The Charismatic Leader

Welcome to the Charismatic Leader Podcast.

In this episode, Brett McDermott sits down with David Burkus, organizational psychologist, Columbia University professor, and best‑selling author whose research has been featured in Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. David makes the case that talent doesn’t make the team—the team makes the talent.

Together, Brett and David explore why leaders often get team‑building backwards, focusing too much on individual talent instead of the habits and norms that create culture. David shares the three elements that define high‑performing teams: common understanding, psychological safety, and pro‑social purpose. He explains how leaders can audit their team’s sense of purpose, outsource inspiration by bringing in customer stories, and make metrics meaningful. They also dive into the misconceptions around psychological safety, why treating everyone “equally” is not the same as treating them fairly, and how remote leaders can recreate unstructured moments of connection virtually.

This episode is packed with actionable insights for leaders who want to stop chasing talent and start building cultures where talent thrives.

Key Takeaways:

• Why talent doesn’t make the team—the team makes the talent

• The three pillars of high‑performing teams: common understanding, psychological safety, pro‑social purpose

• How to audit and clarify team purpose

• Why leaders should outsource inspiration with customer stories

• The difference between fairness and equality in management

• How to build psychological safety through respectful conflict and candor

• What great remote leaders do to recreate unstructured moments of connection

Welcome to the Charismatic Leader Podcast.

In this episode, Brett McDermott sits down with Angela Howard, founder of Call for Culture and former people and culture leader with 15 years of experience. Angela makes the case that most companies aren’t building culture—they’re building compliance. She explains why the phrase “not a culture fit” is often a cover for deeper issues, and how leaders can reimagine workplaces to truly work for everyone.

Together, Brett and Angela explore the difference between equity and fairness, the dangers of toxic positivity, and why appreciation must be consistent, specific, and tailored to each team member. Angela shares her six-phase Call for Culture method, showing how to diagnose hotspots like silos, compensation transparency, and lack of candor. She also highlights the reputational risks of performative DEI efforts and why culture change must be both top-down and bottom-up.

This episode is packed with actionable insights for leaders who want to stop hiding behind buzzwords and start building cultures that actually work.

Key Takeaways:

• Why “not a culture fit” is often a leadership cop-out

• The difference between equity and equality in practice

• How toxic positivity erodes trust and candor

• Why appreciation must be consistent, specific, and personalized

• The six phases of the Call for Culture method

• Common hotspots: silos, fairness perceptions, and lack of transparency

• The reputational cost of performative DEI efforts

Welcome to the Charismatic Leader Podcast.

In this episode, Brett McDermott sits down with Donald Kelly, widely known as The Sales Evangelist. Donald shares the modern playbook for building a pipeline of leads that actually close in today’s marketplace. From cold calling to cold emailing to LinkedIn prospecting, he breaks down how sellers can cut through the noise and connect with decision-makers in authentic, human ways.

Together, Brett and Donald explore why cold calling isn’t dead, how to turn a cold call into a warm email, and why relevance beats volume every time. Donald explains his three-step sequence—LinkedIn, call, then email—and shows how to personalize connection requests, leverage posts for engagement, and craft short, text-like emails that get opened and answered. He also shares stories from the field, including how a call to the “wrong person” can still yield valuable intel that moves a deal forward.

This episode is packed with actionable insights for salespeople who want to stop spamming, start connecting, and build pipelines that actually convert.

Key Takeaways:

• Why cold calling is alive and well in 2026

• How to turn a cold call into a warm email

• Donald’s three-step sequence: LinkedIn → Call → Email

• The power of personalized connection requests tied to posts

• Why short, text-like emails outperform long pitches

• How even “non-decision makers” can provide intel that moves deals forward

Welcome to the Charismatic Leader Podcast.

In this episode, Brett McDermott sits down with Marc Hildebrand, former LAPD sergeant turned self-leadership coach. After 20 years in law enforcement, Marc realized the biggest threat to his potential wasn’t external—it was the narrative in his own head. He shares how rewiring our inner dialogue can transform health, relationships, and leadership.

Together, Brett and Marc explore the foundation of self-leadership: how we speak to ourselves, how we coach ourselves through resistance, and how to replace limiting beliefs with empowering stories. Marc recounts his journey of losing 100 pounds, building a thriving coaching business, and navigating the challenges of fatherhood—including his son’s fight for life in the NICU. He explains why leading yourself is the prerequisite to leading others, and how small daily choices compound into identity-shaping votes.

This episode is packed with practical strategies for anyone who wants to stop self-sabotage, rewrite their story, and step into the leader they were meant to be.

Key Takeaways:

• Why self-leadership is the foundation of all influence

• How negative self-talk traps us—and how to rewrite the story

• The difference between solving technical problems vs. addressing root beliefs

• Why small daily choices are votes for your identity

• How to coach yourself through resistance with powerful questions

• The importance of allowing others to help uncover subconscious limiting beliefs

Welcome to the Charismatic Leader Podcast.

In this episode, Brett McDermott sits down with Amanda Gulino, founder of A Better Monday, coach, facilitator, and truth teller who has spent nearly a decade inside teams uncovering why some leaders earn instant trust while others never do. Amanda shares her journey from burnout to building a company designed to make Mondays something people look forward to, not dread.

Together, Brett and Amanda explore why trust is the foundation of thriving workplaces, how fractures in trust quietly erode culture, and what leaders can do to repair and rebuild it. Amanda introduces frameworks like the Trust Equation and Brené Brown’s BRAVING model, showing how shared language helps teams move from conflict to connection. She also explains why leaders must learn to respond rather than react, and how creating space—through pauses, deep breaths, or even a walk—can transform communication. Finally, Amanda offers practical ways to tap into team creativity by changing environments, embracing silence, and priming with playful exercises.

This episode is packed with actionable insights for leaders who want to build trust, foster creativity, and create workplaces people actually look forward to.

Key Takeaways:

• Why trust is the foundation of culture and performance

• How fractures in trust quietly erode teams—and how to repair them

• Frameworks like the Trust Equation and BRAVING for shared language

• The importance of responding vs. reacting in leadership communication

• Amanda’s three M’s framework: mindset, meeting space, and message

• Practical ways to tap into team creativity by changing environments and priming exercises

Welcome to the Charismatic Leader Podcast.

In this episode, Brett McDermott sits down with Alain Hunkins, leadership expert and author who has spent nearly three decades inside companies like Microsoft and Marriott. Alain reveals why the very skills that get you promoted often become the ones that hold you back—and how leaders must shift from “doing” to truly leading.

Together, Brett and Alain explore the facilitative mindset—leading as a facilitator-in-chief rather than a commander-in-chief. Alain shares how his theater background shaped his approach to leadership, why connection is the bedrock of influence, and how communication and collaboration separate leaders people follow from leaders people simply tolerate. He offers practical tools like giving the big picture up front, “asking for a receipt” to confirm understanding, and creating environments of safety, energy, ownership, and purpose.

This episode is packed with actionable insights for leaders who want to move beyond command-and-control and build teams that thrive.

Key Takeaways:

• Why leaders must shift from doing to leading

• The difference between facilitator-in-chief vs. commander-in-chief

• How theater teaches leaders to focus on impact, not intention

• Practical communication tools: big picture first and asking for a receipt

• Four human needs that drive collaboration: safety, energy, ownership, and purpose

• Why people aren’t your greatest resource—they are your company

Welcome to the Charismatic Leader Podcast.

In this episode, Brett McDermott sits down with Lyndsay Dowd, who spent 23 years climbing the ranks at IBM before turning a career collapse into two best‑selling books, a top 2.5% global podcast, and a worldwide speaking brand. Lyndsay shows us what reinvention really looks like—and how leaders can do it too.

Together, Brett and Lyndsay explore why culture starts at the top, how recognition fuels performance, and why appreciation is a habit that rewires the way we see the world. Lyndsay shares her framework of power skills—trust, communication, delegation, and radical candor—and explains why they’re far too powerful to be called “soft.” She also reveals the importance of listening tours for new leaders, creating space for autonomy and failure, and why side hustles can be the first step toward reinvention.

This episode is packed with actionable insights for leaders, entrepreneurs, and anyone ready to reinvent themselves with courage and care.

Key Takeaways:

• Why culture starts at the top and trust is a leader’s currency

• The power of genuine appreciation to fuel teams and relationships

• How delegation creates opportunities for others to shine

• Why radical candor must be delivered with care, not cruelty

• The importance of listening tours for new leaders

• How side hustles can be the first step toward reinvention

Welcome to the Charismatic Leader Podcast.

In this episode, Brett McDermott breaks down why charisma isn’t just charm or confidence—it’s also warmth. Warmth is the quality that makes people trust you before they even know why, and it’s half of the charisma equation.

Brett shares three practical strategies leaders can use immediately to project more warmth in their communication: presence, curiosity, and appreciation. He explains why being fully present in every interaction builds trust, how asking deeper questions creates genuine connection, and why specific appreciation fuels people as much as shelter and water. With examples ranging from everyday conversations to workplace recognition, Brett shows how warmth transforms influence.

This episode is packed with actionable insights for anyone who wants to be respected, liked, and ultimately more influential in every room they enter.

Key Takeaways

• Why charisma is built on both confidence and warmth

• How presence—listening with your ears and eyes—creates trust

• Why curiosity and deeper questions unlock genuine connection

• The power of specific appreciation to fuel and motivate others

• How practicing these skills daily makes you more charismatic and influential

Welcome to the Charismatic Leader Podcast.

In this episode, Brett McDermott sits down with Dr. Tracy Christopherson and Michelle Troseth, co-hosts of the Burnout Proof Leadership Podcast. Together, they reveal why the secret to avoiding burnout isn’t doing more—it’s how you open and close your day.

Brett, Tracy, and Michelle explore the concept of polarity intelligence—the ability to balance seemingly opposite forces like work and personal life—and why leaders must learn to navigate both. They break down two deceptively simple practices: starting your day in silence to set priorities with clarity, and closing your workday with a shutdown ritual so it doesn’t bleed into everything else. They also share strategies for spotting early warning signs of burnout, building resilience through health habits, and creating a proactive plan that keeps leaders present and energized.

This episode is packed with actionable insights for leaders who want to reset their routines, protect their energy, and show up fully for both work and life.

Key Takeaways:

• Why polarity intelligence helps leaders balance work and life

• The importance of starting your day with silence and clarity

• How a shutdown ritual prevents work from bleeding into personal life

• Early warning signs of burnout and how to course-correct

• Why health habits like sleep, exercise, and nutrition build resilience

• How prioritizing your top three objectives each day keeps overwhelm at bay

Welcome to the Charismatic Leader Podcast.

In this episode, Brett McDermott sits down with Vaso Vardaki, leadership advisor with degrees in speech therapy, human communication, and business, who has spent two decades leading teams inside multinational companies. Vaso reveals why most leadership teams are silently failing—and the framework she uses to fix them.

Together, Brett and Vaso explore the biggest communication trap leaders fall into: assumptions. They break down why “common sense” isn’t common, how listening to what is said—and what is not said—changes everything, and why body language and emotional presence are critical to influence. Vaso shares practical strategies for building psychological safety, embracing discomfort as a path to growth, and motivating teams through purpose and autonomy rather than short‑term rewards. She also explains the three pillars of high‑performing teams—psychological safety, cognitive diversity, and motivation—and how leaders can cultivate them every day.

This episode is packed with actionable insights for leaders who want to eliminate silent failures, foster trust, and build teams that thrive.

Key Takeaways:

• Why assumptions are the biggest communication mistake leaders make

• How to listen for both spoken and unspoken messages

• The role of body language and emotional presence in influence

• Why discomfort signals growth—and how to build habits around it

• The three pillars of high‑performing teams: psychological safety, cognitive diversity, and motivation

• How to keep teams motivated through purpose, autonomy, and accountability