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OwlCast: The Leadership & Coaching Podcast

OwlCast: The Leadership & Coaching Podcast

By: David Morelli with Co-Host William Oakley
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About this listen

 OwlCast is a podcast on leadership and coaching. You can expect to get insights to help you solve the thorny problems of life and leadership – all with a dollop of laughter thrown in. Your dynamic hosts, David and William, will help you become a more kickass leader. Together, they won’t only motivate you, they’ll give you scientifically proven tools to become better – full stop!David Morelli 2020-2025 Career Success Economics Personal Development Personal Success
Episodes
  • You Are More Than What You Know

    You Are More Than What You Know
    Feb 24 2026
    Episode 85: You Are More Than What You Know

    What if the thing you think makes you valuable as a leader is actually holding you back? In this episode, David and William challenge the belief that great leaders must be the smartest person in the room—and explore what becomes possible when you let go of being the expert and step into being a coach. If you’ve ever felt pressure to know everything, this conversation might just change how you lead. The discussion goes beyond leadership tactics into identity, vertical development, and what happens when achievement, knowledge, and “having the answer” are no longer the foundation of self-worth. The result is a powerful invitation to rethink leadership—not as knowing more, but as creating space for others to bring their best thinking forward.

    Key Topics:

    1. Being “the expert” can quietly limit your leadership When leaders tie their identity to what they know, they often shut down collaboration, create fear around not knowing, and unintentionally center themselves instead of the team. Leadership effectiveness drops when knowledge becomes ego rather than a shared resource.

     2. Your job as a leader is not to have the answers Great leaders focus on asking better questions, facilitating conversations, and drawing out the knowledge already present in the room. Leadership is less about solving problems yourself and more about helping others solve them.

    3. Coaching unlocks ownership, speed, and better results The CFO story illustrates how shifting from subject‑matter expert to coach led to massive improvements—from shortening financial close cycles to exceeding sales goals—by empowering teams to think and act independently.

    4. Discomfort with “I don’t know” is an identity signal If not knowing an answer triggers fear, embarrassment, or self‑judgment, it’s often a sign that worth and identity are tied to knowledge. Recognizing this reaction is a powerful first step toward growth.

    5. Leadership development is also identity development The episode connects leadership growth to vertical development—moving from expert and achiever mindsets toward deeper self-awareness, authenticity, and purpose. Real influence comes from who you are being, not just what you know or achieve.
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    50 mins
  • Where Coaching Goes Wrong with Charlotte Jordan

    Where Coaching Goes Wrong with Charlotte Jordan
    Feb 17 2026
    What if the biggest barriers to coaching weren’t tools or talent — but clarity, trust, and courage? In this episode of Owlcast, David and William sit down with Charlotte Jordan, CEO of Coaching.com, to expose the biggest mistakes leaders and organizations make when building coaching cultures — and how to fix them fast. From misusing coaching to “fix” poor performers, to the wild‑west chaos of unstructured coaching programs, to the quiet power of manager‑as‑coach, Charlotte brings a rare 360° view of the coaching world. If you’re a leader, coach, or building a coaching culture, this conversation will change how you think about developing people.

    Key Topics:

    · Coaching fails inside organizations when there’s no clarity.
    Coaching becomes ineffective when companies aren’t explicit about what coaching is, what it is not, and what it should be used for. When organizations treat coaching as a catch‑all solution, it turns into a solution for nothing.

    · Using coaching to “fix underperformers” is a major pitfall.
    Charlotte calls out that many organizations put poor performers into coaching long after the decision has already been made to exit them. This turns coaching into a checkbox exercise rather than genuine development — and destroys trust.

    · Coaching cultures fail without aligned leadership.
    A sustainable coaching culture must include manager skill‑building, executive sponsorship, and clear modeling of coaching‑like behaviors. Visibility + credibility = sustainability.

    · Managers need coaching skills, not coach labels.
    The false divide between “manager” and “coach” keeps organizations stuck. Coaching is not a title — it’s a set of behaviors. Great leaders ask: “What are you working on, and how can I help?”

    · Decentralized, Wild‑West coaching creates chaos.
    Charlotte warns that unorganized coaching efforts across departments dilute definitions, confuse employees, and prevent impact measurement. Without structure, teams can’t tell what’s working — or if coaching works at all.

    · Measurement matters — even in early stages.
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    58 mins
  • Managing vs. Coaching: Stop managing tasks, start growing talent

    Managing vs. Coaching: Stop managing tasks, start growing talent
    Feb 10 2026
    Are you eliciting the best or the worst from your team? Most leaders fall into the trap of the "Manager Mindset"—focusing on control, task deadlines, and providing all the answers. In this episode of OWLCAST, David Morelli and William Oakley explore the profound shift from managing tasks to coaching talent. By understanding that your team's performance is a reflection of the environment you create, you can unlock productivity that is 4 to 6 times higher than traditional management results. It's time to stop "managersplaining" and start asking the questions that turn average performers into top talent.

    Key Topics:

    · Environment Elicits Self: Human beings aren't static; we show up differently depending on our environment. A leader's primary job is to set a "container" that invites a person's best self (creative, invested, kind) rather than their reactive self (defensive, disconnected, average).

    · The Control Paradox: Managing is often synonymous with control, but people crave autonomy. Ironically, the more you try to control a process, the more likely you are to stifle the very talent needed to execute it.

    · The Death of "Managersplaining": When you give an answer that an employee already knows, they tune you out. Instead of "spraying" information, use the Educator style to find the "information gap" and help them discover the answer themselves.

    · Who Owns the Problem?: In the Strategist style, the most important question is "Who is doing the problem-solving?" If the leader always provides the solution, the team takes zero risk and has zero accountability.

    · The "Move Across the Country" Test: Transformational leaders impact lives so deeply that their team members would consider uprooting their lives to continue working for them. This level of loyalty is earned through the Transformer style—coaching the person, not just the career ladder.

    · One-Question Coaching: Shifting to a coaching mindset doesn't require a total calendar overhaul. Start by asking just one good coaching question before diving into your regular meeting cadence.
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    1 hr
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