Quick Take | Tips to Help Executives and Leaders Grow
The Quick Take podcast provides concise and actionable tips to help executives and leaders, like you, tackle the thorny and complex challenges that affect us daily. By leveraging their experience and relationship with other global leaders, our hosts provide suggestions that are based on their deep experience as leaders and coaches but also pressure tested in boardrooms everywhere because they asked their friends….(almost). Hosted by James Capps and Susie Tomenchok. Episodes release weekly on Thursdays.
Episodes
128 episodes
Balancing AI Adoption with Human Connection
AI can help us move faster, work smarter, and even prep for a one-on-one. But what happens when we start using it as a substitute for human connection?In this episode, we explore the tension between efficiency and empathy. From trust bre...
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Episode 127
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13:55
Why Introverts Make Powerful Leaders
We’re taught to celebrate the loudest voice in the room. But what if the most effective leaders are the ones who say less and listen more?In this conversation, we unpack the surprising strengths of introverted leaders. From creating spac...
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Episode 126
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11:31
The Paradox of Likable Leadership
Can you be a good leader and still want to be liked? Or does that instinct hold you back? In this episode, we dig into the tension between being likable and being effective. We talk about how the people-pleasing gene that makes you successful e...
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Episode 125
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12:54
Why Your Mid-Level Leaders Are Your AI Champions
Think Gen Z is leading the charge on AI? Not so fast. It turns out your middle managers might be the ones best positioned to drive real change.In this episode, we talk about why this layer of leadership is so critical to AI adoption. Fr...
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Episode 124
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12:02
Building Workplace Civility in Polarized Times
You know that person who always interrupts or hijacks the meeting? Most teams do. And when no one addresses it, everyone loses.In this episode, we talk about why civility still matters, maybe more than ever. We dig into how small behavio...
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Episode 123
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12:03
Managing Outcomes, Not Activity
The old school nine-to-five doesn’t fit today’s work, or today’s workers. Still, so many leaders fall back on time as a stand-in for productivity. In this episode, we unpack what it actually means to lead for outcomes.We talk about energ...
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Episode 122
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13:14
Empowering Middle Managers for Long-Term Success
Middle managers are overworked, overlooked, and often under-supported. Yet they’re the glue holding organizations together—and right now, many of them are stuck in a cycle of burnout and invisibility.In this episode, we dig into why this...
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Episode 121
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10:30
Beyond the AI Layoff Headlines: Keep Teams Focused When Fear Takes Hold
AI is changing the game—and it’s got people on edge. From high-profile layoffs to execs declaring they won’t hire devs again, there’s a new kind of fear spreading through teams.In this episode, we talk about what leaders can actually do...
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Episode 120
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12:07
Is AI Making Your Team Anxious? What Leaders Should and Shouldn’t Do
AI is everywhere, but not everyone is excited. In this episode, we explore the growing anxiety employees feel about AI and what leaders can do when they don’t have all the answers. Susie and James unpack new survey data, generational difference...
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Episode 119
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13:15
The Time Gap Between Speaking and Being Heard in Leadership
You said it clearly, so why isn’t your team acting on it? In this episode, Susie and James dig into a subtle but critical leadership challenge: the time gap between when something is said and when it’s truly heard, understood, and internalized....
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Episode 118
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11:10
Leading from the Middle: Influence, Motivation, and Managing Up
Middle managers are often the most overlooked—and overloaded—leaders in an organization. Caught between executive pressure and team expectations, they’re expected to influence without authority, stay motivated under stress, and manage up, down,...
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Episode 117
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10:27
Can You Lead a Team Without Knowing Their Job?
Should leaders be able to do their team's work—or is that missing the point entirely? In this episode, Susie and James unpack a question that comes up more often than you'd think: what’s the role of expertise in leadership, and where does it ge...
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Episode 116
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9:17
Is Your Team Sending You Silent Signals?
Not all feedback is spoken—and often, the most important signals from your team are the ones they don’t say out loud. In this episode, Susie and James explore what it means to recognize and respond to the subtle cues that indicate misalignment,...
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Episode 115
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10:41
Reigniting Motivation in Disengaged VPs and Middle Managers
When motivation fades in the middle layers of leadership, the ripple effect can stall an entire organization. In this episode, Susie and James unpack why VPs and middle managers often feel stuck—and what leaders can do to reignite energy, owner...
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Episode 114
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11:19
Should You Roll Out the Red Carpet—Again? The Truth About Rehiring Former Executives
Bringing back a former executive can feel like a safe bet, after all, they know the business, the people, the playbook. But is it really the right move? In this episode, Susie and James explore the complicated reality of rehiring former leaders...
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Episode 113
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11:54
Do Leaders Still Need to Be Technical? with Angie Cullen
As technology evolves at lightning speed, executive leaders are facing a tough question: just how technical do you need to be? In this episode, Susie and James sit down with award-winning coach and former engineer Angie Cullen to unpack the gro...
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Episode 112
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20:15
Let AI Make You a Better Leader
Leadership is a human skill—but what if AI could help you sharpen it? In this episode, Susie and James explore how leaders can use AI not to replace their instincts, but to strengthen them. From analyzing your communication patterns to crafting...
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Episode 111
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12:25
The AI Turf War: Who Really Owns It at the Top?
As AI becomes central to business strategy, a new kind of leadership tension is emerging: everyone wants to “own” it. But should anyone? In this episode, Susie and James dig into the growing turf war at the executive level—where AI sits, who le...
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Episode 110
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12:07
Is a 3AM Wake-Up the Secret to Great Leadership?
We’ve all heard the stories: the most successful leaders wake up at 3AM, journal, cold plunge, and run six miles before sunrise. But… is that actually what makes them great? In this episode, we challenge the myth of the “perfect morning routine...
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Episode 109
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12:25
Finding the Evidence of Your Influence
How do you know if you actually have influence—or if people are just following orders? Influence isn’t just about authority or making decisions; it’s about trust, relationships, and how others engage with you. But too often, leaders assume they...
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Episode 108
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13:47
How to Get Hired When AI Does the Screening
AI is changing the hiring process, from screening resumes to influencing how interviews are conducted—but what does that really mean for job seekers? Is AI helping candidates land jobs, or is it just another system to outsmart?In this ep...
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Episode 107
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14:57
The Feedback Trap
We all know that feedback is essential for growth—but why is it so tricky to get right? Whether you're giving it or receiving it, emotions, biases, and communication breakdowns can turn a simple critique into a full-blown misunderstanding.<...
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Episode 106
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14:50
Why Great Leaders Never Stop Learning with Alex Porter
What does it take to stay at the top of your game as a leader—year after year? In this episode, we sit down with Alex Porter, CEO of Location3, a digital ad agency specializing in franchise marketing. With 25 years in the industry, Alex shares ...
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Episode 105
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20:33
Can You Cultivate Innovation in Your Team?
Innovation is something every company says they want, but what does it actually look like in practice? Leaders push for creativity and fresh thinking, but often get stuck in the same routines that make true innovation difficult. Is it about cha...
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Episode 104
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14:26