Leaning into Leadership

In this episode, Darrin sits down with Brooke Dukes to explore a challenge that many leaders face—but often don’t recognize:Becoming the bottleneck.We talk about how this happens unintentionally, why it’s so common among high-performing leaders, and how it ultimately limits both ... Show More

One of the most rewarding parts of hosting Leaning Into Leadership is hearing from listeners who are doing the work every day.In this episode, Darrin responds to a question from a first-year principal in upstate New York who asked a challenge many school leaders face:How do you s ... Show More

Leadership today often feels like navigating constant change.Volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity are realities many leaders face daily. But resilience is not about simply pushing through the chaos — it’s about learning how to lead yourself and others through it.In ... Show More

"Send me a text message and let me know what you think of the First-Time Leaders Accelerated℠ Podcast."Many things in life are cyclical. Leading people is no different. Today I will explain the People-Centered Leader Cycle.Are you prepared to lead people? Find OutIf you need a Le ... Show More

What distinguishes a leader? How do you know if you’re ready to lead? And how do you make the transition into a leadership role? In this episode, two leadership coaches, Amy Su and Muriel Wilkins of Paravis Partners, explain how to develop a leadership presence that’s both authen ... Show More

"Send me a text message and let me know what you think of the First-Time Leaders Accelerated℠ Podcast."Often leader candidates don’t receive proper people-centered leader training? You can learn to be a leader in a classroom, but you can’t become a leader in the classroom. There ... Show More

"Send me a text message and let me know what you think of the First-Time Leaders Accelerated℠ Podcast."This episode will be my final episode of 2025. I will be focusing on what I believe is the most important leader skill, Self-Leadership. Self-leadership is a fancy way of descri ... Show More

In the past, executives were usually taught to practice command-and-control leadership. Today they’re often advised to be nimbler, more adaptive, and less controlling. The truth is that most executives need to be able to move back and forth between those two leadership styles. IM ... Show More

"Send me a text message and let me know what you think of the First-Time Leaders Accelerated℠ Podcast."If the leader candidate is lacking one or more of the four prerequisites, the candidate should not be promoted to a leader role. Doing so would be a recipe for failure, not to m ... Show More

Unlock the Secrets to High-Road Leadership with John Maxwell! This week, I'm honored to sit down, AGAIN, with the legendary John Maxwell, a titan in the world of leadership and personal development. We're diving into groundbreaking insights from his latest book, "High Road Leader ... Show More

"Send me a text message and let me know what you think of the First-Time Leaders Accelerated℠ Podcast."When you transition from individual performer to first-time leader, often you inherit something you did not create. Unless you are an entrepreneur, hiring your first employees, ... Show More

This week, we're looking at leadership. What does it truly mean to be a good leader? Maybe you're actively seeking leadership roles, or perhaps it's something you’ve never considered before. Leadership, after all, isn't just about holding a title—it’s about how we influence and i ... Show More