There's a difference between what a privilege is and what a pain is, and it's not the circumstance; it's the lens. Author Will Guidara has a line that will shock your mind back to reality today.

"What a privilege to outgrow things you used to settle for."

The work piling up, the hard conversation, the tough round of golf, someone out there is praying for exactly what you're frustrated by. Which one are you choosing today?

Grab the book that started it all: https://www.amazon.com/Optimistic-Outlook-Lessons-Important-Muscle/dp/B0G4R5VJH1/

Coach Kenny Simpson has been on the front lines of leadership longer than most. He's gone 0 and 10. He's coached kids who needed a father figure more than a playbook. And somewhere along the way, he stopped watching the scoreboard — and started winning more than ever.

In this episode, Kenny and I dig into what it really takes to build a winning culture, why accountability and love aren't opposites, and how the best leaders develop systems so strong they have answers before problems occur.

Kenny also shares the story behind his new book, Iron Valley — a fictional account of a team that lost 27 games in a row and what it took to turn things around. It's part great story, part leadership curriculum, and it's available now on Amazon.

📖 Grab Iron Valley here: https://www.amazon.com/Iron-Valley-Football-Brotherhood-Chances/dp/B0GWQDTH9X

Most leaders believe intensity is an asset. And they are right. Until it isn't.

Tyler Dickerhoof has spent years studying what separates leaders who build something lasting from the ones who burn everything down chasing results. In this conversation, we get into why your intensity might be driving people away, what happens when you reach the finish line and realize nobody followed you, and the thing most leaders are hiding that is quietly running their leadership.

Tyler is the author of the new book The Things We Hide, a deeply personal and practical look at how our fears and insecurities build walls between us and the people we are trying to lead, and what it takes to finally put windows in those walls.

"The weight that crushes us is the weight we carry alone."

If you have ever felt like you were carrying too much, leading alone, or wondering why your team is not running with you, this episode is for you.

Get Tyler's book here: https://www.tylerdickerhoof.com/store/p/the-things-we-hide

Most leaders are good. Some are really good. But a lot of them are playing with a ceiling they don't even know they have. Not because of talent. Because of how they're choosing to show up.

"Life rewards those who play offense. Not the most prepared, not the most talented, but the ones willing to step up, take the risk, and go for it."

In this episode, John breaks down why leaders default to defense, how to build the skill and confidence to play offense in yourself and your people, and the three things that actually move the needle when your team is ready but still won't take the shot.

Capacity is not the same as choice. This episode is about closing that gap.

Learn more about thr Accelerate Leadership Program

Grab John's latest book: Optimistic Outlook on Amazon

In this episode of The John Eades Podcast, I sit down with Charlene Li, author of Winning with AI, to unpack one of the biggest shifts leaders are facing right now.

Not just how to use AI… but what it means for your role, your team, and your identity.

At one point, Charlene tested AI against her own thinking. The results were uncomfortable.

The AI was 80% as good as her. That moment forced a deeper question. If AI can do most of what you do… what actually makes you valuable?

We talk about what AI really is, why so many leaders are either overestimating or underestimating it, and what it actually means to become "AI fluent." This isn't a conversation about tools. It's a conversation about how leadership is changing.

In this episode, we cover:

• What AI is and how to explain it simply
• Why AI feels helpful… even when it's wrong
• The concept of "AI fluency" and why every leader needs it
• The fear employees have about working themselves out of a job
• How leaders should think about managing people and AI agents
• The difference between what AI can do and what only humans can do
• Why this moment is more about identity than technology

You can grab Charlene's book here: Winning with AI

If you're leading a team right now, this is not something you can ignore. Because the leaders who win won't just use AI. They'll understand how to think differently because of it.

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Adversity spares no one. It does not matter how disciplined you are or how well you prepare. At some point, you will face difficulty. The real question is not if. It is when. And often, how long.

In this episode, John shares the powerful "coffee bean" lesson he learned from Damon West and connects it with insight from Kara Lawson about what we truly control during hard seasons.

Adversity is the gap between what you hoped would happen and what actually does, especially when you cannot control how long it lasts.

You cannot shorten the season. But you can strengthen the person in it.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why uncertainty is often harder than pain
• How adversity shapes identity and character
• Three practical ways to strengthen yourself this week
• How to become transformative instead of soft or hard under pressure

🟩 Key Quote: "The length of adversity is uncertain, but your response never is."

🎟 Join the Free Workshop As mentioned in the episode, you can register for tomorrow's free leadership workshop here:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/8KDhBUlFTxS_9WLtNyDseQ#/registration

If this episode encouraged you, share it with someone walking through a difficult season.

Use your gifts.

Jacob Morgan has spent years studying what actually drives employee engagement, and what leaders keep getting wrong. In this wide ranging conversation, we unpack why most engagement efforts turn into short term "dopamine hits" like perks and programs, and why they never solve the real issue.

We talk about the difference between employee engagement and employee experience, the cost of disengagement for both the employee and the organization, and how AI is changing the pressure on performance and expectations. Jacob also breaks down a simple framework from his new book and explains how leaders can raise standards without creating burnout or coddled mediocrity.

We close with a conversation about accountability, consistency, and the kind of leadership that earns trust when change is required.

Jacob's new book is The Eight Laws of Employee Experience

In this episode of The John Eades Podcast, I sit down with Dan Casey and Griffin Brand, co-authors of Bring Your Own Pencil.

At its core, this conversation is about preparation, discipline, and respect. Not as buzzwords, but as daily practices that quietly separate professionals from amateurs. Dan and Griffin share stories and principles behind the idea of "bringing your own pencil," the mindset of taking ownership before you're asked, and why leaders who prepare consistently earn trust faster and sustain credibility longer.

We talk about:

• Why preparation is a signal of respect for others
• How leaders lose influence when they rely on talent alone
• The difference between showing up and showing up ready

This is a practical conversation for leaders who care about standards, growth, and doing the work before the spotlight ever turns on.

Get the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Bring-Your-Own-Pencil-Playbook/dp/B0GGC8JTL4

Most people avoid difficult conversations because they believe silence will keep things from getting worse. In reality, avoidance almost always does the opposite.

In this episode, John shares a powerful coaching moment with a young physical therapist who was struggling with unmet expectations, growing resentment, and the quiet cost of things left unsaid. That moment opens the door to a simple but uncomfortable truth: confronting in the short term is far better than resenting in the long term.

You'll learn:

• Why motive, not wording, is what truly determines the outcome of a hard conversation

• The difference between being candid and being effective

• A practical 6-step framework for direct dialogue with your team

• How to use "magical feedback" to protect standards while strengthening relationships

• How to approach difficult conversations with peers and leaders without creating defensiveness

This episode is for any leader, manager, or team member who knows they've been avoiding a conversation they need to have.

If this topic resonates, it's one we go deep on through Accelerate Leadership and in Building the Best. To explore workshops, keynotes, and leadership development programs, visit johneades.com or learnloft.com.

Most people rush into goal setting without slowing down long enough to recognize the life they've already lived.

In this episode, John walks through the updated 2026 Growth and Goals exercise, a reflective framework he uses with coaching clients and leadership teams to help them honor their growth and set intentional direction for the year ahead.

Through a personal story and a guided, question by question walkthrough, this episode invites you to slow down, look honestly at how far you've come, and then define goals that actually matter.

🟩 Download the 2026 Growth and Goals Exercise: https://learnloft.com/annual-growth-audit/

Listen straight through, pause and jot down your answers as you go, or download the exercise and work through it on your own.