, or responsibility because we believe that better leaders and build a better world. The reality is, however, that you cannot successfully and sustainably pour into others from an empty cup. So, how do you keep your cup full as a leader? This show aims to help by filling your cup with simple, practical strategies so you can live, lead, and learn more intentionally.

You can listen to the episode on Apple and Spotify!

We spend a lot of time talking about leading others and leading well. But what about leading ourselves? What does that mean, and how can we do it well? Leading yourself means taking charge of the resources that only you can control, which are your time and attention. And to do that well means to effectively employ the management tools that also help teams of any size make meaningful progress.

This episode will give you three management tools to start taking control of your personal resources to make better use of your time, plan ahead instead of react to everything, and streamline your own execution.

We believe that these tools and methods are foundational to getting organized, staying organized, and spending your time and effort on things you really want to see move forward in your work and life. This episode will give you the resources you need to:

We all have the same number of hours in a day, but the way we spend them can be wildly different. These self-management tools will help get you on track to become more effective in the things that mean the most to you, while maintaining the consistency and reliability that people around you depend upon.

Interested in learning more? Check out these related 3x5 Leadership podcast episodes.

Until next episode, friends, take care and lead well!

Welcome to the 3x5 leadership podcast―a show dedicated to making more intentional leaders regardless of role, rank, or responsibility because we believe that better leaders and build a better world. The reality is, however, that you cannot successfully and sustainably pour into others from an empty cup. So, how do you keep your cup full as a leader? This show aims to help by filling your cup with simple, practical strategies so you can live, lead, and learn more intentionally.

You can listen to the episode on Apple and Spotify!

Why are we so drawn to stories about dominant sports dynasties, elite military units, and wildly innovative organizations? It’s not just the wins—it's the cohesion we admire. We’re captivated by teams that overcome overwhelming odds, build record-breaking streaks, and turn bold ideas into reality. What we’re really admiring is how tightly aligned, committed, and connected they are.

Most of us, however, have served on teams that lacked that kind of cohesion—the kind that makes you dread showing up. Instead of energizing, those teams drain us.

In this episode, we’ll break down what sets cohesive teams apart from the ones that lack it, and what you can start doing today to build cohesion within your own team. You’ll get practical ways to start building it immediately, by doing things like:

Cohesion can make or break a team in any industry. The way it’s built will look different in every environment, but the principles are universal. We’ll give you the concepts you need to identify how cohesion is (or isn’t) being built on your team and how to start shaping a team where your people are proud to show up.

Interested in learning more? Check out these related 3x5 Leadership podcast episodes.

Until next episode, friends, take care and lead well!

Welcome to the 3x5 leadership podcast―a show dedicated to making more intentional leaders regardless of role, rank, or responsibility because we believe that better leaders and build a better world. The reality is, however, that you cannot successfully and sustainably pour into others from an empty cup. So, how do you keep your cup full as a leader? This show aims to help by filling your cup with simple, practical strategies so you can live, lead, and learn more intentionally.

You can listen to the episode on Apple and Spotify!

You’ve heard us say this across the 3x5 Leadership platform: No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care. Put into a single word, we’d call that kindness. But why focus on something that feels like a soft skill when you could be improving efficiency, refining management practices, or updating mission and vision statements?

Because most people don’t fully hear—or believe—what you have to offer unless they know it’s for their benefit. At our core, we all want to feel seen, valued, and heard, and our first instinct usually isn’t to wonder whether the person speaking to us feels the same way.

In this episode, we make the case for kindness by clarifying what kindness is—and what it is not—and by sharing simple ways you can show greater compassion toward the people on your team, including:

Kindness may not top your leadership development goals this year, but we believe it’s foundational to how we interact with others and to the meaning we all draw from the time we spend at work. When we bring more compassion into the workplace, we create a more meaningful impact—not just on performance, but on the lives and careers of the people around us.

Interested in learning more? Check out these related 3x5 Leadership podcast episodes.

Until next episode, friends, take care and lead well!

Welcome to the 3x5 leadership podcast―a show dedicated to making more intentional leaders regardless of role, rank, or responsibility because we believe that better leaders and build a better world. The reality is, however, that you cannot successfully and sustainably pour into others from an empty cup. So, how do you keep your cup full as a leader? This show aims to help by filling your cup with simple, practical strategies so you can live, lead, and learn more intentionally.

You can listen to the episode on Apple and Spotify!

Leadership or management—this is an age-old question of which to embody, develop, or prioritize within an organization. Leadership is often celebrated as the pinnacle: we talk about leading studies, leading scientists, and world leaders. No one ever talks about managing studies, managing scientists, or world managers.

But here’s the truth: management is vital to the success of every one of those “leading” organizations, efforts, and people. No leader can succeed without the systems and mechanics that make results possible. In this episode, we’ll show you why both leadership and management are essential to both your process and your outcomes.

We’ll break down the key components of each practice, clarify how they differ, and show how they work together so you can:

Don’t rush past this conversation. Doing so risks overlooking gaps in your own leadership or management approach—both of which directly shape the results you see in your team and organization. While mastering both is a lifelong pursuit, this episode will help you take the first steps toward leading and managing well.

Interested in learning more? Check out these related 3x5 Leadership podcast episodes.

Until next episode, friends, take care and lead well!

Welcome to the 3x5 leadership podcast―a show dedicated to making more intentional leaders regardless of role, rank, or responsibility because we believe that better leaders and build a better world. The reality is, however, that you cannot successfully and sustainably pour into others from an empty cup. So, how do you keep your cup full as a leader? This show aims to help by filling your cup with simple, practical strategies so you can live, lead, and learn more intentionally.

You can listen to the episode on Apple and Spotify!

Growing up, many of us were required to write—for grades, for applications, or for self-expression. Maybe your five-paragraph essays were critiqued for weak transitions, or maybe you kept a diary that would make you cringe if anyone ever read it. Either way, looking back on all those written or typed words might make you question their value in shaping who you are or how you lead today.

This episode is an argument for those essays, journals, and diaries—just in a more updated and intentional form.

We believe communication is so critical to leadership that the practice of writing directly shapes what you say, how you say it, and how clearly you think—whether you’re talking to yourself, your team, or the world. In this episode, we’ll explain why writing matters so much and help you start (or restart) a writing habit with practical considerations like:

You’re reading or listening to this episode because, at some point, reflection and writing became important to us. At 3x5 Leadership, we believe so strongly in its value that we wanted to share this framework with you—so you can develop yourself as both a communicator and a leader, even if the early stages of your writing feel a lot like that old childhood diary.

Interested in learning more? Check out these related 3x5 Leadership podcast episodes.

Until next episode, friends, take care and lead well!

Welcome to the 3x5 leadership podcast―a show dedicated to making more intentional leaders regardless of role, rank, or responsibility because we believe that better leaders and build a better world. The reality is, however, that you cannot successfully and sustainably pour into others from an empty cup. So, how do you keep your cup full as a leader? This show aims to help by filling your cup with simple, practical strategies so you can live, lead, and learn more intentionally.

You can listen to the episode on Apple and Spotify!

When asked why we became leaders, many of us can point to someone who once inspired us to lead. What was it about that person that made you want to be like them? For most of us, it wasn’t their title or accomplishments—it was who they were and how they treated us.

In this episode, we introduce seven habits that intentional—and inspirational—leaders have the audacity to practice. We use the word audacity because these habits push against the status quo of productivity, efficiency, and comfort that our world naturally defaults to.

We believe these seven habits interrupt the quiet “drift” toward norms that keep leaders from becoming truly inspirational. We’ll share practical recommendations that highlight the importance of things like:

This episode isn’t meant to convict you for moments when busyness has won your time and focus. Instead, it’s meant to reconnect you with why you became a leader in the first place—whether because you had a great leader or believed you could become one. We think you’ll walk away with ideas that help you become the reason someone else chooses to lead, too.

Interested in learning more? Check out these related 3x5 Leadership podcast episodes.

Until next episode, friends, take care and lead well!

Welcome to the 3x5 leadership podcast―a show dedicated to making more intentional leaders regardless of role, rank, or responsibility because we believe that better leaders and build a better world. The reality is, however, that you cannot successfully and sustainably pour into others from an empty cup. So, how do you keep your cup full as a leader? This show aims to help by filling your cup with simple, practical strategies so you can live, lead, and learn more intentionally.

You can listen to the episode on Apple and Spotify!

At 3x5 Leadership, we talk a lot about the importance of listening—and for good reason. Better listening leads to better leadership. But as leaders, we can’t spend our days simply listening without direction. People rely on us to lead them, guide meetings and conversations, and drive discussions toward clarity and problem-solving.

If you’re working on becoming a better listener, we commend you—there is always value in listening more and listening well. In this episode, however, we want to help you get even more out of what your team is already telling you by learning how to ask better questions, with the right intent behind them.

Knowing the right words to ask is one thing. Asking questions with the right intent is something entirely different. We’ll start by exploring why the motivation behind your questions matters just as much as the phrasing, and then we’ll share practical ways to apply this skill, including:

This episode provides tools we believe you’ll use in every aspect of your work and life, and it complements everything we’ve already discussed about improving communication within your team. You’ll leave each day with a deeper understanding of your people—and they’ll leave feeling genuinely heard and understood.

Interested in learning more? Check out these related 3x5 Leadership podcast episodes.

Until next episode, friends, take care and lead well!

Welcome to the 3x5 leadership podcast―a show dedicated to making more intentional leaders regardless of role, rank, or responsibility because we believe that better leaders and build a better world. The reality is, however, that you cannot successfully and sustainably pour into others from an empty cup. So, how do you keep your cup full as a leader? This show aims to help by filling your cup with simple, practical strategies so you can live, lead, and learn more intentionally.

You can listen to the episode on Apple and Spotify!

If you work with people, conflict is unavoidable. If you haven’t experienced it—or think you’ve managed to avoid it—you may want to keep reading to understand what you’re missing… or avoiding. Conflict is challenging, uncomfortable, and often stressful, and depending on how we respond to it (or don’t), it can create even more problems for both leaders and teams.

If conflict could be predicted, prevented, or resolved on its own, we’d eliminate a significant source of stress in our workplaces. But when you understand the roots of conflict, the outcomes it can produce, and the opportunities it presents, you’ll begin to see why avoiding conflict often does more harm than good—and why leaning into it matters.

In this episode, we take a deeper look at why conflict arises no matter where we work, the implications of how it’s handled, and the common mistakes leaders make when trying to navigate it. We’ll help you think through questions like:

Our hope is that this episode helps you recognize the opportunity embedded in every conflict—not just to resolve the issue at hand, but to establish a shared framework for how your team approaches conflict moving forward. This kind of shift doesn’t happen overnight, but with persistence, courage, and honest leadership, you can build a team that grows stronger—not weaker—each time conflict arises.

Interested in learning more? Check out these related 3x5 Leadership podcast episodes.

Until next episode, friends, take care and lead well!

Welcome to the 3x5 leadership podcast―a show dedicated to making more intentional leaders regardless of role, rank, or responsibility because we believe that better leaders and build a better world. The reality is, however, that you cannot successfully and sustainably pour into others from an empty cup. So, how do you keep your cup full as a leader? This show aims to help by filling your cup with simple, practical strategies so you can live, lead, and learn more intentionally.  

You can listen to the episode on Apple and Spotify! 

The Eisenhower Matrix is a well-known tool for determining what needs our attention. But what do we do when we’re overwhelmed, unsure of where to start, and everything on our mental to-do list feels equally important? And how can we be sure that we’re prioritizing the right tasks when our bosses and organization may have their own expectations? 

In this episode, we’ll introduce you to three enduring priorities that will help guide your decision-making, work-related tasks, and even navigate conflicts. We all have limited capacity, and when it’s running low, it’s crucial to know what should come first—and what can wait for another time. 

Once we unpack these enduring priorities, we’ll share the benefits of using this approach, along with wisdom from our own experiences, such as: 

We believe this framework will bring clarity to your decisions as a leader and team member, allowing you to stay focused on what’s right and support your organization’s upward mobility. By applying this method consistently, you’ll build reliability and consistency—ultimately making space for you to do what is most important to you. 

Interested in learning more? Check out these related 3x5 Leadership podcast episodes.  

Until next episode, friends, take care and lead well!