Episodes

  • Execution Insights: Jim Huling on Leadership, Purpose, and Driving Results

    Execution Insights: Jim Huling on Leadership, Purpose, and Driving Results
    Jan 6 2026
    Jim Huling, best-selling co-author of The Four Disciplines of Execution, joins Owlcast to distill 25 years of execution wisdom. He reveals the biggest mistakes leaders make—from undervaluing execution's difficulty to spreading focus too thin—and shares profound insights on leadership, the inner life of an executive, and the critical need to instill a sense of meaning and purpose in team members. Drawing on his experience as a CIO, CEO, and global consultant, Huling emphasizes that true accountability is a non-punitive system of mutual reliance and support, best exemplified by the rock climbing ritual of being "on belay."

    Key Topics:

    · Execution is Harder than Strategy: Every strategy requires people to consistently apply a different action, meaning they must change their behavior. This behavioral change is the hardest part of execution and is often underestimated.

    · The Whirlwind vs. Focus: Most capacity (estimated at 80%) is already allocated to the "whirlwind"—day-to-day operations. Leaders only have a small percentage left for new initiatives. Dividing this small capacity among multiple goals makes failure nearly inevitable.

    · Identify Leverage (The "How"): Instead of increasing raw activity, focus on the "fewest actions that, if done really well, would have the biggest impact." (e.g., improving a hotel guest's arrival experience boosts all subsequent satisfaction scores).

    · No Involvement, No Commitment: Leaders must help team members understand why a goal matters. Giving people a voice in the process, even if they don't have the final vote, drives commitment over mere compliance.

    · Update the Playbook: Many senior executives fail today because they are still using leadership playbooks that are a "relic" of previous decades. Leaders must show humility and introspection to recalibrate their style for the current workforce.

    · Personal Growth is Required: "Every next level of leadership that you desire requires a next version of you." Leaders must continuously evolve their skills and approach to meet new challenges.
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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • Don’t Fix It: The Power of Letting Your People Struggle

    Don’t Fix It: The Power of Letting Your People Struggle
    Dec 23 2025
    Are you a 'fixer?' If your immediate response to a problem is to deliver a solution, you might be robbing your team of their greatest growth opportunity. On this episode of Owlcast, Dr. David Morelli and William Oakley discuss why your value isn't wrapped up in being the problem-solver. They explore the connection between struggle and growth, the hidden dopamine hit managers receive when fixing problems, and the single question that can revolutionize your team's capability. Learn the power of letting your people struggle—it leads to greater ownership, better metrics, and a lot less on your desk.

    Key Topics:

    • Your Value Isn't in Fixing: The impulse to solve a problem instantly comes from a desire to feel valuable (a personal dopamine hit) but often disengages the employee, who receives only "more work" crafted by the manager.

    • The High Cost of Fixing: Continually solving problems for your team creates learned helplessness and turns the manager into a bottleneck, forcing them to address the same issue multiple times, which is inefficient.

    • Struggle = Growth: Struggle is the professional equivalent of "time under tension" in muscle building. By letting people wrestle with problems and come up with their own solutions, you foster mindset growth, capability, and ownership.

    • Become an Enabler, Not a Fixer: Stop telling people what to do. Use coaching and the Strategist style to help employees solve problems for themselves or in partnership. Managers should ask the questions they would ask themselves (their "question hierarchy") to train their team's problem-solving ability.

    • Adjust the Tension: The appropriate amount of struggle must be adjusted for the individual. Leaders need awareness (of their own biases) and empathy (to understand the employee's current emotional/situational capacity) to prevent overstraining and ensure the struggle remains productive.

    • Recovery is Key to Growth: If you allow struggle, you must also provide a safe place for recovery. Validation, encouragement, and support act as the "recovery drink" after the "workout," helping the employee integrate the struggle into a positive, lasting growth experience.
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    53 mins
  • Own Your Brand, Own Your Career with Andy Storch

    Own Your Brand, Own Your Career with Andy Storch
    Dec 16 2025
    Are you just 'doing your job' or are you charting your own course? In today's busy world, simply working hard isn't enough—your reputation matters. Join Dr. David Morelli, William Oakley, and special guest, author and speaker Andy Storch, as they dive into his new book, Own Your Brand, Own Your Career. Learn why building an authentic personal brand is a crucial act of taking ownership of your life. Discover the three things you should always be doing to set yourself up for future success, and find out how to define your legacy starting today. This is essential listening for anyone who feels stuck, powerless, or simply wants more from their professional life.

    Key Topics:• Own Your Brand and Career: Careers often "just happen" without intention, leading to unfulfillment. Taking ownership is an active choice that provides hope and a path to a better life.

    • The Myth of "Just Work Hard": Doing great work is table stakes. You must also ensure key people know about your accomplishments, skills, and value. A manager cannot promote someone they don't know.
    • Self-Awareness is the Foundation: To build an authentic brand, start with self-reflection (on strengths, values, and energizers) and seek feedback to correct blind spots (like assuming your strengths are universal).

    • Your Brand is Your Reputation: Everyone has a brand; it's what people think of you. You must be intentional about shaping it through alignment—your inward identity must align with your outward actions and presentation.

    • The Trade-Off Mindset: There are "no right or wrong decisions, only trade-offs." This growth mindset encourages experimentation and following curiosity, as every outcome provides an opportunity to learn.

    • Focus on Legacy and Human Skills: Think about your legacy (what you want to be remembered for, like empowering others) and invest in human skills (communication, empathy, critical thinking), which will become the most valuable skills as technology advances.
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    51 mins
  • Respect in Disguise: The 7 Tools Hidden in Plain Sight

    Respect in Disguise: The 7 Tools Hidden in Plain Sight
    Dec 9 2025
    Are you using the right conversation style at the right time? What if the secret to better conversations at work, at home, and everywhere in between, was hiding in plain sight? Join David Morelli and William Oakley on Owlcast as they break down their seven RESPECT stylesof communication. They reveal how these styles—like the notes of a major scale—are already present in every interaction you have, and how learning to use them consciously can dramatically improve your relationships and results. Don't miss this deep dive into 'Respect in Disguise: The Seven Tools Hidden in Plain Sight.

    Key Topics:

    • The Seven RESPECT Styles are Universal: The Rallier, Educator, Strategist, Provocateur, Explorer, Confidant, and Transformer styles are the foundational "notes" of all human conversation and are already being used unconsciously in every interaction, whether at work, at home, or in the community.

    • Conscious Use Drives Results: Organizations that taught these styles saw dramatic improvements, such as a 180% increase in job satisfaction over two years. Applying the right style can create breakthroughs in personal relationships, like a parent connecting more deeply with their child by using the Confidant style.

    • The Danger of Misuse: Using the wrong style at the wrong time (e.g., using a high-intensity Provocateur-Rallier approach when empathy is needed) causes a visceral, negative reaction in the other person, leading to defensiveness, shutdown, and unproductive conversations.

    • Decoding Conversations: Analyzing a basic communication exchange (like a request for a leadership course) shows that even simple requests and answers implicitly contain a mix of all seven styles (e.g., "actionable feedback" combines Educator and Rallier).

    • Mastery Requires Practice: Just as a musician must practice scales, becoming a master conversationalist means learning the styles, paying close attention to when you use them, and observing the reactions you get from others to ensure you are setting the stage for the best possible response.
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    47 mins
  • You Talk Too Much: The Brevity Edge

    You Talk Too Much: The Brevity Edge
    Dec 2 2025
    Are you tired of sitting through 45-minute meetings that could have been an email? Do you struggle to get to the point when you speak? This episode of OWLCAST tackles the biggest communication problem in work and relationships: talking too much. Hosts David Morelli and William Oakley reveal the psychological core of rambling and give you actionable strategies—including the powerful P.R.E.P. method—to harness the Brevity Edge, make your points stick, and dramatically increase your influence and impact. This episode focuses on the importance of concise communication and word economy, arguing that excessive talking often stems from a misplaced focus on the speaker's needs (e.g., fear, desire to sound perfect, need to feel important) rather than the audience's needs.

    Key Topics:
    · The Core Driver of Rambling is Self-Focus: Excessive talking is often driven by a psychological need to feel important, intelligent, or secure, rather than focusing on giving the listener value.
    · Conciseness Saves Time and Increases Impact: Well-crafted questions, often taking just a few minutes, can achieve clarity and solutions that might take hours in an unstructured conversation. Asking, "What's the most important thing we could talk about today that would be incredibly valuable for you?" ensures time is spent on high-value issues.
    · The P.R.E.P. Communication Framework: For powerful, concise messaging, especially when responding to questions, use this structure:
      • Pause to think.
      • Point (Your core statement).
      • Reason (Your rationale).
      • Example (Your evidence/data).
      • Point (Your concluding statement).
    · "Bottom Line on Top": In most business contexts, start with your conclusion (the bottom line or the ask) and then use the rest of your conversation/presentation to support it. This prevents "eyes glazing over" while the audience waits for the main point.
    · Pause is Power: Fear of silence (the panic to fill gaps) leads to rambling. A brief, intentional pause is socially acceptable and allows you to gather your thoughts, leading to a much clearer message.
    · Be a Bumper Sticker: Aim to express your message with the simplicity and clarity of a bumper sticker—a short, concise message that sticks—rather than a long, rambling scroll.
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    38 mins
  • Misrespected: The Hidden Costs of Overused, Underused, and Misused RESPECT Styles

    Misrespected: The Hidden Costs of Overused, Underused, and Misused RESPECT Styles
    Nov 25 2025
    Do your attempts at communication sometimes fall flat, leaving you and others frustrated? It's likely due to the hidden costs of Misrespected communication. In this episode, hosts David Morelli and William Oakley dive into how overusing, underusing, or misusing the 7 core Respect Styles—like being an exhausting "rah-rah" Rallier or an unapproachable Confidant—creates communication problems at work and in life. Learn to recognize these pitfalls in yourself and others to transform awkward, draining interactions into positive, impactful ones.

    Key Topics:
    • The Core of Communication Problems: The primary issues in communication and relationships stem from the overuse, underuse, or misuse of our natural Respect Styles.
    • The Need for Balance and Variety: Effective communication requires using a variety of styles and being mindful that consistently defaulting to a single style (even a positive one) can lead to negative consequences like burnout (overuse) or stalled progress (underuse).
    • Perception is Reality in Communication: The success of a style depends heavily on the receiver's perception and the needs of the situation. What one person views as positive motivation (Rallier), another may view as exhausting pressure.
    • Misuse is Intentional or Accidental Damage: Misusing a style involves deploying it with an intent other than its ideal purpose (e.g., using a Reliever style to motivate through fear instead of purpose) or by letting negative emotions (like dissatisfaction or fear) bleed into the interaction.
    • The Cost of Underuse: Two of the most underutilized, yet impactful, styles are the Provocateur (challenging thinking) and Explorer (expanding thinking). A lack of these styles leads to costly, avoidable mistakes and organizational stagnation, which is why CEOs often specifically request a coach who will use the Provocateur style.
    • Transformer and Employee Retention: The lack of the Transformer style (conversations about personal growth and potential) is a major factor in employee turnover. Focusing on "who do you want to be" rather than just "where you want to be" helps people find meaning and purpose.
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    55 mins
  • The Anti-Awkward Self Promotion Episode: How to Do it with RESPECT

    The Anti-Awkward Self Promotion Episode: How to Do it with RESPECT
    Nov 18 2025
    Tired of the cringe and discomfort that comes with self-promotion, asking for a raise, or tackling your annual performance review? Hosts David Morelli and William Oakley dive deep into the often-awkward process of self-evaluation and advocacy. This isn't just about tactics; it starts with a foundational look at self-worth and the "unwinnable game" of seeking external validation. They introduce the powerful RESPECT framework (Rallier, Educator, Strategist, Provocateur, Explorer, Confidant, and Transformer) to help you build a comprehensive, authentic, and "anti-awkward" case for your performance, growth, and potential. This episode provides a profound shift in perspective, moving the focus from desperate external validation to grounded, authentic self-reflection and presentation. Learn how to present your value with integrity, poise, and genuine self-awareness.

    Key Topics:

    · Self-Worth is the Starting Point: Awkward self-promotion often stems from a fear of "not being good enough" (fragile self-worth), which leads to either overworking for approval or over-blustering. True self-promotion begins when your thoughts about yourself are independent of others' opinions.

    · External Validation is a Trap: "No amount of external validation can replace how you feel about yourself." Your performance review does not define your intrinsic worth as a person.

    · Acknowledge Your Flaws: Being honest about areas for improvement (the Provocateur aspect) shows intellectual honesty, humility, and self-awareness to leaders. This prevents others from having to bring up your shortcomings, proving you are teachable and committed to growth.

    · Use the RESPECT Framework to Build Your Case: Moving beyond just a list of accomplishments, a well-rounded self-promotion case addresses seven key dimensions:

    · Rallier: Tangible, measurable achievements and progress (e.g., sales, case closures, project delivery). · Educator: What you learned this year, especially beyond expectations (self-development, new skills).

    · Strategist: The key problems you solved and the value (e.g., cost savings) those solutions generated.

    · Provocateur: Where you applied critical thinking, caught errors, and questioned assumptions.

    · Explorer: Innovations, creativity, and new ideas brought to the team or process improvements.

    · Confidant: Your cultural contribution to the team (support, cohesion, being a team player) and taking time to appreciate your own efforts.

    · Transformer: Who you are becoming—your personal and professional growth, sense of purpose/passion, and aspirations for the future.

    · Performance Reviews are for Growth, Not Worth: Use the review as an opportunity for honest self-reflection on your growth, progress, and areas for course correction, not as a moment to justify your value as a human being.
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    55 mins
  • I Got Problems: Strategies for Complex Problem-Solving and Empowering Your Team With Leon Thomas

    I Got Problems: Strategies for Complex Problem-Solving and Empowering Your Team With Leon Thomas
    Nov 11 2025
    Are you tired of being the only problem-solver on your team? In this episode of Owlcast, Air Force veteran and leadership expert Leon Thomas joins hosts David Morelli and William Oakley to share his proven strategies for tackling complex problem-solving and empowering your team to find solutions without you. Learn the key questions to ask, how to filter out "false flag" issues, and the critical mindset shift every manager needs to finally take a worry-free vacation. The core of the discussion centers on how leaders can transition from being the sole problem-solver (a mindset driven by a burden of leadership and a desire to be needed) to a leader who develops their team's decision-making capabilities. Thomas's philosophy is that a leader's job is to "prepare every single person on my team to be in my seat."

    Key Topics:
    · Not All Problems are Actual Problems: Issues often presented as complex problems are actually "false flags," driven by a heightened emotional state, mere complaints, or comparisons (the "it would be better if..." scenario). Learning to discern an emotional issue from a legitimate problem is the first step.
    · The Power of Questions: When approached with a problem, the first step is active listening, followed by asking probing questions (e.g., "Why is this a problem?" "What have you tried?" "How often is this happening?"). This practice helps the team member discover solutions they hadn't considered and makes the problem their burden to carry.
    · The "We" is an Investment: When asking, "What do we think we can do to solve this problem?", the use of "we" is an investment in the team's ability to collaborate and solve the problem themselves, ensuring the manager is not the only problem-solver.
    · A Leader's Primary Job is Succession: The shift from solving every problem to empowering others is motivated by the realization that "My job is to prepare every single person on my team to be in my seat." This ensures the leader can step away (e.g., go on vacation) without the organization stalling.
    · Set Clear Boundaries and Decision Authority: Leaders must clearly define the parameters, objectives, and values for their team, articulating what decisions team members are empowered to make. This eliminates "frivolous" issues and accelerates problem resolution.
    · Communication Must Be Consistent: Managers often err by managing by exception or communicating boundaries only once. Establishing a culture of empowerment requires frequent, consistent communication to reinforce objectives and decision-making authority.
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    50 mins