40% Better - Engineering Leadership

In this episode of 40 Percent Better, Bill Lennan sits down with Gavin McMahon, CEO of fassforward and author of Story Business, for a fascinating conversation about leadership, storytelling, team alignment, and the power of creating shared context. Drawing from his experience working with organizations around the world, Gavin explains why storytelling is one of the most effective tools a leader can use to inspire action, build trust, and help teams make better decisions. The discussion explores how leaders can create motivated, high-performing teams by focusing less on directing every task and more on helping people understand the bigger picture. Topics covered include: * Why storytelling is a critical leadership skill * The difference between empowerment and agency * How great leaders create alignment across teams * The Hope, Fear, and Reason framework for influencing decisions * Building intrinsically motivated teams * Product storytelling and innovation lessons from Slack * Why engineers and technical professionals benefit from storytelling skills * Leading organizational change through better communication * Creating cultures that encourage ownership and growth Gavin also shares stories from his career, insights from researching and writing Story Business, and practical advice for managers, executives, founders, and aspiring leaders looking to improve how they communicate and influence others. About Gavin McMahon Gavin McMahon is the CEO of fassforward, a consulting firm that helps organizations navigate transformation and change. He is the author of Story Business, a book that explores how storytelling can be used to drive better leadership, stronger brands, more effective products, and healthier organizational cultures. Connect with Gavin McMahon on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gmcmahon/ Subscribe to 40 Percent Better for more conversations on leadership, technology, management, and personal growth. #40PercentBetter #BillLennan #GavinMcMahon #fassforward #CEO #Leadership #Storytelling #Management #TeamLeadership #BusinessLeadership #CommunicationSkills #ProfessionalDevelopment #Podcast I hope you enjoy this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly. – Bill and the 40 % Better podcast team Connect with Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wblennan/ Visit the 40 Percent Better website here: https://40pb.com/ Listen to 40 % Better on these podcast platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/40%25-better---engineering-leadership/id1709546347 Amazon Podcasts: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/01ad162e-7a33-4df4-8c29-04c4af0405fc/40-better---engineering-leadership #40PercentBetter #BillLennan #Leadership #TeamPerformance #EmployeeEngagement #PsychologicalSafety #BusinessGrowth #Kaizen #EngineeringLeadership #Coaching The 40% Better podcast with Bill Lennan unlocks previously unheard-of performance levels in teams and leaders. Bill Lennan, founder of 40 Percent Better, interviews experts on employee engagement, psychological safety, engineering leadership, and actionable mental models. Learn how to foster high-performing teams, improve team productivity, and achieve sustainable success in business through a focus on human-centered systems. #technologyleadership #productmanagement #engineeringleadership #leadershipdevelopment #careergrowth #podcast

Welcome to 40 Percent Better with Bill Lennan featuring Joshua Gould, Group CEO @ thebigword In this episode, Bill Lennan and Joshua Gould dive into leadership, AI, business growth, technology transformation, and what it really takes to build resilient teams in a rapidly changing world. Joshua shares his journey of growing thebigword from a $6 million business into a company generating over $100 million in revenue. The conversation explores AI evolution, leadership principles, communication skills, sales mindset, startup challenges, hiring resilient people, and how technology can strengthen human potential instead of replacing it. Topics covered: • AI and leadership in modern business • Building resilient teams • Scaling from millions to $100M+ revenue • Hiring for mindset and adaptability • Communication and people skills • Sales psychology and rejection • Startup growth lessons • Human leadership in an AI-driven world 40 Percent Better Bill Lennan Joshua Gould Group CEO @ thebigword Connect with Joshua Gould on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuadgould/ #40percentbetter #BillLennan #JoshuaGould #Leadership #AI #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #Technology #Startups #Sales #Management #Podcast I hope you enjoy this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly. – Bill and the 40 % Better podcast team Connect with Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wblennan/ Visit the 40 Percent Better website here: https://40pb.com/ Listen to 40 % Better on these podcast platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/40%25-better---engineering-leadership/id1709546347 Amazon Podcasts: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/01ad162e-7a33-4df4-8c29-04c4af0405fc/40-better---engineering-leadership #40PercentBetter #BillLennan #Leadership #TeamPerformance #EmployeeEngagement #PsychologicalSafety #BusinessGrowth #Kaizen #EngineeringLeadership #Coaching The 40% Better podcast with Bill Lennan unlocks previously unheard-of performance levels in teams and leaders. Bill Lennan, founder of 40 Percent Better, interviews experts on employee engagement, psychological safety, engineering leadership, and actionable mental models. Learn how to foster high-performing teams, improve team productivity, and achieve sustainable success in business through a focus on human-centered systems. #technologyleadership #productmanagement #engineeringleadership #leadershipdevelopment #careergrowth #podcast

When Sebastien Jean was five years old, he organized all the neighborhood kids into a military parade after seeing his first air show. Kids much older than him willingly followed this little commander up and down the street for 20 minutes while parents watched from their porches. That early leadership moment would eventually lead him to become CTO of Fizon Electronics, a company that makes 20% of the planet's SSDs.Sebastien shares how his unconventional path through the Army Reserve Signal Corps taught him that to be a good leader, you first have to be a good follower. Discover why he believes the most important leadership skill is understanding that everybody has a boss, and if your ego is always involved, you'll never succeed in a larger organization.Learn why Sebastien deliberately adds extra words and pauses to his speech to avoid shutting down conversations, how he coaches his nine-year-old son that politeness requires longer explanations, and why saying "I don't know" creates psychological safety that unlocks better solutions from your team. He reveals the critical difference between over-specifying requirements and giving talented engineers ownership through clear objectives without prescribed implementation.Sebastien breaks down why the number 648.973256 and 650 convey the same thing in presentations but one creates unnecessary cognitive load, how forward framing gets people to care before you present technical details, and why you should round complex data to the nearest multiple of 50 unless you're building car motors.Discover how Sebastien helps risk-averse engineers get comfortable with uncertainty through strategic proof of concepts and staging devices, why he believes he's "at least as dumb as that other guy over there" to give himself permission to ask for help, and how creating safe spaces for incomplete answers leads to breakthrough innovations.From building enterprise SSDs to launching new product classes in 2026, Sebastien explains why the quiet people in meetings are his canary in the coal mine for team health, how he balances aggressive risk-taking with calculated experiments, and why great leaders focus on enabling their teams rather than micromanaging implementation details.Whether you're leading hardware teams, managing firmware development, or trying to build a culture where smart people feel comfortable being wrong, this conversation offers battle-tested frameworks from someone who's led technical teams for decades across continents.Connect with Sebastien Jean:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjean233/Company: Fizon Electronics (Enterprise brand: Piscari)Subscribe for more conversations with technology leaders who understand that your job as a leader is to make your boss's life easier while simultaneously enabling your team to do their best work. Share this with leaders who need permission to say "I don't know" more often.I hope you enjoy this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly. – Bill and the 40 % Better podcast teamConnect with Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wblennan/ Visit the 40 Percent Better website here: https://40pb.com/Listen to 40 % Better on these podcast platforms:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/40%25-better---engineering-leadership/id1709546347 Amazon Podcasts: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/01ad162e-7a33-4df4-8c29-04c4af0405fc/40-better---engineering-leadership#40PercentBetter #BillLennan #Leadership #TeamPerformance #EmployeeEngagement #PsychologicalSafety #BusinessGrowth #Kaizen #EngineeringLeadership #Coaching The 40% Better podcast with Bill Lennan unlocks previously unheard-of performance levels in teams and leaders. Bill Lennan, founder of 40 Percent Better, interviews experts on employee engagement, psychological safety, engineering leadership, and actionable mental models. Learn how to foster high-performing teams, improve team productivity, and achieve sustainable success in business through a focus on human-centered systems. #technologyleadership #productmanagement #engineeringleadership #leadershipdevelopment #careergrowth #podcast

When Prashanth Tondapu started his company at 27, he had no formal leadership training. What he discovered through building an 85-person engineering team would completely transform his approach to leadership, starting with a personal crisis that became his greatest teacher.In this deeply personal conversation, Prashanth shares how his wife's cancer diagnosis three years ago shattered his illusion of control and led him to discover Advaita philosophy and the power of emotional regulation. Learn why he believes being a witness to your emotions rather than being consumed by them is the first critical skill every leader must develop.Discover the Atakme framework his leadership team uses to make better decisions by mentally projecting problems onto an imaginary company, allowing them to separate ego from problem-solving. Prashanth explains why he tells his team leads that for their reports, they ARE the company, not some abstract entity, and how this shift creates genuine advocacy rather than blind compliance.Prashanth discusses the journey from outcome-driven to process-first to people-first leadership, and why his company is using 2026 to focus on building people, not just the business. He shares practical insights on implementing rewards and recognition frameworks that identify future leaders, and why intent matters more than outcomes when someone makes a mistake.Learn why Prashanth compares humans to large language models, constantly updating our models based on new information, and why he believes we're far more predictable than we think. He reveals how reality is just the product of billions of years of evolution, but our feelings about reality are optional, and why this perspective eliminates so much unnecessary suffering.Whether you're struggling with the weight of leadership decisions, building your first management team, or trying to create genuine psychological safety, this conversation offers both philosophical wisdom and practical frameworks you can implement immediately.Connect with Prashanth Tondapu:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prashanth-tondapu/Company: InnoStacksSubscribe to hear more conversations about the intersection of leadership, technology, and personal growth. Share this episode with leaders who understand that the inner work of leadership matters just as much as the external results.I hope you enjoy this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly. – Bill and the 40 % Better podcast teamConnect with Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wblennan/ Visit the 40 Percent Better website here: https://40pb.com/Listen to 40 % Better on these podcast platforms:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/40%25-better---engineering-leadership/id1709546347 Amazon Podcasts: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/01ad162e-7a33-4df4-8c29-04c4af0405fc/40-better---engineering-leadership#40PercentBetter #BillLennan #Leadership #TeamPerformance #EmployeeEngagement #PsychologicalSafety #BusinessGrowth #Kaizen #EngineeringLeadership #Coaching The 40% Better podcast with Bill Lennan unlocks previously unheard-of performance levels in teams and leaders. Bill Lennan, founder of 40 Percent Better, interviews experts on employee engagement, psychological safety, engineering leadership, and actionable mental models. Learn how to foster high-performing teams, improve team productivity, and achieve sustainable success in business through a focus on human-centered systems. #technologyleadership #productmanagement #engineeringleadership #leadershipdevelopment #careergrowth #podcast

In this episode of the 40% Better podcast, host Bill Lennan is joined by technology leader Durgesh Sukhtankar for a deep conversation on leadership, curiosity, and building high performing product teams.Durgesh shares his leadership origin story, from engineering roles at GE Healthcare to helping teams transition from project based delivery to true product ownership. Together, Bill and Durgesh unpack why leadership starts long before a management title, how curiosity drives better decision making, and why empowered teams consistently outperform deadline driven ones.The conversation explores practical leadership lessons including building product oriented teams, creating psychological safety through calculated risk taking, developing future leaders inside technical teams, and why talking to users matters more than perfect requirements.Durgesh also shares his approach to mentorship, acting as a “heat shield” for developing leaders, and helping engineers grow by understanding the business and customer pain points behind the code. If you are a technology leader, engineering manager, founder, or executive looking to build stronger teams, better products, and a more resilient leadership culture, this episode offers thoughtful insights you can apply immediately.I hope you enjoy this episode!Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly. – Bill and the 40 % Better podcast teamConnect with Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wblennan/Visit the 40 Percent Better website here: https://40pb.com/Listen to 40 % Better on these podcast platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/40%25-better---engineering-leadership/id1709546347 Amazon Podcasts: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/01ad162e-7a33-4df4-8c29-04c4af0405fc/40-better---engineering-leadership #40PercentBetter #BillLennan #Leadership #TeamPerformance #EmployeeEngagement #PsychologicalSafety #BusinessGrowth #Kaizen #EngineeringLeadership #CoachingThe 40% Better podcast with Bill Lennan unlocks previously unheard-of performance levels in teams and leaders. Bill Lennan, founder of 40 Percent Better, interviews experts on employee engagement, psychological safety, engineering leadership, and actionable mental models. Learn how to foster high-performing teams, improve team productivity, and achieve sustainable success in business through a focus on human-centered systems. #technologyleadership #productmanagement #engineeringleadership #leadershipdevelopment #careergrowth #podcast

In this episode of the 40% Better Podcast, host Bill Lennan sits down with Rob Johnson to explore what leadership really means in technology—and why leading people is fundamentally different from managing projects. Rob shares his unconventional journey from a shy, risk-averse engineer to a confident technology leader and entrepreneur.Drawing from experiences in engineering, product management, startups, and executive leadership, Rob explains why soft power, servant leadership, and self-awareness matter more than titles, authority, or being “the smartest person in the room.” This wide-ranging conversation covers risk tolerance, entrepreneurship, military-influenced leadership lessons, listening over talking, and the mindset shift required to succeed at higher levels of leadership.Rob also discusses why control is an illusion, why being wrong is essential to learning, and how leaders can remove roadblocks so teams can thrive. If you’re an engineer, product leader, founder, or aspiring executive navigating the transition into leadership, this episode is packed with practical insights, memorable stories, and counterintuitive advice to help you become 40% better.🎯 Key Takeaways Leadership often starts with ego—and matures through self-awareness You can manage projects, but you must lead people Soft power is more effective than authority Giving before you get builds trust and influence Listening is more powerful than talking Being wrong is essential for growth and learning Risk tolerance develops through experience, not theory Entrepreneurship reshapes how leaders see systems and change Titles matter less than removing obstacles for teams Great leaders make others excited—not anxious—to work with them 🎙️ Memorable Sound Bites “You can manage projects. You can’t manage people.” “There are no points for being right—only for doing right.” “Control is an illusion.” “I want to be wrong more before breakfast than most people are all day.”I hope you enjoy this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly. – Bill and the 40 % Better podcast teamConnect with Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wblennan/ Visit the 40 Percent Better website here: https://40pb.com/Listen to 40 % Better on these podcast platforms:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/40%25-better---engineering-leadership/id1709546347Amazon Podcasts: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/01ad162e-7a33-4df4-8c29-04c4af0405fc/40-better---engineering-leadership #40PercentBetter#BillLennan #Leadership #TeamPerformance #EmployeeEngagement #PsychologicalSafety #BusinessGrowth #Kaizen #EngineeringLeadership #Coaching The 40% Better podcast with Bill Lennan unlocks previously unheard-of performance levels in teams and leaders. Bill Lennan, founder of 40 Percent Better, interviews experts on employee engagement, psychological safety, engineering leadership, and actionable mental models. Learn how to foster high-performing teams, improve team productivity, and achieve sustainable success in business through a focus on human-centered systems.

In this episode of the 40% Better Podcast, host Bill Lennan is joined by Brent Wodicka, Chief Technology Officer at Applied Information Sciences (AIS), for a focused conversation on what it truly means to build, engage, and sustain highly competent teams.Brent shares clear, experience-driven insights on why engagement isn’t about perks, pressure, or constant motivation—but about providing meaningful challenges, continuous learning, and real growth opportunities. He explains the implicit contract leaders make when they recruit strong talent: if you hire highly capable people, your responsibility is to stretch them, develop them, and ensure their work remains intellectually engaging. The discussion highlights how leaders can prevent stagnation, retain top performers, and create environments where teams stay curious, challenged, and invested in their work. Brent also emphasizes leadership accountability—making sure leaders are holding up their end of the bargain by creating space for learning, growth, and mastery. This episode is especially valuable for engineering leaders, technology executives, and managers who want to build teams that don’t just perform—but continuously grow and improve. I hope you enjoy this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly. – Bill and the 40 % Better podcast team Connect with Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wblennan/Visit the 40 Percent Better website here: https://40pb.com/Listen to 40 % Better on these podcast platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/40%25-better---engineering-leadership/id1709546347Amazon Podcasts: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/01ad162e-7a33-4df4-8c29-04c4af0405fc/40-better---engineering-leadership#40PercentBetter #BillLennan #Leadership #TeamPerformance #EmployeeEngagement #PsychologicalSafety #BusinessGrowth #Kaizen #EngineeringLeadership #Coaching The 40% Better podcast with Bill Lennan unlocks previously unheard-of performance levels in teams and leaders. Bill Lennan, founder of 40 Percent Better, interviews experts on employee engagement, psychological safety, engineering leadership, and actionable mental models. Learn how to foster high-performing teams, improve team productivity, and achieve sustainable success in business through a focus on human-centered systems.