THE BOLT Podcast

THE BOLT Podcast

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THE BOLT Podcast episodes

  • When Passion Becomes the Problem with Dr. David Shar

    What happens when the work you love starts burning you out?

    In this episode of The BOLT Podcast, Todd Bertsch sits down with behavioral scientist and work passion researcher Dr. David Shar to explore why passionate people fall out of love with their work. They discuss the difference between healthy and obsessive passion, the warning signs of burnout, and how leaders can create workplaces where people thrive.

    Discover how to protect your passion, recognize when your spark is dimming, and reconnect with what lights you up.

    What You'll Learn in This Episode

    • Why passionate people fall out of love with work

    • Harmonious vs. obsessive passion

    • When passion becomes unhealthy

    • The warning signs of burnout and disengagement

    • How work and identity become intertwined

    • Why belonging and psychological safety matter

    • How leaders unintentionally diminish passion

    • Leading with kindness and accountability

    • The power of pausing and self-reflection

    • How to protect your spark and find fulfillment

      • https://www.toddbertsch.com/podcast/when-passion-becomes-the-problem-with-david-shar/

      Thanks for listening/watching! We appreciate you.

      Follow us at:

      https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddmbertsch/

      https://www.facebook.com/theboltwithtoddb

      https://www.instagram.com/theboltwithtoddb/

      https://www.youtube.com/@theboltwithtoddb

      Ready to ignite lasting transformation in your team or event? Book me for keynotes, corporate training, or Positive Intelligence® coaching at ToddBertsch.com

      1 hr 8 min
    • The Decision Line: Where AI Ends and Human Judgment Begins with Heather Mallette

      AI can give leaders more information, recommendations, and answers than ever before. But having better answers does not automatically mean we are making better decisions. In this episode of The BOLT Podcast, Todd Bertsch sits down with Heather Mallette, SHRM-CP, Founder and CEO of The Decision Line®, to explore why human judgment becomes even more important as artificial intelligence becomes more capable.

      Drawing from more than 20 years in HR and business leadership, Heather shares how leaders can use AI without outsourcing critical thinking, why pressure can narrow our judgment, and how curiosity creates space between what we think we know and what might actually be true. Todd and Heather also explore career growth, recognizing when you have outgrown an old definition of success, taking action before you feel completely ready, and the opportunity HR leaders have to develop better human decision-making in the age of AI.


      What You’ll Learn in This Episode

      • Why having more information does not automatically lead to better decisions
      • Where AI should inform a decision and where human judgment needs to take over
      • How leaders can use AI to pressure-test ideas without outsourcing their thinking
      • Why AI cannot solve broken organizational systems, processes, or accountability
      • How pressure narrows judgment and causes leaders to mistake partial information for the whole truth
      • Why pausing before reacting can improve leadership decisions
      • How curiosity helps leaders challenge assumptions and uncover missing perspectives
      • Why personal growth sometimes requires redefining what success means
      • How taking small actions can create clarity when the path forward is uncertain
      • How HR can prepare leaders and employees to exercise better judgment in the age of AI

        • https://www.toddbertsch.com/podcast/the-decision-line-where-ai-ends-human-judgment-begins/

        Thanks for listening/watching! We appreciate you.


        Follow us at:
        ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddmbertsch/⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/theboltwithtoddb⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/theboltwithtoddb/⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@theboltwithtoddb⁠⁠

        ⚡ Ready to ignite lasting transformation in your team or event? Book me for keynotes, corporate training, or Positive Intelligence® coaching at ⁠⁠ToddBertsch.com

        48 min
      • Are You Climbing the Right Mountain? | With Chuck Garcia

        What happens when professional success no longer feels like enough? Chuck Garcia shares how defining moments led him to reconsider achievement, purpose, and service after more than 25 years on Wall Street. This conversation explores how to respond when life interrupts your plans, why self-awareness matters when making meaningful changes, and how leaders can communicate with greater clarity and intention. You’ll also learn practical communication techniques, including the rule of three and the power of the pause, that can help you become a more effective speaker, leader, and listener.

        Key Takeaways

        • Success and fulfillment are not always the same.
        • Life interruptions can reveal what matters most.
        • We can choose how we respond to adversity.
        • Purpose can shift from achievement to service.
        • Great leaders create environments built on trust.
        • Clear communication reduces misunderstanding.
        • Great communication connects the mind and heart.
        • Leaders are responsible for creating clarity.
        • The rule of three makes ideas memorable.
        • Intentional pauses make communication more effective.

          • https://www.toddbertsch.com/podcast/are-you-climbing-the-right-mountain-with-chuck-garcia/

          Thanks for listening! We appreciate you.
          Follow us at:
          ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddmbertsch/⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/theboltwithtoddb⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/theboltwithtoddb/⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@theboltwithtoddb⁠⁠
          ⚡ Ready to ignite lasting transformation in your team or event? Book me for keynotes, corporate training, or Positive Intelligence® coaching at ⁠⁠ToddBertsch.com

          1 hr 2 min
        • How to Become a Leader People Want to Follow with Chris McClure

          Chris McClure explains what separates a manager from a leader people genuinely want to follow. You’ll learn why promoting high performers without leadership development can hurt both the manager and the team, how consistent one-on-one conversations build trust and engagement, why personal development plans should happen before performance problems arise, and how leaders can balance caring for people with producing results.

          Key Takeaways

          • Great performers do not automatically become great leaders.
          • Middle managers need intentional leadership development.
          • Strong leaders listen, stay present, and know their people.
          • Consistent one-on-ones build trust and engagement.
          • Personal development plans create proactive growth.
          • Not every promotion is the right career move.
          • Leadership development can be simple and consistent.
          • Great leaders balance caring with producing results.
          • Your leadership determines who you attract and retain.
          • Invest in yourself so you can invest in others.

            • https://www.toddbertsch.com/podcast/leaders-people-want-to-follow-with-chris-mcclure/

            Thanks for listening or watching! We appreciate you.

            Follow us at:
            https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddmbertsch/
            https://www.facebook.com/theboltwithtoddb
            https://www.instagram.com/theboltwithtoddb/
            https://www.youtube.com/@theboltwithtoddb

            Ready to ignite lasting transformation in your team or event? Book me for keynotes, corporate training, or Positive Intelligence® coaching at ToddBertsch.com

            1 hr 5 min
          • The Truth About Equity with Celeste Warren

            This episode explains what equity means, how it differs from equality, and why equitable leadership can help people perform at their best. Celeste Warren draws on decades of HR and diversity leadership to explain why treating everyone the same does not always create equal opportunity. The conversation explores workplace barriers, unconscious bias, hiring practices, inclusive systems, employee development, and why leaders need to understand where each person is starting from. Listeners will learn practical ways to identify barriers, ask better questions, create access to opportunity, and build workplaces where more people can contribute their full potential.

            Key Takeaways

            • Equity creates access to opportunity, not preferential treatment.
            • Equity and equality are not the same.
            • Treating everyone the same is not always fair.
            • Curiosity helps leaders uncover unseen barriers.
            • Equitable hiring does not mean lowering standards.
            • Unconscious bias can influence people decisions.
            • Better systems create more equitable workplaces.
            • Great leaders meet people where they are.
            • Equity can strengthen engagement, retention, and innovation.
            • Equity helps unlock human potential.

              • https://www.toddbertsch.com/podcast/the-truth-about-equity-with-celeste-warren/

              Thanks for listening or watching! We appreciate you.
              Follow us at:
              ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddmbertsch/⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/theboltwithtoddb⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/theboltwithtoddb/⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@theboltwithtoddb⁠⁠
              ⚡ Ready to ignite lasting transformation in your team or event? Book me for keynotes, corporate training, or Positive Intelligence® coaching at ⁠⁠ToddBertsch.com

              1 hr 2 min
            • Leadership Is Stewardship with Kyle Wells

              Kyle Wells, President of Champion Personnel, shares how leaders can build trust, strengthen culture, improve retention, and guide teams through uncertainty by putting people first. Drawing on his unconventional path from a temporary shop-floor worker to a company owner, Kyle explains why vulnerability, transparency, self-awareness, and investing in employees are essential leadership skills. The conversation also explores hiring challenges, employee experience, AI's impact on recruiting, mental fitness, and practical ways leaders can create workplaces where people feel valued and want to stay.

              Key Takeaways

              • Transparency and vulnerability build trust.
              • Investing in people strengthens culture and retention.
              • Strong leaders put people before pride.
              • Change is easier when employees feel heard.
              • Great hiring starts with an honest candidate experience.
              • Employer brand plays a major role in attracting talent.
              • AI makes human relationships even more valuable.
              • Mental fitness improves clarity under pressure.
              • Self-awareness is essential for effective leadership.
              • Small steps create meaningful momentum.

                • https://www.toddbertsch.com/podcast/leadership-is-stewardship-with-kyle-wells/

                Thanks for listening or watching! We appreciate you.

                Follow us at:
                https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddmbertsch/
                https://www.facebook.com/theboltwithtoddb
                https://www.instagram.com/theboltwithtoddb/
                https://www.youtube.com/@theboltwithtoddb

                Ready to ignite lasting transformation in your team or event? Book me for keynotes, corporate training, or Positive Intelligence® coaching at ToddBertsch.com

                1 hr 2 min
              • Know Yourself. Lead Yourself. Change Everything. With Dana Williams

                Know Yourself Before Leading Others

                Learn why self-awareness is the foundation of authentic leadership and how understanding your strengths, values, habits, and blind spots can change the way you lead. Todd Bertsch and leadership identity expert Dana Williams explore why so many leaders focus on fixing everyone else before doing the internal work themselves. They discuss how assessments like CliftonStrengths, Spark Quotient, Positive Intelligence, and the Authentic Imprint framework can provide meaningful insight without putting people in a box. You'll also hear practical ways to build daily habits that strengthen self-awareness, reduce burnout, improve decision-making, and help you lead from your authentic identity instead of performance pressure.


                Key Takeaways

                • Leadership begins with understanding yourself before trying to lead others.
                • Self-awareness often requires an interruption that challenges old habits and assumptions.
                • Assessments should serve as mirrors that increase awareness rather than labels that limit potential.
                • Knowing your strengths helps you lead with more confidence and authenticity.
                • Burnout often comes from performing leadership instead of leading from your true identity.
                • Personal growth happens when insight is followed by consistent action.
                • Daily reflection and intentional habits create lasting leadership change.
                • Psychological safety starts with leaders who are willing to do their own internal work.
                • Authentic leadership grows when your strengths, values, and purpose align.
                • Small daily choices to pursue growth over comfort create long-term transformation.

                  • https://www.toddbertsch.com/podcast/know-yourself-lead-yourself-change-everything-with-dana-williams/


                  Thanks for listening/watching! We appreciate you.

                  Follow us at:

                  ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddmbertsch/⁠⁠
                  ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/theboltwithtoddb⁠⁠
                  ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/theboltwithtoddb/⁠⁠
                  ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@theboltwithtoddb⁠⁠

                  Ready to ignite lasting transformation in your team or event? Book me for keynotes, corporate training, or Positive Intelligence® coaching at ⁠⁠ToddBertsch.com

                  57 min
                • How Great Leaders Build Loyal Teams with Dave Walter

                  What makes employees stay, grow, and give their best every day? In this episode, Todd Bertsch sits down with veteran leadership executive Dave Walter to explore the principles of people-first leadership. You'll learn how coaching builds stronger teams than command-and-control management, why psychological safety improves performance, how to identify future leaders, and why treating people with dignity and respect creates lasting loyalty. Whether you're a new manager or an experienced executive, this conversation offers practical leadership strategies you can apply immediately.

                  Key Takeaways

                  • Great leaders build trust by listening more than they speak.
                  • People perform better when they are treated with dignity and respect.
                  • Coaching develops employees more effectively than fear-based management.
                  • Many organizations fail because they promote managers without leadership training.
                  • Psychological safety encourages honest feedback and continuous growth.
                  • Consistent one-on-one meetings strengthen relationships and improve engagement.
                  • Growth requires stepping outside your comfort zone and embracing discomfort.
                  • Hiring for character and culture is just as important as hiring for skills.
                  • Proactive leadership helps prevent burnout before it becomes a retention problem.
                  • Performance and loyalty naturally follow when leaders genuinely invest in people.

                    • https://www.toddbertsch.com/podcast/how-great-leaders-build-loyal-teams-with-dave-walter/

                    Follow us at:
                    ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddmbertsch/⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/theboltwithtoddb⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/theboltwithtoddb/⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@theboltwithtoddb⁠⁠


                    ⚡ Ready to ignite lasting transformation in your team or event? Book me for keynotes, corporate training, or Positive Intelligence® coaching at https://www.toddbertsch.com/

                    1 hr 13 min
                  • Your Brain Is a Real Ahole: Making Managers Suck Less with Dr. Jamie Lewis Smith

                    Why do smart, capable people overthink, avoid difficult conversations, resist change, and sometimes become ineffective leaders? According to psychologist and executive coach Dr. Jamie Lewis Smith, it's because our brains aren't designed to make us successful—they're designed to keep us alive.

                    In this episode of The BOLT Podcast, Todd Bertsch sits down with Dr. Jamie Lewis Smith (aka the NeHRd Lady), Founder and CEO of Pixel Leadership Group, to explore the fascinating connection between neuroscience, leadership, burnout, and workplace culture. Together, they unpack why our brains often sabotage our best intentions and how understanding human behavior can transform the way we lead ourselves and others.

                    Whether you're a leader, HR professional, manager, entrepreneur, or simply someone looking to better understand your own mind, this conversation is packed with practical strategies to build cognitive agility, create psychologically safe teams, coach more effectively, and become the kind of leader people actually want to follow.

                    What You'll Learn in This Episode

                    • Why your brain naturally resists change—and how to work with it instead of against it
                    • The surprising reason great employees often become ineffective managers
                    • What "making managers suck less" really means
                    • How psychological safety fuels innovation, trust, and employee engagement
                    • Three things every employee's brain needs to feel safe at work
                    • Why coaching is one of the most valuable leadership skills you can develop
                    • The hidden cost of canceling one-on-one meetings
                    • How clarity reduces stress and increases performance
                    • Why servant leadership creates stronger organizations
                    • Practical brain hacks to become a more resilient and empowering leader

                      • https://www.toddbertsch.com/podcast/your-brain-is-a-real-ahole-with-jamie-lewis-smith

                      Thanks for listening or watching! We appreciate you.
                      Follow us at:
                      ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddmbertsch/⁠⁠⁠
                      ⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/theboltwithtoddb⁠⁠⁠
                      ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/theboltwithtoddb/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@theboltwithtoddb

                      ⚡ Ready to ignite lasting transformation in your team or event? Book me
                      for keynotes, corporate training, or Positive Intelligence® coaching at
                      ⁠https://www.toddbertsch.com/⁠

                      1 hr 9 min
                    • How to Break Out of the Sea of Sameness and Become Unforgettable with Jason Zygadlo

                      What makes someone stand out in a crowded job market, competitive industry, or rapidly changing world? In this episode, we explore how personal branding, resilience, and intentional action can help people create new opportunities and build meaningful careers. The conversation covers overcoming setbacks, navigating career transitions, building trust, creating memorable customer experiences, and why growth often requires stepping outside of comfort zones. Listeners will learn practical ways to differentiate themselves, strengthen relationships, and create lasting impact both professionally and personally.

                      Key Takeaways

                      • Success often requires leaving comfortable situations to pursue meaningful growth.
                      • Personal branding is about clearly communicating what makes you different and valuable.
                      • Career setbacks can become opportunities to reevaluate priorities and purpose.
                      • Building trust creates long-term opportunities that transactions alone cannot.
                      • Small acts of intentionality can have a lasting impact on relationships and customer experiences.
                      • Standing out requires more than qualifications; it requires memorable action.
                      • Personalized communication helps create stronger connections and credibility.
                      • Growth happens when people challenge themselves instead of staying comfortable.
                      • Resilience is built through adversity, reflection, and consistent effort.
                      • The most successful professionals focus on serving others and creating value.

                        • https://www.toddbertsch.com/podcast/how-to-break-out-of-the-sea-of-sameness-with-jason-zygadlo


                        Thanks for listening! We appreciate you.
                        Follow us at:
                        ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddmbertsch/⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/theboltwithtoddb⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/theboltwithtoddb/⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@theboltwithtoddb⁠⁠

                        ⚡ Ready to ignite lasting transformation in your team or event? Book me for keynotes, corporate training, or Positive Intelligence® coaching at ⁠⁠ToddBertsch.com

                        1 hr 18 min

                      About THE BOLT Podcast

                      From the publisher's feed

                      A leadership and personal growth podcast exploring how to navigate change, build mental fitness, and choose growth over comfort. Real conversations with leaders who turned insight into action and…