Your Preshift

What if excellence isn’t about being extraordinary?

In this episode, Ryan looks at what Ritz-Carlton’s pursuit of excellence, and its historic Malcolm Baldrige Quality Awards, can teach us about leadership and organizations. The lesson is surprisingly ordinary: define what good looks like, build the systems and habits that support it, and then do it again and again.

Great moments are memorable, but excellence is something people learn they can rely on. Whether you’re leading a team, serving customers, or building an organization, the question is the same: What should people be able to count on from you?

Maybe excellence isn’t better than good. Maybe excellence is good that people can count on.

Some of the hardest leadership decisions aren’t about the person who is obviously failing. They’re about the person who’s doing okay.

You’ve coached them. You’ve had the conversations. Maybe you’ve seen some improvement. Maybe they get decent results. And every time you start wondering whether it’s time to make a change, there’s a perfectly reasonable argument for giving them a little more time.

So how do you know if someone is actually growing or if you’re just having the same coaching conversation over and over?

In this episode, Ryan digs into what real change actually looks like, why struggling and refusing are two very different things, and the evidence to look for when deciding whether to keep investing in someone.

Because eventually, “let’s give it a little more time” becomes a decision too.

We want people to take ownership, make decisions, and solve problems without constantly asking for permission. But give people too much freedom without enough clarity, and empowerment can quickly turn into everyone doing their own thing.

In this episode of Your Preshift, Ryan explores the tension between autonomy and alignment. How do you give people real room to lead while still making sure everyone is moving in the same direction? We’ll talk about why autonomy needs guardrails, how too much control creates dependence, and what leaders can do to build teams that don’t need permission for every decision because they understand what matters.

What happens when someone on your team falls short of the standard, but you also understand exactly why?

In this episode of our Managing Leadership Tensions series, Ryan explores one of the hardest balances in frontline leadership: holding a high bar without losing sight of the human being trying to reach it. We look at why leaders tend to drift toward one of two extremes under pressure: becoming the Enforcer who protects the standard at the expense of the person, or the Peacemaker who protects the person by quietly lowering the standard.

Drawing from research on psychological safety, empathy, expectations, and human cooperation, Ryan makes the case that great leadership requires both. The standard stays high, and you stay beside the person trying to meet it.

Research & ideas referenced:

James Suzman’s anthropological work on hunter-gatherer societies and the Ju/’hoansi; Google’s Project Aristotle and psychological safety; Laszlo Bock’s Work Rules!; the Pygmalion and Golem Effects and the impact of leader expectations; research on empathic distress and empathy’s “spotlight” effect; and Cal Newport’s work on reactivity and attention under pressure.

In this teaser episode for High Standards and Deep Empathy, we look at why balancing uncompromising performance standards with genuine care is one of the oldest and hardest tensions in leadership.

In this episode of our Managing Leadership Tensions series, Ryan tackles one of the most practical tensions every leader faces: When do you coach, and when do you simply give direction? Lean too heavily on directing, and your team becomes dependent on you for every answer. Lean too heavily on coaching, and people can become frustrated, confused, or left to struggle when they really needed someone to teach them. Through research, real-world examples, and practical guidance, this episode will help you recognize which approach the moment calls for so you can develop people without sacrificing standards, execution, or confidence.

Every day, leaders are pulled between competing priorities. Move faster or slow down and coach. Hold people accountable or show empathy. Give more freedom or create more structure. Most of us treat these as choices, and that's where the trouble starts.

In the kickoff to this new series on Managing Leadership Tensions, Ryan explores why leadership feels like an endless game of Whack-a-Mole. You solve one problem only to create another. Drawing on research from Ronald Heifetz, Barry Johnson, and others, he introduces a different way of thinking: the best leaders don't bounce between competing priorities. They learn to manage the tension between them.

This episode lays the foundation for the next eight conversations, giving leaders a practical framework for making better decisions without getting trapped in black-and-white thinking. If you've ever felt like you're constantly overcorrecting, this episode will help you understand why, and show you a better way to lead.

Your Preshift is back with new episodes return next week!

In this episode, Ryan rewinds the From Buddy to Boss series by tackling one of leadership's most personal challenges: what happens to friendships after the promotion. Drawing from his own experience, he explores how clear expectations, honest conversations, healthy boundaries, and respect for the organizational structure can preserve, and even strengthen, relationships at work. It's a practical conversation about leading fairly without losing the people who matter most.

Ryan continues the From Buddy to Boss series by exploring one of the biggest mindset shifts new leaders face: realizing their job is no longer to do the work, but to create the conditions where others can succeed. He unpacks why so many new managers struggle to let go, how credibility is built through consistency rather than expertise, and why coaching, trust, and protecting a team's capacity ultimately drive better results than simply jumping in to save the day.

One of the most popular series on Your Preshift returns. Ryan kicks off From Buddy to Boss by exploring one of leadership's toughest transitions: going from being one of the team to leading it. He unpacks the hidden shifts in responsibility, relationships, identity, and expectations that catch so many new leaders by surprise, sharing lessons from his own early mistakes along the way. If you've recently been promoted, or you're preparing someone else for that step, this episode will help you navigate the transition with greater confidence, clarity, and humanity.