So how did leadership become such a vague, overused, feel-good word? Turns out there's a lot working against us — relativism, title inflation, billions of dollars spent on training that isn't working, and an algorithm that rewards likes over truth. We break down the conditions that got us here and why.

We throw the word "leadership" around constantly — on apps, in schools, in job titles, on social media — but what does it actually mean anymore? Spoiler: not much. When a Shark Tank-style pitch gets called a "leadership talk" and organizing your backpack makes you a leader, we've got a problem. We dig into how leadership became the ultimate catch-all buzzword, why that's doing real damage, and what a clear definition of leadership actually looks like.

Have you ever worked in a place where people seemed more focused on not making mistakes than on actually pursuing excellence? It’s a culture where "playing it safe" becomes the unwritten rule.

This episode was sparked by a powerful quote from Mark Goulston's book, "Just Listen," that perfectly captures this dynamic. We use that one idea as a launchpad to explore three critical areas:

• The kind of team culture you create when mistakes are punished instead of seen as part of the process.
• Why leaders themselves often become risk-averse, focusing more on protecting their image and position than on shaking things up.
• What to do when you find yourself in this situation—and the personal cost of constantly going against what you know is right.

This is a conversation about building more courageous teams and, just as importantly, finding the courage to act with integrity. Hope you'll join me.