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The Most Dangerous Leader
In Episode 8 of Champion of the Underdog, leadership expert John Graci breaks down one of the most dangerous obstacles inside any organization: leaders who cannot see themselves clearly. With 30 years of coaching and real-world leadership experience, John explains why self-delusion at the leadership level can sabotage performance, waste training investments, and undermine the very teams organizations depend on.
John shares a revealing coaching story about a leader with 10 years of experience, yet every answer he gave exposed major leadership blind spots. He dismissed employee concerns, avoided accountability, labeled people as “bad attitudes,” delegated around difficult conversations, and even joined team “pity parties.” Despite insisting he had an open mind, his behavior showed the opposite.
John walks listeners step-by-step through how he confronted this leader with the truth, challenged his assumptions, and gave him a choice: Do you want the title, or do you want the responsibility? Only when the consequences became real did the leader finally choose to grow, proving John’s core belief that people don’t change unless the reward or the consequence is great enough.
Through honest coaching, structured reflection, and digital training modules, this leader eventually admitted he had been “practicing management without a license”, and became ready to transform. John reminds HR and senior leaders: training only works when leaders are self-aware enough to receive it.
Key Takeaways:
Resources & Links:
If you’re a leader, HR professional, or manager looking for no-nonsense strategies to keep your team engaged and high-performing, this episode is packed with insights you can use right away.
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By John Graci
5
99 ratings
In Episode 8 of Champion of the Underdog, leadership expert John Graci breaks down one of the most dangerous obstacles inside any organization: leaders who cannot see themselves clearly. With 30 years of coaching and real-world leadership experience, John explains why self-delusion at the leadership level can sabotage performance, waste training investments, and undermine the very teams organizations depend on.
John shares a revealing coaching story about a leader with 10 years of experience, yet every answer he gave exposed major leadership blind spots. He dismissed employee concerns, avoided accountability, labeled people as “bad attitudes,” delegated around difficult conversations, and even joined team “pity parties.” Despite insisting he had an open mind, his behavior showed the opposite.
John walks listeners step-by-step through how he confronted this leader with the truth, challenged his assumptions, and gave him a choice: Do you want the title, or do you want the responsibility? Only when the consequences became real did the leader finally choose to grow, proving John’s core belief that people don’t change unless the reward or the consequence is great enough.
Through honest coaching, structured reflection, and digital training modules, this leader eventually admitted he had been “practicing management without a license”, and became ready to transform. John reminds HR and senior leaders: training only works when leaders are self-aware enough to receive it.
Key Takeaways:
Resources & Links:
If you’re a leader, HR professional, or manager looking for no-nonsense strategies to keep your team engaged and high-performing, this episode is packed with insights you can use right away.