What if the polished version of you is actually keeping you from real influence?

In this powerful episode, host Jason Stonehouse sits down with Amos Balongo, global leadership coach and communication expert who's trained everyone from senior military commanders to Fortune 500 executives. Amos challenges one of the biggest lies in leadership culture: that you need to fake confidence until you make it.

Amos breaks down why authenticity beats polish every single time, comparing "fake it till you make it" to building a house on eggshells. He reveals that the longest distance between two points is actually a shortcut, and that real communication power comes from genuinely believing in what you're saying. This isn't about sounding good, it's about being real.

This conversation digs into why so many leaders know their stuff but still struggle to communicate clearly, the difference between confidence and performance, and why people can sense when you're not genuinely passionate about what you're talking about. Jason and Amos explore practical ways to communicate with authenticity, how to connect across generational divides in team meetings, and why asking better questions beats demanding confirmation every time.

If you've ever walked into a meeting trying to sound confident but ended up winging it with PowerPoint slides and a prayer, this episode will help you find your real voice, the one people actually trust and remember.

Links:

• Amos's website: amosbalongo.com

• Jason's coaching resources: jasonstonehouse.com
• Free growth resource: totalpackageplaybook.com

Know a leader who needs to stop performing and start connecting? Share this episode with them, and subscribe to the Calm and Confident Leader podcast for conversations that cut through the noise.

What if everything you believed about your potential was based on someone else's opinion of you?

In this powerful episode, host Jason Stonehouse sits down with Hanna Bauer, executive leadership coach and author, to unpack why so many talented leaders feel stuck living lives that don't actually fit them. Hanna reveals a truth that hits hard: most of us are operating from beliefs about ourselves that were handed to us by teachers, parents, bosses, or critics—and we never questioned whether those beliefs were actually true.

Hanna shares her own story of being told she wasn't leadership material, only to discover years later that she'd internalized a lie that shaped her entire career trajectory. She introduces the concept of "reclaiming your potential"—not finding some hidden superpower, but excavating the real you from underneath all the shoulds, supposed-tos, and other people's expectations that have been piled on top.

This conversation tackles the messy work of identifying the beliefs that are quietly running your life, why high achievers are often the most disconnected from who they really are, and how to start making decisions based on what's actually true about you rather than what you've been told. Jason and Hanna dig into practical ways to recognize when you're living someone else's script, how to get honest about what you actually want (not what you think you should want), and why reclaiming your potential might mean disappointing some people.

If you've ever felt like you're working hard at the wrong things, or wondered why success doesn't feel the way you thought it would, this episode will challenge everything you think you know about yourself.

Links:

• Hanna's book: Reclaim Your Potential (available wherever books are sold)
• Hanna's website: hannabauer.com
• Jason's coaching resources: jasonstonehouse.com
• Free growth resource: totalpackageplaybook.com

This episode could be the wake-up call someone in your life needs.

SHARE it with a leader who's ready to stop living someone else's version of success, and SUBSCRIBE to the Calm and Confident Leader podcast for conversations that dig beneath the surface.

Resisting the Drift
You can be crushing it at work while quietly falling apart inside. It rarely happens all at once. It happens slowly. Subtly. A few late nights. A few missed moments at home. A quiet slide into becoming someone you never meant to be.

Host Jason Stonehouse talks with Peter Greer, president of Hope International and author of How Leaders Lose Their Way, about the early warning signs of drift and the small, intentional steps that can bring you back before it's too late.

• Are you becoming someone you never intended to be?

• How do you know if you're drifting?

• What actually helps you reconnect with who you are?

If this episode helps you, share it with a friend. And make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss a single episode of The Calm and Confident Leader.

What if your team isn’t stuck because they’re resistant to change, but because they literally can’t imagine what’s next? In this episode of The Calm and Confident Leader, host Jason Stonehouse sits down with Dr. Rebecca Sutherns, CEO of Sage Solutions, strategist, and author of Elastic: Stretch Without Snapping or Snapping Back. Together, they unpack what Dr. Sutherns calls a failure of imagination, why teams stall out when they can’t see the future they’re being asked to build.

You’ll hear how imagination isn’t just for dreamers or creatives. It’s a strategic skill that can unlock innovation, build adaptability, and help teams move through uncertainty without losing heart. Rebecca shares her “hallway” metaphor for leading through transition, practical ways to help your team stay grounded when there’s “no door in sight,” and the surprising link between imagination, adaptability, and emotional resilience.

Whether you lead a business, a church, or a team that’s tired of hearing the same conversations on repeat, this episode will help you see why imagination might just be the leadership skill you’ve been missing.

Links Mentioned:

• Free resources and the Elastic framework: RebeccaSutherns.com

  http://rebeccasutherns.com/podcast

• The Total Package Playbook (from The Calm and Confident Leader)

  TotalPackagePlaybook.com

If this conversation got you thinking, share it with someone who needs to hear it. And be sure to subscribe to The Calm and Confident Leader so you never miss an episode that helps you live and lead from the inside out.

Most leaders think their job is having all the answers. But what if the real power lies in asking the right questions?

In this episode, host Jason Stonehouse sits down with JR Briggs, founder of Kairos Partnerships and author of The Art of Asking Better Questions, to explore why the best leaders might not be the ones with all the solutions. JR has spent over a decade coaching everyone from business owners to college presidents to Black Hawk helicopter operators, and he's discovered something that could flip your entire approach to leadership.

JR reveals there are four levels of questions, and most of us are stuck at level one. He explains why humility, curiosity, and courage are essential to asking better questions, and how moving from "answer person" to "question asker" can transform your team's trust, creativity, and ownership. You'll discover why questions create connection in ways answers simply can't, and learn one practical thing you can start doing today to become a better question asker.

Jason and JR also flip the script mid-episode, with JR coaching Jason live on the podcast, demonstrating exactly how powerful questions unlock deeper insights and genuine connection.

If you've ever wondered why your team isn't being more honest with you or how you could lead with more influence, this conversation is for you.

Links:

• JR's website: jrbriggs.com
• Kairos Partnerships: kairospartnerships.org
• Jason's coaching resources: jasonstonehouse.com
• Free growth resource: totalpackageplaybook.com

Love this episode? Share it with a leader who needs to hear it, and subscribe to the Calm and Confident Leader podcast so you never miss an episode.

What if being "too compassionate" is actually the most profitable thing you could do as a leader?

Most entrepreneurs think compassion makes you weak. That caring too much about your team means lower standards, missed goals, and a business that runs you instead of the other way around. But what if that's completely backwards?

In this episode, host Jason Stonehouse sits down with Cal Riley, combat veteran, entrepreneur, leadership coach, and author of Entrepreneurial Compassion: An Entrepreneur's Journey Through Combat, Suicide, and the Discovery of Compassionate Leadership. Cal is on a mission to develop 1 million compassionate leaders by 2035 and prevent 100,000 suicides by helping leaders build healthier companies and more humane systems.

Cal challenges the biggest myths about compassionate leadership, including why tolerating poor performance isn't compassionate at all, how the most driven entrepreneurs can pair their intensity with compassion to get better results, and why your team matters more than your clients. He shares why apologizing might be the most underrated leadership skill, how systems like EOS work best when leaders do their inner work first, and practical steps any leader can take today to build more self-awareness and show up better for their team.

This conversation gets real about the mirror every entrepreneur faces and what it takes to become the kind of leader people actually want to work for.

Resources mentioned:

• CalRiley.com for a free self-assessment survey
• Entrepreneurial Compassion (all proceeds go to Stop Soldier Suicide)
• JasonStonehouse.com for free leadership resources and coaching info
• TotalPackagePlaybook.com to learn how to bring your whole self to your work

If this episode challenged how you think about leadership, subscribe to the Calm and Confident Leader podcast, share it with another entrepreneur who needs to hear this, and leave a like. Life is a process, so don't do it alone.

What if the most productive thing you could do today is slow down?

Most leaders are running on empty, convinced that busier equals better. But what if that equation is completely backwards? What if your anxiety isn't the fuel driving your success...it's actually burning you out?

In this episode, Jason Stonehouse sits down with Alan Fadling, founder of Unhurried Living and author of An Unhurried Leader and A Non-Anxious Life, to explore a counterintuitive truth: the most influential leaders aren't the ones moving fastest. Alan helps leaders around the world rest deeper, live fuller, and lead better, and he's about to challenge everything you thought you knew about productivity.

We dig into the difference between making a splash and bearing fruit that lasts, why busy people might actually be lazy, and how to lead from overflow instead of deficit. Alan shares the squirrel-on-a-bike-trail analogy that perfectly captures how anxiety hijacks our leadership, practical strategies for creating space to think and reflect, and why having time for people is your greatest point of influence.

This conversation is for every leader who's tired of the treadmill, who wants to stop managing their image and start leading from a place of peace.

Resources mentioned:

• UnhurriedLiving.com - Alan's website with weekly podcasts, articles, and resources
• JasonStonehouse.com - Free leadership resources, blog, and coaching info

If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to the Calm and Confident Leader podcast, share it with another leader who needs to hear this, and leave us a like. Leadership starts from the inside out...let's do this journey together.

Ever set a goal that had everyone fired up for three days, then by week two the energy vanished and you're awkwardly reminding people about it in meetings? Turns out the very systems designed to motivate high performers are actually killing momentum and creating what Radhika calls "performance theater."

What if everything we've been taught about goal-setting is backwards? In this eye-opening conversation, host Jason Stonehouse sits down with Radhika Dutt, author of Radical Product Thinking and upcoming book "Escaping the Performance Trap," to unpack why traditional goal-setting creates perverse incentives that crush curiosity, collaboration, and real progress.

Radhika reveals how high performers end up gaming the system, why reflection beats optimization, and introduces her OHL framework (how well is it working, what have we learned, what will we try next) that's already transforming teams in over 40 countries. This isn't just theory - she breaks down exactly what leaders can do differently in their next team meeting to move from performance theater to meaningful progress.

Links:

• Get Radhika's free OHL toolkit: radicalproduct.com
• Connect with Radhika on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Jason: jasonstonehouse.com

If this episode challenges how you think about leadership and progress, hit that share button and let others in on the conversation. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss insights that could transform how you lead from the inside out.

Ever wonder why your best employee just handed in their two weeks notice without warning, while that person who drives everyone crazy is still hanging around?

Join host Jason Stonehouse and management expert Nick Agnoli as they tackle the real-world challenge every leader faces: keeping your top 10% performing at their peak while dealing with that 80% who do just enough to get by.

This isn't your typical leadership fluff. Nick breaks down why high performers often get ignored (spoiler: they're not on autopilot), reveals the hidden danger of rewarding great work with more work, and shares practical, non-monetary ways to keep your stars engaged when raises aren't an option. Plus, discover how to handle that team member who technically does their job but makes everyone else brace for impact.

You'll walk away with specific questions to ask in one-on-ones, strategies for creating advancement without building an exclusive inner circle, and Nick's game-changing concept of "negative work" that every manager needs to understand.

Ready to transform how you manage your team?

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Stop Leading Alone: Why Shared Leadership Changes Everything

What if the problem isn’t your calendar but your operating system? In this episode of The Calm and Confident Leader Podcast, host Jason Stonehouse sits down with Dr. Eun Strawser to unpack why leadership is not meant to be a solo act and how shifting from control to collaboration can transform the way we lead.

We explore:

• Why shared leadership isn’t about delegating tasks but about redefining power

• The pitfalls of traditional “power over” and “power through” leadership models

• How creating psychological safety and process accountability builds stronger, more sustainable organizations

• What leaders can do this week to begin practicing shared leadership

• How Eun’s book You Were Never Meant to Lead Alone gives both practical tools and fresh perspective

If you’ve ever felt the weight of leadership pressing down on you, or wondered if there’s a healthier, more sustainable way to lead, this conversation will give you hope and a roadmap forward.

Learn more about Eun at ekstrawser.com

Learn more about Jason’s work at JasonStonehouse.com

If this episode encouraged you, please share it with a friend, like it, and subscribe so you never miss the next conversation on living and leading from the inside out.

Ever feel like you're managing spreadsheets instead of people?

In this episode of The Calm and Confident Leader, host Jason Stonehouse sits down with Chris Hallberg, ranked #9 on Inc. Magazine’s Top 50 Leadership & Management Experts (just ahead of Simon Sinek) and a coach who’s helped over 100 teams win “Best Places to Work” honors.

Chris brings the heat with battle-tested wisdom, zero fluff, and the kind of candor leaders actually crave. From breaking the cycle of “ghost accountability” to handling breakdowns without blame, this episode is packed with practical tools for leaders who want results without losing their people or themselves.

If you're tired of leadership theory that only works in a vacuum, this one’s for you.

Mentioned in the episode:

• bizsgt.com - Chris’s leadership coaching and consulting

• goexpand.com - Free trial of his AI-powered leadership platform

• totalpackageplaybook.com - A free tool for leading from the inside out

• jasonstonehouse.com - Coaching, resources, and connection with Jason

If this episode helped you lead a little better, share it with someone who needs it and subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next.