Watermelon Projects: Green on the Outside, Red on the Inside

Hosts: Ed Schaefer and Andy Siegmund

Episode: 15 (Season 2, Episode 1)

Runtime: ~54 minutes

Release Date: February 10, 2026

Website: leadershipexploredpod.com

Episode Description

A watermelon project is green on the outside and red on the inside—everything looks “fine” on dashboards, but the people doing the work know the risks are stacking up. Ed and Andy explore why this happens across organizations of all sizes, why “more reporting” often makes the problem worse, and what actually works: psychological safety, incentives aligned to transparency, and leadership behavior that makes escalation feel like support—not punishment.

They also dig into nuance: when does a risk warrant flipping to amber/red, and when does escalation become “crying wolf”? You’ll hear practical methods like pre-mortems, blameless postmortems, and “highlight + lowlight” reporting that forces reality into the open—without turning red status into a career-limiting move.

Episode Highlights (with timestamps)

⏳ [00:00] – What a “watermelon project” is—and why it’s rarely a surprise to the team doing the work.⏳ [05:04] – A key smell: the absence of yellow (green → red whiplash).⏳ [05:41] – Andy’s caveat: shifting to amber/red should mean there’s something actionable you can do.⏳ [09:26] – ROAM risks (Resolve/Own/Accept/Mitigate) and why “accepted” risks shouldn’t become performative escalations.⏳ [10:32] – Ed’s real-world example: a major data risk called out early… and ignored anyway.⏳ [15:17] – Why this is everywhere (not just big companies)—but often worse in insecure, low-trust environments.⏳ [20:18] – The psychology and incentives: optimism, fear, and “we always pull out of the nosedive.”⏳ [24:42] – The “nobody wants to tell the boss” chain (plus the Toyota andon cord as the culture counter-example).⏳ [29:28] – Why escalation becomes punishment: meetings, extra reporting, and leaders “gumming up” the work.⏳ [31:12] – The hero trap: working nights/weekends to keep it green… until burnout + surprise red.⏳ [33:19] – Reporting to the plan vs. reporting reality—and why outcome-focus beats “build the widget.”⏳ [37:01] – The bureaucracy trap: “thicker rind” doesn’t fix a red interior; culture does.⏳ [39:47] – Blameless postmortems: system failure vs. people blame.⏳ [44:46] – What leaders should do when it turns red: calm, useful, and action-oriented.⏳ [46:03] – Concrete takeaways: questions to ask, pre-mortems, and rewarding early warning signals.⏳ [47:38] – A practical reporting mechanism: require highlights + lowlights—and block “weakness as a strength” spin.⏳ [53:20] – The challenge: are your projects green because they’re truly on track—or because they have to be?

Key Takeaways for Leaders

* Green status is not proof—it’s a signal. If you’ve been burned before, don’t accept green casually—ask one smart question that reveals reality.

* Escalation must reduce pain, not add overhead. If “red” triggers 13 meetings and more forms, you’ve trained people to hide risk.

* Reframe red as a request for support (not a verdict of failure). In healthy systems, raising the flag early is a competence move.

* Stop “reporting to the plan.” Plans are hypotheses. Reality is the data. Strong leaders update plans—not narratives.

* Culture beats bureaucracy. More process often just thickens the rind while the project stays red underneath.

Welcome to Season 2 of Leadership Explored — We’re Back

Hosts: Ed Schaefer and Andy Siegmund

Episode: Season 2, Episode 0

Runtime: Approximately 29 minutes

Release Date: February 10, 2026

Website: leadershipexploredpod.com

Episode Description

Leadership Explored is back for Season 2. After a strategic (and necessary) pause, Ed and Andy return to talk candidly about why they stepped away, what they’re seeing in the workplace right now, and what this next chapter will focus on.

They unpack the current “wait-and-see” mood across corporate America—driven by volatility, AI hype vs. reality, layoffs, and eroding trust—and make the case for a different kind of leadership content: not polished “highlight reels,” but a practical sanity check for leaders navigating the messy middle.

You’ll also hear the Season 2 direction: deeper conversations about real-world leadership friction—where best practices break down, politics complicate decisions, and leaders have to adapt without losing their values.

In This Episode, Ed & Andy Discuss

* Why taking a break can be a leadership decision, not a failure

* The “messy middle”: where theory meets real life (and things get complicated fast)

* Why so many leaders and teams feel stuck in cautious paralysis

* How layoffs + “record profits” messaging erode trust

* Why vulnerability and real communication matter more than polished corporate speak

* A leadership “audit” you can run this month: stop doing what’s performative and draining

* A simple journaling technique to let your brain solve problems overnight

Episode Highlights (Timestamps)

⏳ [00:00] — Season 2 kickoff: why the pause was strategic and necessary⏳ [02:25] — Season 1 was “exploring the landscape”; Season 2 goes into the messy middle⏳ [03:35] — Plans are useless, planning is useful: where theory bends in the real world⏳ [06:43] — The current mood: cautious, volatile, wait-and-see⏳ [08:29] — Why uncertainty creates decision paralysis (and what it does to teams)⏳ [10:27] — The widening range of “acceptable” leadership behavior and styles⏳ [11:22] — Trust erosion: record profits… then layoffs… and the cultural fallout⏳ [13:26] — The podcast as a “sanity check” for leaders who feel like something’s off⏳ [17:23] — The podcast as a mirror: using episodes to audit your own leadership habits⏳ [19:29] — Season 2 preview: projects, teaching, stoicism (not “broicism”), reading, and more⏳ [21:35] — “Define your season”: push season vs. recovery season vs. survival season⏳ [24:00] — Permission to stop: run a calendar/meeting audit and reclaim energy⏳ [27:16] — Overnight journaling technique for solving problems you’re stuck on

Your Move This Week (Listener Challenge)

Look at your leadership rhythm: Are you grinding on autopilot—or is it time to declare a new season?

* What needs to change (meetings, cadence, priorities, expectations)?

* What needs to stop because it’s performative, draining, or just “we’ve always done it”?

Connect With Us

* Email: leadershipexploredmail.com

* Website: leadershipexploredpod.com

* New episodes every other Tuesday

Leadership right now has a vibe—and it’s uncertainty.

A lot of leaders are waiting for the ground to settle. But it hasn’t. Priorities keep shifting, expectations keep changing, and the friction keeps piling up.

That’s why we’re back with Season 2 of Leadership Explored.

This season, Ed Schaefer and Andy Siegmund are diving deeper into the friction that gets in the way of doing good work—bad habits, confusing communication, misalignment, and burnout. Not with perfect answers, but with better questions—and practical insights you can actually use.

🎙️ New episodes start February 10, 2026. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the Season 2 premiere.