Roni Jacknow is the CEO of RJ Coaching & Consulting and recently retired after more than 17 years leading talent development at Kaiser Permanente. Her background spans leadership roles across multiple industries, including finance positions at Chevron and Charles Schwab, before transitioning fully into the talent development space. She is deeply passionate about employee and leadership development, wellbeing, and cultivating workplace cultures rooted in belonging, gratitude, and continuou...

Thanks for listening! Connect with us at mike-goldman.com/blog and on Instagram@mikegoldmancoach and on YouTube @Mikegoldmancoach

In this episode of The Better Leadership Team Show, I sit down with strategy advisor and author Alex M. H. Smith to break down what real strategy looks like—and why most leadership teams are misaligned without even realizing it. We explore why strategy is not a goal, why “better” is not a winning position, and why companies succeed when they refuse to compete and instead create truly unique value. Alex shares practical insights on how businesses of any size can discover what makes them differ...

In this episode of The Better Leadership Team Show, I talk with executive coach and keynote speaker Kathryn Landis about leading through uncertainty and overcoming decision paralysis. We explore why indecision costs organizations millions, how leaders can manage up and down effectively, and how to identify personal “tells” of stress that undermine leadership effectiveness. Kathryn also shares how shared purpose, delegation, and vulnerability can transform team performance. Thanks for liste...

In this episode of The Better Leadership Team Show, I talk with retired executive and Navy veteran Scott Millson, author of The Frequency of Excellence. We explore how leaders can “tune into excellence” by cultivating a growth mindset, fostering mentorship, and leading with reflection and humor. Scott shares his powerful B5 Framework and insights from decades of leadership experience — including why culture is the shadow of the leader, how to use feed forward instead of feedback, and why laug...

In this Mike on the Mic episode, I unpack the five biggest blind spots that cause leaders to unintentionally create the very problems they complain about. From blaming others and silencing honest feedback to confusing activity for results, I reveal how these hidden habits quietly undermine trust, accountability, and culture. You’ll learn how to recognize these patterns, model ownership, and transform your leadership approach to build a stronger, more aligned team. If you’ve ever wondered why ...

In this episode of The Better Leadership Team Show, I talk with Danielle Baldwin, author of Sparking Greatness, about how leaders can create inspired, high-performing teams. We explore the difference between motivation and inspiration, the five elements of truly inspiring stories (Courage, Hardship, Authenticity, Resilience, and Transformation), and how leaders can cultivate trust, vulnerability, and stillness to spark greatness in themselves and others. Danielle also shares actionable tools—...

In this Mike on the Mic episode, I unpack the five pillars for rooting out mediocrity and building teams that truly thrive. I explore how to create a powerful vision, set high expectations, establish relentless accountability, increase talent density, and invest in your best people. If you’re ready to break free from “good enough” and lead a high-performing, growth-driven team, this episode will give you the roadmap. Thanks for listening! Connect with us at mike-goldman.com/blog and on Inst...

In this episode of The Better Leadership Team Show, I sit down with executive coach and author Marc A. Wolfe, whose book Yeah, But: Cut Through the Noise to Live, Learn and Lead Better helps leaders and teams dismantle the excuses that hold them back. We talk about why “yeah, but” thinking kills innovation, how to transform pushback into clarity, and how the best leadership teams replace excuses with curiosity and collaboration. Marc shares stories from his eclectic journey—from photographing...

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Laura Sicola—cognitive linguist, executive coach, and author of Speaking to Influence—to explore how leaders can communicate with greater impact on stage, in the boardroom, and over Zoom. We dig into the “expert’s curse,” the importance of repeating and reinforcing vision, and how to align what you say with how you say it so your message truly connects. We also cover common vocal pitfalls like uptalk, monotone, and vocal fry, and share practical tips you c...

In this episode of The Better Leadership Team Show, I sit down with Michael D. Levitt, burnout survivor, therapist, and host of The Breakfast Leadership Show. We dive deep into what workplace culture really means, why it matters more than ever, and how leaders can balance accountability with empathy. Michael shares powerful stories, including how he reduced turnover from 90% to 6% in a healthcare organization, and explains the one question leaders should ask their teams to build trust and las...

In this episode of The Better Leadership Team Show, I sit down with Dr. Andrew Wittman, former Marine, federal agent, and author of Inner Armor: Perpetual Resilience. Andrew shares actionable strategies for building emotional strength, rewiring habits, and creating resilient leadership teams. We cover how to “Think Like C.R.A.P.” (Clarity, Relevance, Accuracy, Precision), craft a powerful identity statement, and transform obstacles into growth opportunities. Whether you’re a CEO, team leader,...

I’m diving back into the Talent Density System from my book The Strength of Talent—this time covering Steps 3–5. In this episode of The Better Leadership Team Show, I share actionable strategies to coach, develop, and retain your top talent, make tough decisions about low performers, and measure progress with tools like the Quarterly Talent Assessment Meeting and Talent Density Indicator. If you want to grow your people to grow your profit, these are the strategies that make it happen. Tha...

In this episode of The Better Leadership Team Show, I introduce the Talent Density System from my new book The Strength of Talent. This episode covers the first two steps of the system: setting clear expectations and assessing performance. I share why productivity and culture fit are both essential, how to define them with clarity, and how to use a simple assessment model to identify high-performing, medium-performing, low-producing, and low-culture-fit team members. Tune in to learn how to g...

In this Mike on the Mic episode, I dive into the real reason why so many great strategies fail. Drawing from my early years as a consultant and decades of leadership coaching, I share why the #1 driver of profit growth isn’t strategy, technology, or process—it’s people growth. I’ll walk you through the Talent Profit Cycle, explain why one superstar can outperform three mediocre performers, and highlight the many inadequacies in traditional performance management. This episode kicks off a thre...

In this episode, I sit down with Pete Steege, growth strategist, author of Radical Clarity, and founder of B2B Clarity. Pete helps accidental CEOs—technical experts turned leaders—gain radical clarity, lead with purpose, and accelerate business growth. We explore his four waves of meaning (uncover, deploy, scale, sustain), the Truth Chain framework, and how CEOs can transform their leadership teams by focusing on purpose over profit. Whether you’re a technical founder or a seasoned leader, th...

Cindra Kamphoff has spent over 20 years specializing in grit, resilience, and high performance. She is the founder of the Mentally Strong Institute, where she helps leaders and athletes achieve their goals faster, build confidence, and increase their influence. Her work includes coaching the Minnesota Vikings and the U.S. Olympic track and field team. She is also the author of Beyond Grit: 10 Powerful Practices to Gain the High Performance Edge. Thanks for listening! Connect with us at mik...

In this episode, I welcome back my friend Brad Giles, leadership coach, author, and founder of Evolution Partners, to talk about his new book Bigger Isn’t Better, Better Is Better. Brad shares why owner-led companies should focus on building better businesses instead of chasing endless growth, the power of “soul” in a leadership team, and how to avoid the doom loops that sabotage performance. We dive into the Better Team Flywheel, discipline vs. patience, and how to design a business that cre...

In this episode, I welcome my good friend and seasoned CFO, Ben Mills. Ben shares decades of wisdom as a CPA and fractional CFO, helping leadership teams use financial data to drive smart decisions and sustainable growth. We talk about when it’s time to move from tactical to strategic finance, how to measure CFO performance, and why financial clarity and competence are essential for every leadership team. Whether you're a CEO, CFO, or just curious about finance, you’ll take away actionable in...

In this episode, I sit down with Maura Nevel Thomas, a globally recognized expert in productivity and attention management. We explore why the idea of “time management” is outdated and what it truly takes to create a culture of productivity at work. Maura unpacks how leaders unintentionally promote distraction, how to replace chaos with clarity, and how to use attention—not time—as the key metric for getting important work done. We dive into actionable strategies to help your team focus, your...