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Tim Stating the Obvious

statingtheobvious

You got promoted. Nobody taught you how to lead.

Now you're managing people who used to be your peers. You're stuck between what your boss wants and what your team needs. Your calendar isn't yours anymore. And you're wondering if everyone can tell you're figuring it out as you go.

They probably can. That's fine. Staying stuck there is the real problem.

Tim Stating the Obvious is the leadership podcast for people stepping into their first real leadership roles. I'm Tim Staton, a retired U.S. Army leader. I've spent my career building teams, holding people accountable, and fixing organizations when things went sideways. Every week, I sit down with executives, founders, and leaders who've been where you are. We get into what actually works.

No theory you'll never use. No corporate fluff. Just the obvious stuff nobody bothered to tell you:

How to lead people older or more experienced than you
How to have the hard conversation instead of avoiding it
How to earn respect without trying to be liked
How to protect your time when everyone wants a piece of it
How to build a team that performs when you're not in the room

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S7 · E58
Yesterday · 38 min
More Administrators Won’t Save Your Business
Picture a company that cuts 100,000 jobs because it cannot keep up with its customers. Now picture a team that asks one simple question: “Does this make someone’s life better?” Two experts explain why the second question matters more than any spreadsheet. Featured Quotes: “The customer is the boss, and the firm is a dynamic system to get the customers what they want.” – Hunter Hastings “Things don’t have value. We value them.” – Mark Packard “Empathy is a skill that’s teachable. It’s a business skill.” – Hunter Hastings Behind the Story: Business schools were built on the idea that people and markets are predictable. That idea led companies to focus on efficiency, cost cutting, and control. Hunter and Mark argue that this approach misses where value really comes from: the customer’s experience. Their book, Venture Mode, offers a different path. It asks leaders to trade control for curiosity, and to see their teams as creators rather than line items. Additional Resources: Venture Mode by Hunter Hastings and Dr. Mark Packard (available on Amazon and at venturemode.biz) https://a.co/d/033DNGV3 Value Creators Substack: https://hunterhastings.substack.com/ Madden Center for Value Creation: https://business.fau.edu/centers/madden-center-for-value-creation/ Connect With Hunter Hastings Website: https://hunterhastings.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hunterhastings/ X: @hhhastings Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevaluecreators_ The Value Creators course on the web: https://courses.thevaluecreators.com/uncomfortable-truths-post-managerial-era Connect with Tim Staton Website: timstatingtheobvious.com Professional Reading List: https://timstatingtheobvious.com/products Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timstatingtheobvious YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHfDcITKUdniO8R3RP0lvdw Instagram: @TimStating TikTok: @timstatingtheobvious LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-staton-04b41a271/ SKOOL Community: https://www.skool.com/timstatingtheobvious-9537/about?ref=de9c7e65d8ba4eeabc1a8eea413c125b
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S7 · E57
Friday · 28 min
Is Your Team Really Lazy, or Is It You?
Ever feel like you’re doing all the work while your team just isn’t delivering? You’re not alone. Jon Dario, retail leadership expert and author of “AIM,” joins us to talk about why results come from boring, consistent habits, not lightning bolts. Jon shares his stories, his “Regina moment,” and tools like the Tudor meter. Grab a coffee and pick up some practical ideas you can use this week. Mindset and Ownership Effective retail leadership starts with the belief that people want to be successful. Jon Dario explains that frustrated managers often blame employees for missed results, when unclear expectations and competing priorities are usually the real cause. Leaders who assume bad intent become punitive and lose engagement. Shifting from doing the work yourself to managing the team’s output is the biggest leap a leader must make. Jon learned this as a store manager who worked 80-hour weeks and still struggled, until a district manager reminded him that he was in the execution business. From Excuses to Actions Jon’s own turning point came from a painful weekly sales reset. His team repeatedly failed to finish tasks, and he kept offering explanations. Only when he checked on progress and saw nothing done did he realize that follow-up, not anger, drives results. A supervisor named Regina completed her list early and explained that she expected him to check on her anyway. This illustrates a core idea of his AIM approach: the actions-results equation. Results equal actions plus external influences. Leaders should name the external influences clearly, then design actions that counter them. Excuses become useful when they lead to a plan rather than a complaint. Follow-Up and Developing Leaders Consistent follow-up builds accountability. Jon describes coaching an assistant manager who struggled to balance her own work with her team. He placed a half-hour schedule on the wall, showing when she should observe and coach each employee. When she drifted, he redirected her right away. After weeks of this steady pressure, she became disciplined and later rose to run Gap stores. The lesson is that a leader’s role includes building other leaders by setting structure, then reinforcing it until it becomes habit. Building a Clear Environment Retail can feel chaotic, but Jon argues that order comes from clear priorities. He uses the example of valet parking in Manhattan, where speed and safety often conflict, especially when a Broadway show ends. Without a stated order, attendants make their own choices, and speed may win over safety. His solution is a prioritized pyramid that places the most important standard at the foundation. This gives employees a reference point for quick decisions in unpredictable moments. Structuring Work in AIM Jon’s AIM framework, or action item management, organizes work into three types. Routines are repeated habits that the team must perform daily or weekly. Tasks are one-time assignments. Projects are larger efforts that involve several people and require detailed plans. Leaders manage these through three behaviors: focus, follow-up, and feedback. Focus keeps the team on the right actions. Follow-up keeps leaders present. Feedback helps people grow and corrects course. Jon emphasizes that reliable results come from consistent, ordinary work rather than sudden breakthroughs. Addressing Employee Attitude When an employee seems disengaged, managers often default to blame. Jon argues this approach puts people on the defensive and rarely solves the problem. Instead, leaders should approach attitude with understanding, since the cause may come from company decisions, customer interactions, or personal circumstances. Jon’s Tudor meter, a one-to-ten scale modeled on a speedometer, makes attitude easier to discuss. Asking, “It looks like you’re a little low right now. What happened?” turns a personal judgment into a neutral conversation that invites solutions. Like this episode? Drop a comment with your biggest team execution challenge, and subscribe so you don’t miss the next conversation! Connect With Jon Dario: LinkedIn is: linkedin.com/in/jondario/ YouTube is: https://www.youtube.com/@JonMDario Book: https://a.co/d/0hBg5enu Connect With Tim: Website: https://timstatingtheobvious.com Professional Reading List: https://timstatingtheobvious.com/products Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timstatingtheobvious YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHfDcITKUdniO8R3RP0lvdw Instagram: @TimStating TikTok: @timstatingtheobvious LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-staton-04b41a271/ SKOOL Community: https://www.skool.com/timstatingtheobvious-9537/about
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S7 · E56
October 28 · 30 min
How Leaders Build Trust When the Future Is Uncertain
What does essential leadership look like when the future is hard to predict? Tim Staton sits down with Marc Inzelstein, who describes advising executive teams on leadership, strategy, change, transformation, and culture for about 25 years. They discuss how leaders can respond to uncertainty around AI without letting fear drive every decision—and why trust depends on honest communication, follow-through, and the ability to challenge ideas respectfully. Marc explains why psychological safety is not about avoiding difficult conversations. It is about making it possible for people to share concerns and speak candidly without being punished for it. The conversation also explores how early-career professionals can build trust and find mentors, why leaders benefit from quiet reflection, and how a pause can create room to choose a response instead of reacting automatically. For managers, senior leaders, and people beginning their careers, this episode offers practical questions to consider: How do you make room for candid feedback? Are you following through on what you say? And why do you choose to lead? Marc discusses his book, Essential Leadership: Practicing Love in Turbulent Times. Find his website and book information through the verified links in the final show notes. If this conversation is useful, follow or subscribe to Tim Stating the Obvious and share the episode with someone interested in practical leadership, workplace trust, and leading through change. Connect With Marc: Website: Indiggo.ai Website: www.essential-leadership.com Book: Essential Leadership: Practicing L.O.V.E. in Turbulent Times LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcinzelstein Connect with Tim: Website: https://timstatingtheobvious.com Professional Reading List: https://timstatingtheobvious.com/products Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timstatingtheobvious YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHfDcITKUdniO8R3RP0lvdw Instagram: @TimStating TikTok: @timstatingtheobvious LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-staton-04b41a271/ SKOOL Community: https://www.skool.com/timstatingtheobvious-9537/about
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S7 · E54
October 23 · 13 min
How to Never Miss Important Deadlines Again
Have you ever reached the end of a busy day, exhausted from everything you did, only to realize you accomplished nothing that actually mattered? The problem isn't that you don't have enough time—it's that your priorities don't have a place on your calendar. In this episode, I'm breaking down a military leadership strategy called the Personal Battle Rhythm that will help you stop reacting to your day and start commanding it. Defining the Personal Battle Rhythm Tim Staton discusses the practical concept of a personal battle rhythm, which adapts military scheduling principles for individual leaders and business owners. Tim Staton notes that people often stay busy all day without accomplishing their true goals because important priorities lack dedicated calendar space. Instead of simply packing a schedule with meetings, a battle rhythm connects activities by time and purpose to review priorities, execute crucial tasks, and check results. Tim Staton introduces the podcast focus on turning leadership theories into everyday advice, while Tim Staton provides a standard employment disclaimer. Tim Staton emphasizes that this approach ensures leaders dedicate consistent attention to responsibilities that cannot depend on spare time. Developing and Testing Your Schedule Tim Staton outlines the step-by-step process for building a personal battle rhythm by starting with core responsibilities rather than random meetings. Leaders must identify what needs consistent attention across three areas: results, people, and preparation. Tim Staton suggests working backward from existing deadlines to schedule preparation time before meetings with supervisors or stakeholders. For instance, leaders should assign specific time blocks and tangible outputs, like company commanders reviewing property books on Mondays and maintenance statuses on Tuesdays. Finally, Tim Staton advises treating the initial schedule as a weekly experiment, testing the calendar, and adjusting activities that do not move progress forward. Connect With Tim: Website: https://timstatingtheobvious.com Professional Reading List: https://timstatingtheobvious.com/products Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timstatingtheobvious YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHfDcITKUdniO8R3RP0lvdw Instagram: @TimStating TikTok: @timstatingtheobvious LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-staton-04b41a271/ SKOOL Community: https://www.skool.com/timstatingtheobvious-9537/about
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S7 · E55
October 22 · 28 min
You Don't Have an AI Problem. You Have a Tech Problem.
You don't have an AI problem. You have a tech problem. Most businesses jump into AI without a plan, buy tools they don't need, and wonder why nothing changes. Former Microsoft Data and AI executive and fractional CTO Arun Pattanayak explains how to pick where AI actually pays off, when to build, buy, or kill a system, and how to future-proof your business and your career. Arun has spent more than 20 years inside complex enterprise technology, building systems for companies like EY, Merrill Lynch, and Citibank, followed by six years as a Microsoft Data and AI executive. Today he is the founder and CEO of Tipsora, where he works as a fractional CTO for founders and CEOs. He is the author of Future-Proof Your Business and the host of What Comes Next with Arun. In this episode, you'll learn: Why being "blinded by success" is the most dangerous stage of the Durable Advantage Cycle How Google diversified while search was still on top, and what that means for your business The build, buy, or kill decision every business owner has to make How to map your technology to revenue before you spend a dollar on AI The compounding effect: why saving 5 minutes 100 times beats saving 1 hour once Where AI should hand off to a human so you protect your brand reputation Why the "work until you retire" model is broken and why everyone needs a personal brand How to use AI automation to build your brand without burning out Connect with Arun Pattanayak: Tipsora (fractional CTO services and AI courses): https://tipsora.com Website: https://arunansupattanayak.com Book, Future-Proof Your Business: https://arunansupattanayak.com/bookarunansupattanayak Podcast, What Comes Next with Arun: https://arunpodcast.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arunansuspeaks/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ArunansuSpeaks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arunansuspeaks/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArunSpeaking X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/arunansuspeaks Connect With Tim: Website: https://timstatingtheobvious.com Professional Reading List: https://timstatingtheobvious.com/products Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timstatingtheobvious YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHfDcITKUdniO8R3RP0lvdw Instagram: @TimStating TikTok: @timstatingtheobvious LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-staton-04b41a271/ SKOOL Community: https://www.skool.com/timstatingtheobvious-9537/about You are entitled to great leadership everywhere you go. Tim Stating the Obvious takes leadership principles and turns them into everyday, relatable, usable advice. If this episode helped you, share it with one or two people who need it, subscribe, and leave a comment.
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S7 · E53
October 16 · 28 min
Why Old Nonprofits Go Broke
Why do nonprofits that do excellent work still run out of money? In this episode of Tim Stating the Obvious, Tim Staton talks with Jay Deppeler of Inperium about what it takes for mission-driven organizations to survive. Jay began his career as a direct care worker with youth in behavioral health and juvenile justice, earned a master's in counseling and human services from Lehigh University, and went on to lead a behavioral health company in southeastern Pennsylvania. He now helps struggling health and human service organizations find a sustainable path forward. Jay explains why many nonprofits don't think of themselves as businesses, and why that has become dangerous as funding moved from program grants to fee-for-service, managed care, and closer scrutiny. He walks through the turnaround of Resources for Human Development, a long-running organization serving 35,000 people a year that was months away from insolvency. He also describes how Inperium's affiliation model works: shared back-office services, access to lower-cost capital, and stronger benefits leverage, while each nonprofit keeps its own board, leadership, and mission. Tim and Jay also talk about the frontline workforce shortage, competing with retail and fast-food wages, and how scale can give entry-level workers a real career path. This episode is for nonprofit executives, board members, and anyone working in behavioral health, IDD, substance use, or child and family services. Learn more about Inperium: https://inperium.org Watch or listen to the full conversation, and follow the show for more conversations with leaders doing the work. Connect with Jay Deepler: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaydeppeler/ Website: https://inperium.org/ Connect With Tim: Website: https://timstatingtheobvious.com Professional Reading List: https://timstatingtheobvious.com/products Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timstatingtheobvious YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHfDcITKUdniO8R3RP0lvdw Instagram: @TimStating TikTok: @timstatingtheobvious LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-staton-04b41a271/ SKOOL Community: https://www.skool.com/timstatingtheobvious-9537/about
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S7 · E52
October 9 · 41 min
High Performing Teams Start With Clear Roles
Want to build high-performance teams and master executive leadership? Tim Staton and Guy Legare discuss clinical psychology principles, team alignment, and the US Air Force Thunderbirds framework. Discover how moving from an I-to-WE mindset yields extraordinary results in complex environments. Learn practical advice on team building, radical trust, feedback loops, and using AI to evaluate organizational performance. From Clinical Psychology to Executive Coaching Guy Legare traces an inspiring career path from clinical psychology to executive leadership development. Early experiences in community mental health taught Guy Legare that well-intentioned help often fails if it lacks direct feedback from the recipient. A pivotal moment involving a patient named James shifted Guy Legare toward a person-driven mindset. Instead of assuming what a patient required, Guy Legare learned to listen closely and empower individuals to guide their own support systems. Over decades, these foundational lessons in empathy and feedback translated directly into organizational consulting and coaching. Tim Staton highlights how these interpersonal insights apply equally well to business leaders and teams who frequently struggle with communication and psychological safety. Operational Excellence and Team Formations Guy Legare details how a documentary on the United States Air Force Thunderbirds inspired a new organizational framework for Imperium. By studying elite flight formations, Guy Legare and the leadership team adopted the concept of operating within a one-inch standard of role clarity and radical trust. Instead of focusing on good intentions, the team evaluates performance based on actual impact through structured, ranked debriefs. Tim Staton notes that applying these disciplined practices helps nonprofit affiliates shift from vague goals to concrete operational excellence. Leveraging Technology for Team Feedback Guy Legare introduces an innovative method for tracking team alignment by utilizing artificial intelligence to analyze meeting transcripts. Since remote teams lack physical telemetry data like flight formations, Guy Legare treats written communication records as performance videos. By processing transcripts through language models, the organization generates objective feedback on how teams operate during discussions. Tim Staton expresses strong interest in this practical application of technology to workplace feedback, emphasizing that simple operational adjustments can lead to significant organizational growth over time. Connect with Guy Legare: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guy-legare Connect With Tim: Website: https://timstatingtheobvious.com Professional Reading List: https://timstatingtheobvious.com/products Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timstatingtheobvious YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHfDcITKUdniO8R3RP0lvdw Instagram: @TimStating TikTok: @timstatingtheobvious LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-staton-04b41a271/ SKOOL Community: https://www.skool.com/timstatingtheobvious-9537/about
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S7 · E51
October 2 · 35 min
Your Team Is Growing. Is Your Mission Getting Lost?
Every CEO thinks they're "the one." Ryan Dewey Smith built a network of 40 nonprofit CEOs who agreed to become "one of." Published for NDEAM 2026: Celebrating Value and Talent. In this episode, Ryan Dewey Smith, Founding Executive Chairman and CEO of Inperium, joins Tim Staton for a conversation on the hardest leadership transition most senior executives never make. Ryan built Inperium into a nearly $1 billion national network of 40 affiliated nonprofits, employing 8,000 people who serve 30,000 adults every day across 20 states, many of them adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, mental health conditions, or histories of homelessness. He explains why organizations die on the vine when leaders refuse to share power, why burnout is almost always a backward-looking problem, and how the best executives he recruits are willing to trade autonomy for scale. For nonprofit and healthcare CEOs, this is the clearest breakdown you'll find of Inperium's operating model: pooled tax-exempt bond financing, centralized HR, payroll, IT, cybersecurity, and audit, and a captive health insurance plan that lets frontline caregivers actually afford healthcare. Ryan walks through the case study of Resources for Human Development, a 55-year-old Philadelphia nonprofit that was on the verge of missing payroll before Inperium cut its general and administrative costs from 25% to 9%, refinanced its debt into 30-year tax-exempt bonds, and returned it to profitability. Eighteen months later, RHD opened a new homeless shelter with the city of Philadelphia. This episode was released in October 2026 for National Disability Employment Awareness Month. The 2026 NDEAM theme is Celebrating Value and Talent. Ryan's story is a direct look at the leaders, operating models, and frontline workforce that make employment and community life possible for adults with disabilities across America. KEY LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAYS • The hardest CEO transition is moving from "the one" at the top to "one of" a peer network • Burnout comes from what you did in the last six months, not what you're about to do — leaders do better on offense than defense • Refusing to scale is a leadership failure, not a strategic choice — reimbursements never outpace costs • Standalone nonprofits under $250M in revenue can cut back-office costs by half through shared services • The affiliation model preserves local mission and executive autonomy while unlocking global infrastructure • Talent, capital, and health insurance are the three cost pressures crushing the organizations that serve adults with disabilities CHAPTERS 00:00 Cold open and hook 00:47 Show intro and Ryan's background 02:39 Why refusing to scale is a leadership failure 04:24 Why the nonprofit sector is fragmented 05:23 The hardest CEO transition: "the one" to "one of forty" 08:03 Inperium's operating model 10:07 The peer network of 40 CEOs 11:38 Cost pressures on nonprofit leaders 12:49 Case study: Resources for Human Development 14:57 The talent war nonprofits are losing 16:42 Wages and the ceiling Inperium breaks through 18:25 The captive health insurance model 20:00 Career advice for new leaders 21:45 The first question Ryan asks every prospective partner 23:33 The onboarding timeline 25:00 The line that reframes burnout GUEST Ryan Dewey Smith is the Founding Executive Chairman and CEO of Inperium, launched in 2016 from a firehouse office in Reading, Pennsylvania. He previously grew Supportive Concepts for Families from $4.5M to more than $65M in revenue serving adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Upcoming book: Sustaining the Mission. GUEST LINKS Ryan Dewey Smith: https://ryandeweysmith.com Inperium: https://inperium.org Ryan on Inperium's leadership page: https://inperium.org/leadership/ryan-dewey-smith Book Sustaining the Mission: https://ryandeweysmith.com/about Featured in Behavioral Health Business: https://bhbusiness.com/2025/08/04/voices-ryan-dewey-smith-founding-executive-chairman-ceo-inperium-inc/ CONNECT WITH TIM STATING THE OBVIOUS Website: https://timstatingtheobvious.com Professional Reading List: https://timstatingtheobvious.com/products Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timstatingtheobvious YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHfDcITKUdniO8R3RP0lvdw Instagram: @TimStating TikTok: @timstatingtheobvious LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-staton-04b41a271/ SKOOL Community: https://www.skool.com/timstatingtheobvious-9537/about If this conversation changed how you think about scale, ego, or the leaders behind our frontline workforce, hit subscribe. This channel is built for leaders and leader development, and every guest tells you something you didn't know.
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S7 · E50
September 25 · 32 min
Feeling Stuck in Your Career? Find Your Next Move
Feeling stuck in your career, even though you're doing everything right? Former Fortune 100 vice president Jennifer Doty joins Tim Staton to discuss career change, work-life balance, and building an identity beyond your job title. After losing her corporate role, Jennifer had to rethink what she wanted from work and life. She shares lessons about people-pleasing, asking for what you want, and writing down your non-negotiables before deciding on your next move. For professionals in their 20s and 30s, this conversation offers a chance to question the version of success you've inherited and get clearer about what matters to you. Jennifer is the author of Just Lead and Find the Right Now Role. The conversation also includes her personal experience building a portfolio career and working with LivePure. CONNECT WITH JENNIFER LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-sierveld-doty/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/jennifer.s.doty.58 Instagram: @jsierveld Just Lead: https://a.co/d/09lXdPmf Find the Right Now Role: https://a.co/d/04ue2vdl CONNECT WITH TIM Connect With Tim: Website: https://timstatingtheobvious.com Professional Reading List: https://timstatingtheobvious.com/products Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timstatingtheobvious YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHfDcITKUdniO8R3RP0lvdw Instagram: @TimStating TikTok: @timstatingtheobvious LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-staton-04b41a271/ SKOOL Community: https://www.skool.com/timstatingtheobvious-9537/about Subscribe to Tim Stating the Obvious for practical conversations about leadership, work, and the decisions that shape your life.
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S7 · E49
September 16 · 31 min
"They Wanted to Fire Him. His Boss Said No
None of it matters if you get the people part wrong." That's the blunt truth Scott Long has built a 26-year automotive career on — and it's the whole idea behind his book, It's All People. Scott went from a small-town Iowa service department in 1999 to overseeing 9 dealerships, then rebuilt his career again in Florida as General Manager at Honda of Port Richey. In this episode, he breaks down why relationships — not technology, process, or capital — are the only thing that actually scales a business, and tells the story of the one hire nobody else believed in that became a two-time "Salesperson of the Year." We talk about: • Why training your own replacement is how you actually get promoted • The "wingman" principle — the mindset shift that lets you grow another 20% • How Scott turned a "hospital waiting room" dealership culture into one with Aloha Fridays and college football polos • The 2020 furlough story: the employee two managers wanted gone, and why Scott called him back anyway • How to know if your leadership "talk" actually matches your "walk" • Why his 18-year-old son skipped college, became a certified Subaru technician, and makes $4,500/month CONNECT WITH SCOTT LONG 📖 Get "It's All People": https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H3G49ZZQ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-long-25a58439 CONNECT WITH TIM 🌐 Website: https://timstatingtheobvious.com 🛒 Products: https://timstatingtheobvious.com/products 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timstatingtheobvious ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHfDcITKUdniO8R3RP0lvdw 📸 Instagram: @TimStating 🎵 TikTok: @timstatingtheobvious 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-staton-04b41a271/ 🎓 SKOOL Community: https://www.skool.com/timstatingtheobvious-9537/about
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S7 · E48
September 14 · 41 min
How to Earn Your Team's Respect (Before You Say a Word)
In, How to Earn Your Team's Respect (Before You Say a Word), Tim Staton sits down with Dr. Fay Niewiadomski to talk about what it takes to be a truly human leader in a world obsessed with speed and “survival” mode. We break down why most leadership advice is outdated, how to stop playing the victim, and why your ability to listen is your greatest professional asset. Stop being a cog in a machine and start taking control of your personal odyssey. New leaders don't lose their team's respect in one big moment — they lose it in a hundred small ones. Dr. Fay Niewiadomski, a 4-decade leadership strategist and author of "Decisions That Matter," breaks down exactly what earns (and destroys) respect on a team, using two real airline-crash case studies where a leader shutting down bad news cost lives — and what that means for how you lead a team of your own. If you're new to leadership and want the tactical version of everything in this episode, timestamp 27:52 is for you. Key Takeaways: Prioritize lifelong learning to remain relevant and effective as a leader. Cultivate psychological safety to ensure teams feel comfortable reporting errors and sharing honest feedback. Develop personal accountability by stepping out of the “fear zone” and into the “growth zone.” Practice intentional listening to understand the human beings behind the labels and titles. Balance professional responsibilities with meaningful intergenerational connections to maintain perspective. Connect with Fay: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fayniewiadomski/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fayniewiadomski/ Substack: https://substack.com/@fayniewiadomski Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ICTNLLPUK YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ICTNonline Media Appearances: https://www.ictn.com/news-events/ Blog: https://www.ictn.com/blog/ Book: https://www.amazon.com/Decisions-That-Matter-Rethink-Reimagine-ebook/dp/B0FTVWSPYQ/ FREE Resource: https://ictn-freeaudit.subscribepage.io/ So they receive the Free Decision Audit Framework and watch the Micro Masterclass about Decisiveness. Discounts: I am pleased that we have a coupon code for you and your followers/listeners: TIM10 This applies to the following products: 1- The Psychology of Decision Making 2- Business EQ Profile 3- Business EQ Profile + Feedback Session. WEBINAR Date: September 17 and September 18 Workshop Investment: GBP 750 Time: 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm BST on both days Workshop Title: Cost of Poor Judgement and Bad Decisions: How to Avoid Falling Into the Trap Connect With Tim: Website: https://timstatingtheobvious.com Professional Reading List: https://timstatingtheobvious.com/products Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timstatingtheobvious YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHfDcITKUdniO8R3RP0lvdw Instagram: @TimStating TikTok: @timstatingtheobvious LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-staton-04b41a271/ SKOOL Community: https://www.skool.com/timstatingtheobvious-9537/abou
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S7 · E44
September 9 · 35 min
Leadership Playbook: Lead Like a SpaceX Pro | Essential Manager Skills
Lead Like a SpaceX Pro: The Essential Manager Playbook is a practical conversation on leadership development, technical management, and the foundational behaviors that help new and experienced managers build high-performing teams. In this episode, Tim Staton speaks with Matt Gjertsen about why effective leadership development requires more than slide decks, lectures, and conventional corporate training. Drawing lessons from military leadership, technical environments, and real-world management training, they explore the importance of hands-on learning, accountability, and clear standards—especially for professionals navigating a career transition into team leadership, engineering management, or broader organizational leadership roles. Matt introduces the minimum viable manager framework: a simple management playbook for leaders who need to master the essentials before applying more complex models. The foundation includes team building, trust building, setting expectations, workplace communication, and effective feedback. These leadership skills create the conditions for employee engagement, professional growth, talent development, and sustained high performance. The conversation also examines the role of first principles in management. Instead of relying on vague corporate language or generic professional coaching, leaders must understand the organizational constraints affecting their teams, establish useful performance metrics, conduct productive meetings, and provide practical manager support. Strong performance management is not a once-a-year event; it is an ongoing process of clear expectations, reinforcing positive behavior, and addressing problems early. Matt and Tim discuss how trust depends on competence, sound decision-making, and professional relationships. They also explain how leaders can use AI responsibly to improve clarity and prepare for difficult conversations—without replacing human judgment, connection, or accountability. If you are developing managers, leading technical teams, improving organizational culture, pursuing professional growth, or looking for career advice on becoming a more capable leader, this episode delivers actionable tools for building trust, improving feedback, and creating a workplace where people can perform at their best. Topics covered Leadership development versus traditional corporate training Technical management and engineering management lessons The minimum viable manager framework Team building, trust building, and team leadership Setting expectations and establishing clear standards Effective feedback and practical performance management Employee engagement and workplace communication First principles for leaders and managers Professional growth, talent development, and career transition Military leadership lessons for civilian organizations Productive meetings, performance metrics, and organizational constraints Professional coaching, manager support, and high-performance culture Connect with Matt Gjertsen Connect with Matt Gjertsen for practical insights on leadership development, management training, technical management, team building, and building high-performance organizational cultures. LinkedIn: Matthew Gjertsen YouTube: Built Leaders Matt Gjertsen shares actionable guidance for managers and leaders focused on trust building, setting expectations, effective feedback, professional growth, employee engagement, and stronger team leadership. Connect with Tim Staton Follow Tim Staton for leadership insights, career advice, organizational culture conversations, professional development resources, and interviews with business leaders, executives, and subject-matter experts. Website: timstatingtheobvious.com Professional Reading List: Tim Staton’s Recommended Books and Resources Facebook: Tim Stating the Obvious YouTube: Tim Stating the Obvious YouTube Channel Instagram: @TimStating TikTok: @timstatingtheobvious LinkedIn: Tim Staton SKOOL Community: Tim Stating the Obvious Community
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S7 · E46
September 7 · 29 min
Nobody Owes You Success
What does Labor Day mean beyond a long weekend? In this Labor Day episode, Tim explores the dignity of work, work ethic, personal responsibility, discipline, and why an entitled mindset can keep people from moving forward. Labor Day Message: Nobody Owes You Success Labor Day honors the contributions of American workers and the value of the work that builds families, businesses, communities, and the country. But honoring work does not mean glorifying burnout, accepting poor leadership, or tolerating toxic workplaces. It means taking pride in being dependable, prepared, capable, and willing to grow. In this solo episode of Tim Stating the Obvious, Tim discusses why nobody is owed success, a promotion, recognition, or opportunity simply because they want it. He explains how consistent effort, humility, feedback, discipline, and perseverance help people build skills, earn trust, recover from rejection, and become ready when opportunity arrives. You will learn: The true meaning of Labor Day and why it still matters Why the dignity of work is about contribution—not job titles or social-media validation How an entitlement mindset leads to blame, stagnation, and missed opportunities Why hard work does not guarantee success but creates skills, credibility, resilience, and options How to work with purpose without glorifying burnout Why persistence requires feedback, humility, and better strategy—not repeating the same mistakes A practical Labor Day challenge to take ownership of your next step Key message: Nobody owes you success—but you owe yourself the discipline to prepare, the humility to learn, and the courage to keep trying. Listen if you are focused on: work ethic, personal growth, career development, leadership, professional development, motivation, discipline, resilience, workplace mindset, business growth, and building a meaningful life. Labor Day recognizes the social and economic achievements of American workers and their contributions to the country. U.S. Department of Labor: History of Labor Day Subscribe to Tim Stating the Obvious for direct conversations about leadership, character, work ethic, personal responsibility, career growth, and building a better life through action. Reference: Link: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1589538952915692 Jasmine K Boyd: https://www.facebook.com/jasmine.boyd.52821/reels/
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S7 · E45
September 2 · 33 min
Why You Only Get Noticed When Everything Breaks
Why your best team only gets noticed when everything breaks — that's the maintenance leadership trap Frank Hess and Tim Staton dig into in this episode. Together, they break down why most organizations only pay attention to maintenance teams when something fails — and why that reactive culture is a leadership failure, not a technical one. You'll discover: Why "access to data doesn't mean you have the knowledge" Why maintenance is a long-term leadership initiative, not a two-year budget game Why value-creating teams beat cost-cutters — and how downtime and safety risk hit profit and reputation Why AI can surface insights but can't replace human judgment Frank Hess co-founded T.A. Cook, an asset performance management consultancy later acquired by Accenture, where he led intelligent asset management globally. He's now Chairman of Vysr Performance Intelligence and author of "The Decision," a novel on the origins of operations-centered maintenance, with 30+ years advising capital-intensive industries. Why Your Best Team Only Gets Noticed When Everything Breaks Frank argues most plants only notice maintenance "when something breaks, right? Then everyone is in trouble." Tim connects this to leadership: teams deserve real leadership everywhere, not just the boardroom. They cover redundancy ("if you have one of something, you have none of something") and planning for "software has always failure" — reliability is a leadership discipline before it's technical. Maintenance as Value Creation, Not a Cost Block Frank makes the financial case: "reusing it and enlarging the lifecycle time of an equipment is way more profitable... than investing every three or five years in new equipment." High-performing teams avoid the profit losses of unplanned downtime and mitigate safety risks that protect stock price and reputation — yet maintenance is too often "seen as a cost block instead of a value creator," keeping organizations stuck in reactive mode. Maintenance is invisible when it's working — it's the bedrock of operational stability, from utilities to refineries. Data Without Knowledge, and the Complexity of Decision-Making "Just because you have access to data doesn't mean you have the knowledge." Frank contrasts his early career in East Germany, where scarcity forced creative, manual repairs, with the modern approach favoring replacement over repair — introducing "black box" automation where software failures are harder to diagnose than mechanical ones. Tim and Frank flag a dangerous trend: treating maintenance as a two-year budget game leads to poor long-term asset management, and argue for empowering technicians to decide based on value, not cost-cutting. Human Judgment and Technology Frank is clear that AI and digital tools surface useful insights but can't replace human intuition and responsibility. Leaders must build environments where technology supports judgment instead of replacing it — people still evaluate recommendations and prioritize safety and long-term reliability over quick fixes. Perfect for plant managers, operations and reliability leaders, maintenance engineers, and any executive who wants to understand why equipment health is a leadership issue, not just technical. Subscribe to Tim Stating the Obvious for more interviews with executives and leaders turning hard-won experience into practical, everyday leadership lessons. Connect with Frank Hess: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frank-uwe-hess Book "The Decision" (get it on Amazon): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H2QWP25D Vysr Performance Intelligence: https://vysr.io Connect With Tim: Website: https://timstatingtheobvious.com Professional Reading List: https://timstatingtheobvious.com/products Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timstatingtheobvious YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHfDcITKUdniO8R3RP0lvdw Instagram: @TimStating TikTok: @timstatingtheobvious LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-staton-04b41a271/ SKOOL Community: https://www.skool.com/timstatingtheobvious-9537/about
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S7 · E44
August 28 · 35 min
Why Labels Are Ruining Your Company with Ryan Vet
Why Labels Are Ruining Your Company with Ryan Vet In this episode, Tim Staton sits down with Ryan Vet—generational futurist, keynote speaker, entrepreneur, and USA TODAY bestselling author—to examine why generational labels may be quietly damaging your culture, communication, and leadership effectiveness. Rather than treating Millennials, Gen Z, Gen X, or Baby Boomers as monolithic groups, Ryan Vet argues that leaders should focus on the individual human beings in front of them, the life stage they are navigating, and the conditions shaping their behavior. The conversation explores human leadership in a changing future of work—including the risks of trading meaningful connection and independent judgment for convenience, automation, and digital distraction. Tim Staton and Ryan Vet discuss the productivity paradox: technology was expected to create more freedom and leisure, yet many people now use that saved time for more work, more screens, and less genuine connection. The result can be cognitive erosion, reduced critical thinking, workplace loneliness, and a growing tendency to outsource difficult thinking to technology and AI. Ryan Vet also explains the generational pendulum: the way each generation often overcorrects for the perceived failures of the one before it. From the stability sought by the Silent Generation, to Baby Boomer individualism, to the independence associated with latchkey kids, and later helicopter parenting, these patterns influence how people approach authority, achievement, risk, communication, and belonging. For today’s generational leaders, understanding this history matters—but relying on stereotypes does not. This episode is a practical conversation for leaders managing a multigenerational workplace. It highlights why mentorship, face-to-face dialogue, and intentional no-tech moments can help organizations rebuild trust, strengthen relationships, and develop more capable teams. Instead of leading through labels, Ryan Vet calls leaders to create environments that value accountability, human connection, thoughtful disagreement, and the kind of mentorship that helps people grow across every stage of life. Whether you lead a business, manage a team, build culture, mentor emerging professionals, or simply want to understand the evolving workplace, this conversation offers a timely perspective on leadership, generations, technology, and what it means to remain human at work. Topics discussed Why generational labels can create division and reinforce bias Human leadership and the need to see people as individuals The future of work, AI, automation, and cognitive erosion Why critical thinking is becoming a leadership imperative The productivity paradox of modern technology Mentorship as a bridge between generations The generational pendulum and changing parenting styles Latchkey kids, helicopter parenting, independence, and stability How generational leaders can lead without stereotyping Reducing loneliness and rebuilding real human connection Leading effectively in a multigenerational workplace Creating intentional no-tech time for better communication and trust Connect with Ryan Vet Website: ryanvet.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ryanvet YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ryancvet Ryan Vet is a generational futurist, keynote speaker, entrepreneur, and bestselling author who helps leaders and organizations navigate generational change, leadership, and the multigenerational workplace. Connect With Tim Website: timstatingtheobvious.com Professional Reading List: https://timstatingtheobvious.com/products Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timstatingtheobvious YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHfDcITKUdniO8R3RP0lvdw Instagram: @TimStating TikTok: @timstatingtheobvious LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-staton-04b41a271/ SKOOL Community: https://www.skool.com/timstatingtheobvious-9537/about?ref=de9c7e65d8ba4eeabc1a8eea413c125b
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S7 · E43
August 26 · 37 min
From Bunker Hill To The Boardroom with Andy Moye
From Bunker Hill To The Boardroom with Andy Moye explores the kind of Leadership that still works when AI, disruption, and relentless pressure are reshaping the workplace. Host Tim Staton sits down with Andy Moye—author of From Bunker Hill to the Boardroom, former U.S. Naval Flight Officer, biotech executive, and founder/CEO in the cell and gene therapy space—to discuss Purpose Driven Leadership, Servant Leadership, adaptive intelligence, and the Business Mindset required to build organizations people trust. What is purpose driven leadership? Andy Moye explains that it is more than a mission statement or motivational slogan. Purpose Driven Leadership connects the organization’s mission to the personal motivations of its people, creating stronger commitment, better decision-making, and a more resilient Company Culture. This conversation also examines how purpose-driven leadership programs improve corporate culture by helping employees understand not only what they do, but why their contribution matters. Drawing on combat deployments, healthcare leadership, biotech, AI-driven precision medicine, and executive experience at organizations including Page and Tempus AI, Andy Moye shares practical Management Tips for leaders navigating uncertainty. He explains why vision alone is not enough, why toxic high performers may signal a deeper purpose-fit problem, and why real Business Growth depends on empowered teams rather than micromanagement. This episode answers questions leaders are asking now: What is adaptive leadership theory? What is adaptive leadership style? And how can adaptive leadership theory help executives, founders, and managers respond when the environment changes faster than the plan? Andy argues that effective leaders must fall in love with the problem—not a preferred solution—then create the conditions for teams to test, learn, adjust, and move forward. You’ll learn how to: Use Servant Leadership as a competitive advantage rather than a slogan Connect purpose-driven board leadership to day-to-day leadership decisions Apply lessons from the purpose driven leadership book, From Bunker Hill to the Boardroom Build Executive Presence without becoming distant, controlling, or performative Translate Military To Business leadership lessons into modern organizational practice Encourage fast learning through after-action reviews, postmortems, and productive failure Evaluate people by the quality of their judgment—not only by outcomes influenced by external factors Create psychological safety so bad news travels early, honestly, and with potential solutions Use AI to turn old proposals, lessons learned, and institutional knowledge into actionable insight Strengthen Professional Development, accountability, trust, and Company Culture across the organization From Revolutionary War roots and Vietnam to Iraq and the modern boardroom, From Bunker Hill To The Boardroom with Andy Moye shows that leadership fundamentals have not changed—even when the tools have. The best leaders clarify purpose, develop people, share information honestly, and give capable teams the freedom to execute. Whether you are a founder, executive, board member, frontline manager, veteran making the transition from Military To Business, or an emerging leader looking for practical Leadership and Management Tips, this episode offers a clear framework for leading with purpose, adaptability, accountability, and trust. Connect with Andy Moye LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andymoye/ Book: https://a.co/d/04SvnAXP Connect With Tim Website: timstatingtheobvious.com Professional Reading List: https://timstatingtheobvious.com/products Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timstatingtheobvious YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHfDcITKUdniO8R3RP0lvdw Instagram: @TimStating TikTok: @timstatingtheobvious LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-staton-04b41a271/ SKOOL Community: https://www.skool.com/timstatingtheobvious-9537/about?ref=de9c7e65d8ba4eeabc1a8eea413c125b
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S7 · E42
August 21 · 38 min
Stop Chasing Outcomes with Erin Treacy
Stop Chasing Outcomes with Erin Treacy. Most leaders are obsessed with outcomes, KPIs, and hitting the next target, but that focus can quietly create problems inside the team. In Stop Chasing Outcomes with Erin Treacy, Tim Staton sits down with leadership coach and small business expert Erin Treacy to explore why better results often begin with better systems, stronger communication, and a healthier team culture. Raised in a small family owned business in the Appalachian mountains of West Virginia, Erin Treacy brings a unique combination of family business experience, restaurant leadership, journalism, and professional coaching. Her experience gives her a practical perspective on how to start a small family business, how to run a small family business, and how to sell a small family business while building the leadership systems necessary for long-term business growth. In this episode of Tim Stating The Obvious, Tim Staton and Erin Treacy examine what it really takes to lead people effectively in a small business. They discuss Leadership, Management Tips, Small Business, Team Culture, Employee Engagement, Effective Communication, Professional Development, Leadership Development, Workplace Efficiency, and Business Growth without relying on empty leadership clichés. Erin explains why leaders should stop chasing outcomes and start improving the systems that produce those outcomes. Like a sports coach focusing on the next play rather than obsessing over the final score, effective leaders can improve performance by examining daily processes, communication, workflows, and employee experiences. The conversation also explores why self-assessment is one of the most overlooked leadership skills. Instead of immediately blaming employees when something goes wrong, leaders need to examine their own communication, expectations, systems, and management practices. Erin explains why “message sent” does not necessarily mean “message received” and how better communication can prevent small problems from becoming expensive failures. Another major focus is leadership by walking around. Erin explains why getting out of the office, walking the floor, talking directly with employees, and asking better questions can reveal problems that never make it through layers of middle management. For small family businesses and growing companies, this type of face-to-face connection can strengthen trust, improve employee engagement, and create a healthier team culture. Tim and Erin also discuss the challenge of developing internal talent. Many small businesses make the mistake of promoting their best employee into management without providing the training necessary to become an effective leader. Erin explains why businesses should develop a talent pipeline, cross-train employees, and provide professional development before someone is placed in a leadership position. The episode also explores the difference between managing outcomes and building systems, how to improve communication so employees understand their roles, and why middle managers can sometimes become the biggest bottleneck to workplace efficiency. For anyone interested in small family business ideas, building a successful family business, improving leadership and management, developing employees, or creating a workplace culture where people want to work, this conversation offers practical lessons that can be applied immediately. Whether you own a small business, work in management, lead a family-owned company, or are preparing for your next leadership position, Stop Chasing Outcomes with Erin Treacy will challenge you to think differently about leadership, communication, employee development, and business growth. In This Episode Why leaders should focus on systems instead of obsessing over outcomes How self-assessment can improve leadership effectiveness Why effective communication requires listening, not just talking How leadership by walking around creates stronger employee engagement Why “message sent” does not always mean “message received” How small businesses can improve workplace efficiency Why promoting your best performer into management can backfire How to build an internal talent pipeline Why cross-training employees strengthens a small business How professional development supports leadership development The role of middle management in team culture How family-owned businesses can prepare for growth and transition Practical lessons for running and growing a small family business Key Topics Leadership | Management Tips | Small Business | Team Culture | Employee Engagement | Effective Communication | Professional Development | Leadership Development | Workplace Efficiency | Business Growth | Family Business | Small Business Leadership | Talent Development | Management | Business Systems About Erin Treacy Erin Treacy is a leadership and business coach from the Appalachian region of West Virginia. After growing up in a family business and owning multiple restaurants, Erin now helps everyday leaders build confidence, improve communication, develop emotional intelligence, and create stronger teams without burning out. Connect with Erin Treacy Website: https://erintreacycoaching.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-treacy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coacherintreacy/ Connect With Tim Website: timstatingtheobvious.com Professional Reading List: https://timstatingtheobvious.com/products Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timstatingtheobvious YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHfDcITKUdniO8R3RP0lvdw Instagram: @TimStating TikTok: @timstatingtheobvious LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-staton-04b41a271/ SKOOL Community: https://www.skool.com/timstatingtheobvious-9537/about?ref=de9c7e65d8ba4eeabc1a8eea413c125b
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S7 · E41
August 12 · 39 min
Who Leads when AI Thinks with Adrian Wolfberg
Think AI is going to replace your leadership skills? Think again. Adrian Wolfberg explains why your ability to think, read, and frame problems is more vital than ever. Tim Staton breaks down the reality of leading through technological change without losing your human edge. We cover: How to talk to senior leaders about complex issues. The real impact of smartphone and AI over-dependence on your brain. Why “buying more AI” is often a trap. Practical advice for sharpening your critical thinking skills. Connect with Adrain Wolfberg Book: https://a.co/d/00frHXDO LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianwolfberg/ Connect With Tim Website: timstatingtheobvious.com Professional Reading List: https://timstatingtheobvious.com/products Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timstatingtheobvious YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHfDcITKUdniO8R3RP0lvdw Instagram: @TimStating TikTok: @timstatingtheobvious LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-staton-04b41a271/ SKOOL Community: https://www.skool.com/timstatingtheobvious-9537/about?ref=de9c7e65d8ba4eeabc1a8eea413c125b
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S7 · E40
August 7 · 30 min
Profit Seeks Purpose with Harland Merriam
Profit Seeks Purpose with Harland Merriam In this episode of the podcast, Tim Staton sits down with Harland Merriam—pastor, entrepreneur, Army chaplain, real estate investor, and author of Profit Seeks Purpose—to explore what it really means to pursue success without losing sight of purpose. Harland shares how decades in ministry, the military, and business shaped his belief that faith and work are deeply connected. The conversation unpacks what is profit seeking, the profit seeking paradox, and why many high achievers still feel empty even after hitting big financial goals. Together they dig into strategies for increasing small business revenue while asking the harder question of should companies prioritize profit or purpose? and what seeking purpose in life looks like across different stages. Harland opens up about his journey from single-family deals into multifamily investing, offering practical insights on real estate profit and loss, profit in real estate, and the profit first for real estate investors approach that keeps cash flow and purpose aligned. You’ll also hear clear guidance on how to create a mastermind group and how to create a mastermind that actually works—built on trust, confidentiality, and mutual support—so leaders stop operating in isolation. The episode touches on the 4 pillars of profit and how they support a life where commercial success becomes a form of workplace ministry rather than an end in itself. Whether you’re early in your career, scaling a business, or thinking about purpose in later life, this conversation delivers practical wisdom on mentorship, community, and aligning profit with meaning. Listen in for a thoughtful discussion that shows how Profit Seeks Purpose with Harland Merriam can help you build both stronger numbers and a life that matters. Connect with Harland Merriam Book: https://a.co/d/0c24tgIW LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harlandmerriam/ Connect With Tim Website: timstatingtheobvious.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timstatingtheobvious YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHfDcITKUdniO8R3RP0lvdw Instagram: @TimStating TikTok: @timstatingtheobvious LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-staton-04b41a271/ SKOOL Community: https://www.skool.com/timstatingtheobvious-9537/about?ref=de9c7e65d8ba4eeabc1a8eea413c125b
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S7 · E39
July 31 · 38 min
Why Best Hires Become Problems
discover the key characteristics of high performing teams and what makes high performing teams succeed. Chris Hallberg, a U.S. Army veteran and leadership development expert, explains how military leadeship, team management, and the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) drive stronger business execution. Learn practical approaches to organizational culture, hiring strategies, talent curation, personnel management, and employee retention. This episode covers performance metrics, accountability standards, middle management alignment, command and control principles, veteran hiring, leadership training, management systems, business growth, workplace efficiency, corporate leadership, professional development, organizational design, business coaching, management styles, employee engagement, leadership principles, staffing solutions, and operational excellence. In this episode: Attributes of high performing teams and how to build high performing teams How military leadership translates into civilian business success Leading by example and the impact of frontline engagement on employee engagement Aligning middle management for better communication and business execution Culture curation and hiring for core wiring Tools for measuring performance and building elite teams Technology and visualization tools that improve team performance Navigating workforce commitment challenges Rigorous recruitment, staffing solutions, and firing fast to protect team excellence Leveraging veteran skills and military discipline in civilian organizations How high performing teams build trust and a practical high performing teams model Leadership and Execution Effective leadership requires moving beyond theory to consistent operational execution. Most businesses fail in the gap between strategy and daily implementation. Leaders must stay present, model the work ethic they expect, and demonstrate willingness to handle humble tasks. This sets a tone of mutual respect that becomes one of the core characteristics of high performing teams. Bridging the Management Gap A common problem is the disconnect between senior leadership and middle management. When executives announce changes without first aligning their managers, they weaken frontline authority and damage trust. Organizations perform best when they operate as one connected unit. Fully informing and empowering middle managers before initiatives launch prevents an “us vs. them” culture and supports the accountability standards that high performing teams need. Curating Elite Teams Talent acquisition works best as a deliberate curation process rather than a standard HR function. Most adults are already formed in character, so trying to fix uncommitted employees rarely succeeds. Focus instead on identifying people whose values and natural wiring match the team. This hiring approach prioritizes mission commitment over raw talent and strengthens long-term employee retention and organizational culture. Measurable Accountability Objective performance metrics and transparent scorecards remove guesswork. When results are visible, many team members self-correct without constant intervention. This method, drawn from military precision and systems like EOS, helps leaders quickly spot people in the wrong roles. It forms a practical high performing teams model that improves workplace efficiency and operational excellence while supporting sustained business growth. Connect Chris Hallberg: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-hallberg-01516315/?skipRedirect=true Website: https://bizsgt.com/ Connect With Tim Website: timstatingtheobvious.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timstatingtheobvious YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHfDcITKUdniO8R3RP0lvdw Instagram: @TimStating TikTok: @timstatingtheobvious LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-staton-04b41a271/ SKOOL Community: https://www.skool.com/timstatingtheobvious-9537/about?ref=de9c7e65d8ba4eeabc1a8eea413c125b Substack: https://realtimstatingtheobvious.substack.com
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