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The Leader's Mindset

The Leader's Mindset

By: LeDuc Leadership & Media Group
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 The Leader’s Mindset is a leadership strategy podcast for executives, founders, and emerging leaders who want to think clearly, act decisively, and build high-performing teams. Hosted by Jason LeDuc, a former U.S. Air Force officer and leadership strategist, the show blends powerful interviews with practical Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) you can apply immediately. If you’re responsible for results and developing the leaders behind you, this show equips you to lead with clarity and confidence.LeDuc Leadership & Media Group Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Lessons to Scale Your Startup from a Multi-Exit Founder – Michael Smith on The Leader’s Mindset

    Lessons to Scale Your Startup from a Multi-Exit Founder – Michael Smith on The Leader’s Mindset
    Feb 26 2026
    What actually separates founders who build something real from those who stall out after a promising start?In this episode of The Leader’s Mindset, host Jason LeDuc sits down with Michael Smith, a multi-exit founder, former GM and Senior Vice President, and a proven builder who has taken companies from idea to scale—and all the way through acquisition by public organizations.This is not a hype-driven conversation about growth hacks or shortcuts.It’s a grounded, experience-based discussion about what it actually takes to build and scale a company without losing the fundamentals that keep it alive.Michael shares lessons from founding multiple startups, leading organizations of 140+ employees, and navigating exits—along with the leadership shifts required at every stage of growth.In this episode, you’ll learn:• Why courage—not intelligence—is the real common trait among successful founders• How design thinking and empathy create sustainable businesses (not just good products)• The critical difference between building a product vs. building a company• Why chasing valuation too early can quietly kill long-term success• What large organizations must change to innovate without breaking themselves• How leaders should think differently when scaling from startup teams to enterprise organizations• Why delivering real customer value ultimately drives revenue, growth, and acquisition interestMichael also reflects on lessons from the dot-com collapse, explains how weak fundamentals destroy otherwise great ideas, and offers practical insight for leaders operating inside both fast-moving startups and complex enterprise environments.This conversation is especially valuable for:✔ Corporate executives and senior leaders✔ Startup founders and operators✔ HR, People Ops, and talent leaders✔ Product, innovation, and strategy teams✔ Entrepreneurs preparing for scale—or an eventual exitIf you’re serious about leadership, innovation, and building organizations that last, this episode will challenge how you think about growth and success.👉 Watch the full conversation and hear what most founders don’t realize until it’s too late.💬 Comment below:What’s harder in your experience—building the product, or building the company around it?👍 If this episode helped you think differently, share it with a leader who needs to hear it.🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on leadership, strategy, and building high-impact organizations.Onward and Upward! 🚀✅ If you got value from this episode, do these 3 things:1) Like this video – It helps more people find these insights.2) Subscribe – New leadership content every week!3) Share this episode with a leader who needs to hear this!📌 Exclusive Leadership ProgramsWant to take your leadership development to the next level?📖 Take charge of your own leadership development with our online program: https://www.leducleadership.com/bethebossprogramIf you’re a Human Resources or Learning and Development professional and have a bunch of leaders you’d like to get trained, check out our corporate Leadership Academy for Tech Managers program: https://www.leducleadership.com/leadershipacademy📅 Ready to elevate your leadership skills? Book a discovery call: https://link.marketingmoneymachine.co/widget/bookings/training-discoveryLet’s create the leaders your team deserves.How to reach Michael:Website https://www.thegovtechoperator.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rastermike/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michael.j.smith/How to reach Jason LeDuc:Email: info@leducleadership.comWebsite: https://www.leducleadership.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-leduc-3469823/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leducleadership
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • How NOT to Grow Your Team as an Entrepreneur

    How NOT to Grow Your Team as an Entrepreneur
    Feb 24 2026
    Most leaders believe growing a team will finally give them breathing room.More people. Less stress. More freedom.But if you grow the wrong way, the opposite happens.Instead of freedom, you inherit chaos.Instead of leverage, you create dependency.Instead of momentum, you compound problems that get harder to fix every month.Early team growth is one of the most dangerous phases in any organization—and most entrepreneurs, executives, and managers don’t realize they’re making mistakes until the damage is already done.In this Leadership TTP video, Jason LeDuc breaks down how NOT to grow your team and why simply adding headcount without structure, leadership, and clarity is one of the fastest ways to stall your business or burn out as a leader.Drawing from decades of experience working with entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, and fast-growing organizations, he walks through four common mistakes leaders make when scaling their teams, including:• Hiring to escape work instead of defining outcomes• Growing headcount before growing leadership capability• Avoiding structure in the name of “flexibility”• Waiting too long to address performance issuesThese mistakes don’t just slow you down—they create supervision debt, decision bottlenecks, and cultural friction that quietly drain your organization.You’ll also learn what strong leaders do differently:How they create clarity instead of confusionHow they introduce just enough structure to increase speedHow they address issues early before they become cultural problemsAnd how they scale leadership, not just peopleThis episode isn’t just for entrepreneurs.If you’re a corporate executive, people manager, training leader, HR professional, or startup founder, the lessons here apply directly to how teams succeed—or fail—at scale.Growing a team isn’t about adding people.It’s about adding clarity, leadership, and accountability at the same pace as headcount.💬 Join the conversation:What’s the biggest mistake you’ve seen leaders make when growing a team—or one you had to learn the hard way? Drop it in the comments. Your experience might help another leader avoid it.If this episode was helpful, share it with another leader who’s in a growth phase right now.Subscribe for weekly leadership tactics, techniques, and procedures designed to help you lead with intention—not react under pressure.Go out there. Do great things today.Onward and Upward! 🚀Ready to Lead With Confidence? Subscribe & Stay Ahead!🎥 Watch, learn, and take action! Don’t miss more cutting-edge leadership training—hit SUBSCRIBE now!🔔 Turn on notifications so you never miss an episode packed with leadership insights!📩 Share this video with someone who needs to hear it today!📌 Exclusive Leadership ProgramsWant to take your leadership development to the next level?🔥 Be the Boss You Always Wish You Had (Self-Paced Leadership Training for Tech Managers) → Enroll Now https://www.leducleadership.com/bethebossprogram🏆 Leadership Academy (Corporate Training for Teams) → Learn More https://www.leducleadership.com/leadershipacademy📞 Book a discovery call: https://link.marketingmoneymachine.co/widget/bookings/training-discoveryAbout Jason LeDuc:Jason LeDuc is a seasoned leader and esteemed leadership consultant, drawing from his extensive experience in the U.S. Air Force and beyond. With a passion for empowering individuals to unleash their full potential, Jason is committed to fostering a new generation of visionary leaders. Connect with Jason and embark on a journey of leadership enlightenment today!How to reach Jason LeDuc:Email: info@leducleadership.comWebsite: https://www.leducleadership.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-leduc-3469823/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leducleadership
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    3 mins
  • Vegas Startup Scene February 23rd 2026 – SBIR Grants, AI Innovation & Non-Dilutive Funding

    Vegas Startup Scene February 23rd 2026 – SBIR Grants, AI Innovation & Non-Dilutive Funding
    Feb 23 2026
    If you’re a founder constantly thinking about your next funding round… you might be looking in the wrong place. This week on Vegas Startup Scene, host Jason LeDuc breaks down the biggest opportunities in the Southern Nevada tech ecosystem — and why non-dilutive capital, AI infrastructure, and founder education are becoming the smartest plays in 2026. Here’s what serious founders and tech investors need to know: 🚀 InnovateNV’s SBIR/STTR Accelerator (Starting March24)If federal funding is even remotely on your roadmap, this is a must-watch segment. Backed by UNLV’s Office of Economic Development, StartupNV, and the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, InnovateNV is helping Nevadastartups navigate the federal funding maze — not just talk about it.• 5-week SBIR/STTR proposal accelerator• NSF project pitch support• Phase 0 microgrants up to $5,000• Agency fit, budgeting, and submission strategy Deep tech founders: this is real, structuredsupport for winning government grants without giving up equity. 💰 Finance Fundamentals for Small Business (FounderEducation Matters)Before you scale, raise capital, or even apply for grants — your financial house needs to be in order. Alicia Stacey is hosting a session on entity structure, Nevada tax considerations, payroll, bookkeeping systems, and financial statement literacy.If you’re cleaning up your books before tax season or preparing for investor diligence, this matters. 🤖 Las Vegas AI Builders Meetup (Technical FoundersTake Note)Startup Vegas is teaming up with TensorWave to launch a new AI builder community — built specifically for technical founders training models, benchmarking GPUs, fine-tuning inference, and shipping AI agents into production.If you’re building in AI infrastructure, this is where you find your people. 👥 Agile Leadership & The Scrum Master RoleWe also dive into a conversation with Hoz Roushdi about what a Scrum Master actually does — and why agile leadership has been misunderstood in the corporate world.Leading without authority.Turning chaos into clarity.Holding teams accountable to the commitments they make to each other.For startup founders scaling engineering teams, this is leadership gold.💬 Question for you:If you had to choose one growth lever for 2026 — would you prioritize:1) Non-dilutive grants (SBIR/STTR)?2) Equity Investment?3) AI product development?4) Strengthening internal operations and agile leadership? Drop your answer in the comments and tell me why! And if you’re serious about building in Vegas — subscribe. We cover what’s actually happening on the ground every week. Links to every event mentioned are below.Send us your events, pitch nights, wins, and ecosystem news for next week’s rundown. Get out there. Do great things today! Onward and upward. 🚀 LINKS:StartupNVWebsite: https://startupnv.disco.co/InnovateNVlink: https://startupnv.org/innovatenv/StartupVegas Website: https://startup.vegas/gener8torWebsite: https://www.gener8tor.com/Governor’sOffice of Economic Development Website: https://goed.nv.gov/VegasCrypto Group: https://www.meetup.com/vegas-crypto-group/SAFeScrum Master Class: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/safe-scrum-master-classFusion42Website: https://fusion-42.com/Fusion42 Events: https://lu.ma/Fusion-42 Conversation with Hoz Roushdi at Tech AlleyDowntown: https://youtube.com/live/1ScNZuDGQ-4 Want to get your news or event in the rundown?Contact me here: Email: info@leducleadership.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-leduc-3469823/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leducleadershipWhy This Episode Matters
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    7 mins
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