Leadership isn’t just about vision. Instead it’s about showing up in the everyday moments if you want to shape great teams, cultures, and results.

There’s myth that some people are “born leaders” but in today’s episode, leadership expert Dr. Scott Allen shares why leadership is learned, practiced, and most importantly, deeply personal.

In this episode you will learn:

• Why the idea of “natural-born leaders” is outdated
• The science behind charisma (and how to develop it)
• What leadership styles have in common with golf clubs
• The difference between authority and influence—and why influence wins
• Why “thinking partners” are essential for every leader
• How to combine knowledge, skill, mentorship, and experience for true growth

Timestamps:

00:14 – Are leaders born or made?

01:49 – What science says about charisma and learnable leadership

03:48 – How problem-solving, negotiation, and communication can be developed

06:00 – Leadership styles and the “golf club” metaphor

08:42 – Making leadership training stick: from hacks to habits

09:43 – Why self-awareness is foundational to great leadership

12:08 – Character, curiosity, and the power of learning

13:02 – Can self-awareness be taught?

15:36 – Curiosity as a leadership superpower

17:02 – Coaches who deflect blame vs. leaders who take ownership

18:12 – Empathy, ego, and the limits of expertise in leadership

20:26 – Why catchers make great managers

21:43 – Influence: the real heart of leadership

24:07 – Trust as the currency of leadership

25:48 – Influence tactics: from logic to coalitions

28:18 – Timing and persuasion in leadership conversations

30:01 – Why knowledge alone isn’t enough—real-world learning is essential

33:22 – The five domains of leadership learning

35:27 – Creating learning organizations with psychological safety

37:54 – The role of thinking partners in leadership development

41:04 – How to find (and build) your bench of thinking partners

46:57 – Why one partner won’t solve everything—and that’s the point

49:01 – “Who you are is how you lead” – Scott’s favorite leadership quote

50:39 – Final thoughts on responsibility, reflection, and showing up for others

About the Guest:

Dr. Scott J. Allen is an award-winning educator, keynote speaker, and leadership expert.

With over 17 years as a professor and more than 60 peer-reviewed publications, Scott brings academic rigor, humor, and real-world insight to every engagement.

He's co-authored several books on leadership and hosts Practical Wisdom for Leaders—a podcast ranked in the top 2.5% globally. He also publishes a weekly newsletter for busy practitioners, highlighting four leadership articles.

Scott energizes audiences at marquee organizations such as Toyota Motor North America, Cleveland Clinic, NASA-Glenn, Nestlé, Progressive, Whiting Turner, Sam's Club, the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, and Progressive through his dynamic keynotes, workshops, and retreats.

Whether on stage or in the boardroom, Scott’s expertise in leader development, the future of work, and executive communication empowers leaders to drive meaningful, lasting change.

Resources & Mentions:

• Connect with Scott on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-j-allen/
• Visit Scott's Website:

Damon Lembi never set out to become a podcaster. But 2 years, 160+ episodes, and thousands of conversations later, he can say this with confidence: podcasting has been the single most transformative tool in his professional growth.

In this solo episode, Damon breaks down the 8 ways podcasting has made him a better leader, communicator, and human being and why every professional should seriously consider stepping behind the mic.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

- Why podcasting is the ultimate communication gym

- How storytelling on-air can make you more persuasive off-air

- What podcasting does for your confidence and clarity

- The hidden networking power that comes with each episode

- Why podcasting forces you to become a better listener and improviser

- How hosting a show accelerates your learning and thought leadership

- The simple way to turn one podcast guest spot into 10 pieces of content

- Why your personal brand matters (even if you don’t think it does)

Timestamps:

00:00 – Damon’s confession: The one unexpected thing that changed his career

00:35 – #1: How podcasting sharpened his communication

01:10 – #2: Why repetition made him a better storyteller

01:50 – #3: Overcoming fear and building confidence through reps

02:30 – #4: 10x network growth—and the power of asking

03:00 – #5: How the mic made him a better listener at work and at home

03:45 – #6: Learning to improvise and build trust fast

04:20 – #7: The accelerated learning effect (and why it feels like free coaching)

05:15 – #8: How podcasting helped him build a real, visible personal brand

06:10 – Guesting vs. hosting: Where to start and what tools to use

06:50 – Why you don’t need followers—just courage

07:10 – A final reflection: Podcasting made me better. It can do the same for you.

Resources & Mentions:

Episode with Marques Ogden: https://youtu.be/dqsRJhGIeFI?si=98MKdtArx30guTBE

Episode with Stephen M.R. Covey: https://youtu.be/iP6cnAqNwIc?si=pl6lCTHKgM9v-sn5

Episode with Doug Conant: https://youtu.be/418p49ClihY?si=YuLozGLm4VsFXM1B

Episode with Dr. Jessica Kriegel: https://youtu.be/TUJ-8zUolI4?si=UNYpf_LwQ5pzi2Ni

Episode with Matt Dixon: https://youtu.be/0LpEfvxsOYs?si=mAEJwxIREFnmeg3g

PodMatch: Tool to book guest spots: https://www.podmatch.com/

Opus Clip to make podcast clips: https://www.opus.pro/

Pat Flynn’s Guide: How to Start a Podcast in 2025: https://www.smartpassiveincome.com/

Connect With Us:

Level up your sales team at Learnit.com

Email us: podcast@learnit.com

Follow Damon on LinkedIn

Follow Damon on Instagram

The traditional way of selling in B2B businesses no longer works. Win rates are at an all-time low. Sales reps are burning out faster than ever. Quotas are missed quarter after quarter. And so what are teams trying? To just do more. More calls. More demos.

But the solution isn’t more. First, you have to break the cycle you are stuck in.

In today’s episode, Damon is joined by Dave Brock. He’s a legendary sales advisor, executive coach, and author of The Sales Manager Survival Guide. He's here to break down what’s wrong with the way we train sales teams today, and how modern leaders can build cultures that actually drive performance.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why most sales teams are stuck and what it really takes to break the cycle
• How business acumen and curiosity outperform slide decks and sales pitches
• The real reason tenure is shrinking in sales and what to do about it
• How to coach your team effectively
• What Dave is building with AI and why it might be the future of learning

Timestamps:

00:00 – What’s going wrong in sales today?

02:10 – Why win rates are declining and panic is missing

05:27 – Are people losing their drive to achieve?

07:34 – COVID’s effect on employee disconnection

08:49 – Culture, belonging, and why people leave

10:32 – What great leaders do differently

12:22 – The math doesn’t work: ramp time vs. tenure

15:56 – How short-term thinking hurts everyone

16:36 – Why most sales cycles end in no decision

18:59 – The key to building trust: problem-first conversations

21:23 – The pitch is dead—long live collaboration

23:39 – Why salespeople lack business acumen

24:42 – The real role of subject matter experts

26:20 – The $500k SDR: a credibility case study

29:23 – Where to find your next great SDR

31:15 – Brand damage from bad conversations

33:56 – One-size-fits-all coaching doesn't work

34:55 – What frontline managers get wrong

36:58 – Directive vs. non-directive coaching

38:56 – Coaching inside every conversation

42:32 – Using improv to teach collaborative coaching

44:59 – Coaching in “cracks of time”

45:54 – What’s changed since The Sales Manager Survival Guide

47:52 – Preview of Dave’s next book: Sales Executive Survival Guide

49:05 – Using AI as a debate partner, not a crutch

51:25 – Learning faster through collaborative AI tools

53:59 – Dave’s master prompt strategy for ChatGPT and Claude

54:18 – What keeps Dave curious after decades of success

56:35 – What extreme sports and Wu-Tang taught him about innovation

59:28 – Why mentoring high schoolers keeps him sharp

Resources Mentioned:

• Partners in EXCELLENCE Blog
• Follow Dave Brock on LinkedIn
• Sales Manager Survival Guide by Dave Brock