n this episode, Allison breaks down: Why attunement—not persuasion—is the new leadership superpower How Daniel Pink’s research reshapes the way we influence and lead The story of Marcus, a brilliant leader who learned to listen before leading Three practical strategies: The Perspective Audit The Power Check The Mirror Method How to apply attunement to build trust, gain buy-in, and lead more effectively 📌 Challenge of the Week: Choose one relationship or high-stakes conversation. Practice attune...
Jun 25, 2025•8 min•Ep. 218
In this episode, Allison explores: Why luck isn’t just about chance—and why that’s good news The four types of luck identified by Dr. James H. Austin Real stories of leaders who used each type of luck to create massive results How to move from Motion Luck to Awareness Luck to Magnetic Luck A simple 3-step system to start manufacturing your own luck today The Daily Opportunity Audit and other practical tools for creating momentum 📌 Challenge of the Week: Pick one type of luck to focus on—Motion,...
Jun 18, 2025•8 min•Ep. 217
Host: Allison Dunn, Business & Executive Coach | CEO of Deliberate Directions What This Episode Covers: Why forward-thinking companies are hiring AI "employees" now What CEOs are really buying with AI (spoiler: it’s not just cost savings) The new leadership advantage: thinking leverage What AI will never replace—and how to build around that Top 3 Actions to Stay Ahead: Audit Your Workflows – Host a team session to find automation-ready tasks Double Down on Human Skills – Launch Thinking Labs...
Jun 11, 2025•6 min•Ep. 216
Title: The Culture Shift: Rebuilding Workplace Well-Being Before It’s Too Late Host: Allison Dunn, Business Coach & Founder of Deliberate Directions Topics Covered: Why Monday dread is a red flag for culture The “silent crisis” behind burnout, disengagement, and quiet quitting A coaching story of a founder on the brink—and what it reveals Gallup data and global trends showing we’re missing the mark Three actionable culture-first leadership moves: Measure what actually matters with energy aud...
Jun 04, 2025•5 min•Ep. 215
Host: Allison Dunn, Executive Business Coach Episode Title: Plug the Leaks: Why Doing More Isn’t Always the Answer In This Episode, You’ll Learn: Why “more” isn’t always better—and may be making things worse The 3 most common leaks in business productivity How to identify unspoken costs in your operations A shift in mindset from chasing “more” to building “better” Simple strategies to streamline, clarify, and reclaim momentum Culture Action of the Week: Take 20 minutes to reflect: “Where am I le...
May 28, 2025•6 min•Ep. 214
Host: Allison Dunn, Business Coach & Leadership Strategist Episode Title: Numbers Don’t Lie, But They Also Don’t Lead In This Episode, You’ll Learn: Why data is your compass—not your captain The danger of waiting for “perfect clarity” before acting How to balance instinct and insight in decision-making What it means to be data-informed vs. data-driven 3 key takeaways to lead wisely with numbers Culture Action of the Week: Ask your team: “What’s a decision we’ve delayed because we’re waiting ...
May 21, 2025•6 min•Ep. 213
This episode of the Deliberate Leaders Podcast , hosted by Allison Dunn , explores the power of vulnerability in leadership . Dunn begins by acknowledging the common misconception that vulnerability is a sign of weakness, contrasting this with her emphasis that embracing vulnerability actually strengthens leadership. The episode delves into the definition of vulnerability in leadership , clarifying that it is not about oversharing or excessive emotional displays. Instead, Dunn defines it as havi...
May 14, 2025•6 min•Ep. 212
This Deliberate Leaders podcast episode, hosted by Allison Dunn, centers around the crucial leadership skill of mastering difficult conversations . The episode begins by highlighting the common tendency for leaders to avoid these challenging discussions, such as addressing performance issues or team conflicts, and emphasizes that avoidance only exacerbates these problems. Dunn shares a personal anecdote about a client who delayed addressing an underperforming team member, resulting in a damaged ...
May 07, 2025•5 min•Ep. 211
In this episode of the Deliberate Leaders podcast, host Allison Dunn addresses the Activity Trap , a common issue even for dedicated leaders, where individuals are constantly busy but make minimal progress on what truly matters. The episode begins by describing the feeling of a day filled with work, emails, and meetings, yet ending with a sense of a lack of real accomplishment. Dunn clarifies that this isn't laziness but being caught in the Activity Trap. The Activity Trap is defined as a decept...
Apr 30, 2025•6 min•Ep. 210
This episode of the "Deliberate Leaders Podcast," hosted by Allison Dunn, delves into the critical topic of how to effectively lead and develop high-potential employees (HiPos) . The episode emphasizes that these individuals are not only top performers but also the future leaders, innovators, and a potential competitive advantage for an organization. However, it also highlights the significant flight risk associated with HiPos if they are not properly developed . A key point addressed is the dis...
Apr 23, 2025•6 min•Ep. 209
In this episode of the "Deliberate Leaders" podcast, host Allison Dunn discusses the pervasive issue of "busyness" in the business world and argues that it is often overused and doesn't necessarily equate to progress . She points out that "busy" has become a common response when asking leaders and entrepreneurs how they are doing. Dunn challenges the notion that being busy is a "badge of honor," suggesting that it can actually indicate being stuck rather than moving forward. She shares a persona...
Apr 16, 2025•5 min•Ep. 208
This episode of the Deliberate Leaders Podcast, hosted by Allison Dunn, addresses the significant challenge of dealing with toxic coworkers and their negative impact on productivity and energy levels. Dunn begins by highlighting that this is a widespread issue, noting that over half of their poll respondents had experienced it. She emphasizes that toxic colleagues are more than just annoying; they can drastically reduce team performance, citing Harvard research that suggests a decrease of up to ...
Apr 03, 2025•6 min•Ep. 207
This episode of the Deliberate Leaders Podcast, hosted by Allison Dunn, is about the essential leadership skill of letting go to facilitate both personal and professional development. The episode emphasizes that while the concept might seem straightforward, putting it into practice can be quite challenging for high-performing leaders, entrepreneurs, and executives. The discussion addresses several key aspects of letting go: Why letting go is so difficult : The episode explains that humans are na...
Mar 18, 2025•5 min•Ep. 206
Tracy Clark is an award-winning Leadership and High-Performance Coach with over 25 years in commercial business. She served as Managing Director and Board Member for the international oil and gas events business she and her brother owned, increasing profits by 450% over five years and leading to an 8-figure sale. During the interview, we discuss… why play is important for growth and scaling practical ways to integrate playfulness into decision-making how playfulness influences team dynamics how ...
Mar 05, 2025•18 min•Ep. 205
This episode of the Deliberate Leaders Podcast focuses on the critical distinction between planning and strategy , highlighting how confusing the two can negatively impact business outcomes. The host, Allison Dunn, positions that many businesses mistakenly focus on planning, which involves internal operations and resource management, rather than on developing a strategy that creates meaningful differentiation in the market. Key topics and examples discussed in the episode: Defining Strategy : A ...
Feb 25, 2025•6 min•Ep. 204
The Deliberate Leaders Podcast challenges conventional thinking and inspires action. The episode addresses The Leadership Blind Spot around the concept that knowing and not doing is equivalent to not knowing at all . Many leaders pride themselves on being informed, but the information is useless without action. The Problem: • Knowing doesn't mean anything without action. • Leaders often know what they should do but fail to act. • Example: Leaders know they need to delegate more but continue to h...
Feb 06, 2025•5 min•Ep. 203
More informtion and access to DISC assessments: https://www.deliberatedirections.com/disc-personality-profiles/
Dec 03, 2024•5 min•Ep. 202
Business Systems & Coaching: The Real Key to Business GrowthEpisode Highlights Business operating systems are powerful, but they're not the complete solution for growth The human element is the true driver of business transformation Combining systems with coaching leads to exponential results Key Insights Systems Provide Structure : Business operating systems offer: Clarity in goals and metrics Improved accountability Structured processes The Limitations of Systems : Cannot address personal ...
Nov 26, 2024•5 min•Ep. 201
"The Hard Truth About Cash Flow: Critical Tips for Business Owners" Cash flow may not be the most glamorous topic, but it’s essential for business survival. In this episode, we dive into the unfiltered truths about cash flow management—exploring why profits on paper mean nothing if you can't cover payroll or expenses. I share hard-earned insights from coaching entrepreneurs who've faced cash flow challenges and lay out practical steps to keep your business financially resilient. We’ll break down...
Nov 11, 2024•5 min•Ep. 200
Kelly writes about trauma, leadership and consciousness via “The New TLC” on Substack and Entrepreneur magazine formerly known as Forbes. During the interview, we discuss… conscious leadership how unprocessed trauma can manifest how continuous trauma in childhood can shut down hormones for empathy how hormonal imbalances create dysfunctional leadership epigenetics and understanding childhood trauma Get the book Heal to Lead at https://klcampbell.com/heal-to-lead-book or https://www.amazon.com/He...
Sep 18, 2024•33 min•Ep. 199
As a widely recognized Titan 100 CEO and Behavioral Solutions Architect, Hugh Massie helps growth-minded leaders create an Exponential Future by developing a 109 (ten to the power of 9) Quantum Leap Growth Mindset and by building a plan for over 1 billion people impact. With that framework, he addresses every opportunity and challenge through a behavioral lens. Hugh's purpose is to empower people worldwide to optimize their talents and financial behaviors which drives quantum leap capacity, redu...
Sep 11, 2024•30 min•Ep. 197
John Hope Bryant is the founder and CEO of Operation HOPE, Inc. the largest not-for-profit and best-in-class provider of financial literacy, financial inclusion and economic empowerment tools and services in the United States for youth and adults. Operation HOPE is working to level the opportunity playing field, connecting communities to the private sector, through inclusive capitalism, at scale. Bryant is also Chairman and CEO of John Hope Bryant Holdings, Bryant Group Ventures and Executive Ch...
Sep 04, 2024•40 min•Ep. 198
In this episode, we delve into the principles that set conscious businesses apart. From Patagonia's commitment to sustainability and activism to Buffer's radical transparency about its operations, we uncover how these companies are redefining success. We also look at the shift towards inclusive and empowering work cultures, the adoption of sustainable practices by giants like IKEA, and the community-focused efforts of brands like TOMS. Finally, we explore how conscious leadership fosters empathy...
Aug 28, 2024•17 min•Ep. 196
Bob King is an author, closing coach, filmmaker, and sales superstar. Bob consults with sales teams and sales professionals of all types—from retail to in-home sales to business-to-business—bringing One-Call Magic to pitches, curing slumps, boosting team performance, and turning total strangers into happy customers, often at the very first meeting. His directorial debut, Psycho Beach Party, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was still on the staff favorites shelf when the last video ren...
Aug 14, 2024•22 min•Ep. 193
Mike Lee is a globally recognized keynote speaker, #1 best-selling author and coach who shares high-performance leadership lessons from inside the hearts and minds of NBA’s elite. For 15 years he spent time with basketball’s 1% including NBA MVPs Steph Curry and Joel Embiid. Leading his basketball training business, he was blindsided by a period of personal and professional adversity while withdrawing from an anti-depressant medication, and dove deep into the practices of mindfulness and meditat...
Jul 31, 2024•15 min•Ep. 194
Caroline helps business leaders with aligning marketing initiatives effectively to achieve overarching business goals. She is a seasoned marketing and communications expert with a 13-year successful track record of blending the visionary with the integrator. After seeing first hand how the marketing industry fuels shiny object syndrome, Caroline founded Cultiveight to address challenges faced by businesses such as limited resources and market pressures. Caroline is on a mission of supporting mor...
Jul 17, 2024•16 min•Ep. 195
Nick Shaw is the founder and CEO of Renaissance Periodization, a multi-million dollar company that helps people achieve their health and fitness goals through evidence-based methods. Renaissance Periodization runs the RP Diet Coach App and RP Hypertrophy App, which offer personalized diet and training algorithms created by sports scientists, dietitians, and coaches. An IFBB pro bodybuilder, Nick bootstrapped Renaissance Periodization from the ground up, rapidly turning it into a health tech bran...
Jul 01, 2024•28 min•Ep. 191
After a decade in consulting, Max was totally burnt out. The long hours, back-to-back-to-back meetings, and high stress took a heavy toll. He started experiencing anxiety attacks and felt like a shell of his former self. To help untangle his brain, Max and his wife took a month-long surf and yoga trip to Costa Rica. It was an incredible experience, providing the space to slow down and focus on himself in a way he hadn’t in a long time. As soon as he returned, Max was inspired to create this type...
Jun 19, 2024•22 min•Ep. 192
Stefanie Krievins is a trained coach and facilitator with experience in HR consulting and business coaching. She is the host of the Hot Mess Hotline, a podcast for ambitious leaders who want to drive impactful change. She’s the creator of The Change Architecture which provides a new framework for driving transformation in the 21st century. Currently, Stefanie and her team at The Change Architects work with companies who are growing, innovating, scaling, and (digitally) transforming; but are stuc...
Jun 05, 2024•17 min•Ep. 190
Rich is the founder and CEO of the Strategic Thinking Institute where he is a strategy facilitator and coach to executive leadership teams. He is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of eight books on strategic thinking. His most recent work, STRATEGIC: The Skill to Set Direction, Create Advantage, and Achieve Executive Excellence, was selected by Inc. Magazine as a top 4 “must-read book for 2024.” Rich has appeared on ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX TV to provide expert commentary...
May 22, 2024•12 min•Ep. 189
