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Leadership Explored

Leadership Explored

By: Ed Schaefer and Andy Siegmund
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 Leadership Explored is a podcast where Edward and Andy dive into what it means to lead. From practical strategies to deep insights, we explore leadership in all its forms—across industries and beyond. Join us for real conversations about how to lead with purpose.

www.leadershipexploredpod.comEd Schaefer and Andy Siegmund Career Success Economics
Episodes
  • Season 1 Retrospective

    Season 1 Retrospective
    Dec 23 2025

    Hosts: Ed Schaefer and Andy Siegmund

    Episode: Season 1 Retrospective (Season Break Special)

    Runtime: ~44 minutes

    Release Date: December 23, 2025

    Website: leadershipexploredpod.com

    Episode Description

    Season 1 is in the books—and instead of immediately charging into “what’s next,” we’re doing what effective leaders actually do: we’re pausing.

    In this special Season 1 Retrospective episode of Leadership Explored, Ed and Andy model a practical leadership habit: the retrospective. We walk through Keep / Stop / Start—what worked, what didn’t, and what we’re changing to make the podcast (and our leadership practice) more sustainable and more valuable.

    We also get candid about the realities behind the scenes: consistency, bandwidth, perfectionism, topic “lag,” marketing lift, and what it looks like to build an off-ramp before you need one. We close with appreciations—because reflection doesn’t have to be negative to be honest.

    Coming next: one more 2025 release—a Year-to-Date Leadership Reflection episode—before Season 2 begins in early 2026.

    Episode Highlights (Timestamps)

    ⏳ [00:00] – Why we’re doing a retrospective (and why leaders should)⏳ [01:53] – What a retrospective is (and how it’s useful beyond “Agile”)⏳ [03:20] – The Season 1 numbers: 13 episodes, ~500 downloads, and what that means⏳ [04:24] – Is it worth continuing? The “forcing function” that made this podcast happen⏳ [09:41] – KEEP: discipline, consistency, relevant topics, and banking episodes⏳ [15:04] – STOP: calendar drift, uneven load, over-prep/perfectionism, topic lag, too many marketing channels⏳ [26:09] – START: outline-first (“jazz chart”), shorter seasons + built-in breaks, more shared marketing, guests + listener Q&A⏳ [39:05] – Appreciations: closing a retro with trust, gratitude, and relationship-building⏳ [43:33] – What’s next: Year-to-Date Reflection, Season 2 timing, and release cadence

    Key Takeaways

    * Retrospectives are a leadership skill, not a software ritual. They build learning, trust, and forward motion.

    * Sustainability beats intensity. Consistency is easier when you build buffers and breaks before you’re underwater.

    * Perfectionism is a hidden tax. High quality matters—but not at the cost of momentum, authenticity, or burnout.

    * Reduce friction to increase output. Narrow the marketing channels, shorten the prep loop, and simplify the workflow.

    * Design the next season like a system. Shorter “runs,” intentional off-ramps, and a repeatable production cadence.

    Your Move This Week

    Run a 15-minute Keep / Stop / Start with your team—or with yourself:

    * Keep: What’s working that we should protect?

    * Stop: What’s draining energy without real return?

    * Start: What small experiment would improve next month?

    Listener Question

    What would you keep, stop, or start—either for the podcast, or in your own leadership?

    Connect With Us

    * leadershipexplored@gmail.com

    * LinkedIn: Connect with Ed and Andy (search “Leadership Explored” + our names)

    If this episode helped: Subscribe, share it with someone who leads, and leave a quick review.



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.leadershipexploredpod.com
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    45 mins
  • Season 1 Highlights

    Season 1 Highlights
    Nov 18 2025
    Hosts: Ed SchaeferEpisode: Season Break - Season 1 HighlightsRuntime: Approximately 7 minutesRelease Date: November 18, 2025Website: leadershipexploredpod.comEpisode Description:In this special season break episode of Leadership Explored, host Ed Schaefer looks back at Season 1 (Episodes 2–14) and pulls together the through-lines that kept showing up across every topic.Ed explores three core tensions that emerged again and again:* Control vs. Trust – How return-to-office mandates, remote-first organizations, and bureaucracy all reveal whether leaders are driven by control or are willing to build real trust and intentional systems.* Hero vs. System – Why the myth of the 10x contributor is incomplete without the assists and glue people who actually hold teams together—and how “It’s all the work” reframes the invisible tasks that make everything else possible.* Skills vs. Character – How ethics, hiring for character, feedback, and leadership language form the human-centric foundation that either reinforces or erodes trust over time.Ed connects Season 1’s episodes—from Return to Office, Remote First Organizations, and Bureaucracy to Certainty, 10x, Assists, It’s All the Work, Ethics, Hiring for Character, Giving & Receiving Feedback, and Leadership Language—into a single arc about what leadership really requires in modern workplaces.He also offers a brief look ahead at Season 2, including:* “Watermelon projects” and why projects always start red and must earn their way to green.* How reading is leading and why leadership is teaching.* Why so-called soft skills are actually the hard skills that move work forward.If Season 1 gave you something to think about, this episode helps you see how it all fits together—and sets the stage for where Leadership Explored is headed next.Episode Highlights⏳ [00:22] – Why this isn’t a typical recapEd explains the season break, why he and Andy are pausing before Season 2, and how Season 1 revealed deeper patterns beneath seemingly separate topics.⏳ [00:58] – Control vs. trust in Return to Office & remote workHow RTO debates often mask control issues and lack of trust—and why success in remote/hybrid work is less about location and more about intentional culture design.⏳ [01:40] – Bureaucracy: coercive control vs. enabling systemsRevisiting the “backpack full of rocks” metaphor for bad bureaucracy, and reframing good bureaucracy as an “external brain” that coordinates and clarifies instead of constraining.⏳ [02:15] – The illusion of certaintyLeaders feel pressure to perform certainty with perfect Gantt charts and green statuses—but real leadership is about clarity, honest risk communication, and navigating the unknown.⏳ [02:52] – Hero vs. system: 10x, assists, and glue peopleWhy the myth of the 10x individual falls short, how real 10x impact comes from 10x environments, and why assists and glue people are often the real difference-makers on teams.⏳ [03:41] – “It’s all the work” and invisible effortEd revisits the case for valuing documentation, planning, mentoring, and reporting as the connective tissue that makes visible work possible—instead of treating it as a distraction.⏳ [04:10] – Ethics, character, and feedback as foundations of trustFrom hiring for character and the FATHER framework (Fairness, Accountability, Trust, Honesty, Equality, Respect) to giving and receiving feedback well, Ed outlines the human-centric practices that sustain healthy cultures.⏳ [04:56] – Leadership language and corporate theaterWhy vague phrases like “finding efficiencies” erode trust, and how aligning words with actions is one of the fastest ways to build or break credibility.⏳ [05:28] – The Season 1 through-lineEd connects the dots: leadership as a journey from control to trust, from heroes to systems, grounded in intentional ethics, feedback, and language.⏳ [05:58] – Season 2 preview: watermelon projects & beyondA first look at Season 2 topics: watermelon projects, why projects always start red, reading as a leadership practice, leadership as teaching, and soft skills as core strategic skills.⏳ [06:35] – Invitation to reflect and stay connectedEd invites listeners to share what Season 1 sparked for them, catch up on missed episodes during the break, and rejoin in early 2026 when Season 2 launches.Visit leadershipxploredpod.com for show notes and additional resources.Follow Leadership Explored on your favorite podcast platform to stay updated on new releases and Season 2.💡 Have a topic you’d like us to explore in future episodes?Email us at leadershipxplored@gmail.com or connect with Ed on LinkedIn. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.leadershipexploredpod.com
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    7 mins
  • Season 1 - Season Break

    Season 1 - Season Break
    Oct 7 2025

    Hosts: Ed Schaefer

    Episode: Bonus — Season 1 Wrap & What’s Next

    Runtime: Approximately 9 minutes

    Release Date: October 7, 2025

    Website: leadershipexploredpod.com

    Episode Description:

    In this short bonus episode of Leadership Explored, Ed Schaefer shares why the podcast is taking a short, intentional break—and why that’s a leadership decision in itself.

    After 14 episodes diving into the realities of modern leadership, Ed and Andy are hitting pause to create breathing room. With travel, life changes, and the holiday season ahead, they’re stepping back to reflect, refocus, and plan Season 2 with intention.

    But the break doesn’t mean silence. You’ll still hear from us with a few special episodes, including:

    * Season 1 highlights

    * Leadership lessons and mindset shifts from the past year

    * A retrospective on what worked and what we want to do differently going forward

    Ed also previews the topics we’re planning for Season 2—from “Watermelon Projects” to the myth of the natural leader—and shares a powerful reflection for listeners on reclaiming capacity, choosing rest, and practicing leadership through intentional pauses.

    Whether you’re a long-time listener or just discovering the show, this episode invites you to reflect, reset, and get ready to lead with more purpose in 2026.

    Episode Highlights:

    ⏳ [00:12] – Why we’re taking a break: travel, timing, and practicing what we preac

    ⏳ [01:15] – What’s coming during the break: reflections, highlights, retrospectives

    ⏳ [02:17] – Season 2 preview: Watermelon Projects, Project Risk, Leadership Literacy, and more

    ⏳ [05:53] – A coaching moment: reclaiming capacity through reflection and rest

    ⏳ [07:19] – What Leadership Explored is about—and where to start if you’re new

    ⏳ [08:25] – Listener favorites to catch up on while we’re on break

    📌 Recommended Episodes to Revisit:

    * Episode 7 & 8: Giving and receiving feedback

    * Episode 9: Leading through uncertainty with confidence

    * Episode 12: Why “It’s All the Work”

    * Episode 14: Assists and glue people—how real teams win

    📣 Want to Help Shape Season 2?

    We’d love to hear from you

    📩 Email us at leadershipexplored@gmail.com

    What challenges are you facing? What topics should we unpack next?

    Thank you for exploring leadership with us. We’ll be back with new full episodes February 10, 2026. Until then, take care, take breaks, and lead with purpose.



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.leadershipexploredpod.com
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    10 mins
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