
#0426 – Stop Being the Fixer & Start Leading People with Robert Heath, Sr.
From Deep Leadership by Jon S. Rennie
April 22, 2026 · 39 min · Episode 426
About this episode
In this episode, Jon S. Rennie and Robert Heath Sr. discuss the pitfalls of being a fixer in leadership and how to empower teams instead.
Most leaders don’t fail because they don’t care. They fail because no one ever taught them how to lead. In this episode of Deep Leadership, I sit down with Robert Heath Sr., a former Marine Corps officer, attorney, and leadership coach, to unpack one of the biggest traps leaders fall into—the need to be the fixer. If you’re the person everyone relies on to solve problems, this conversation might hit close to home. Because the truth is this: The skills that made you successful as an individual contributor are the exact skills that will hold you back as a leader. We dig into: Why high performers struggle when they step into leadership roles The hidden cost of “being the go-to person.” Why leadership is the opposite of getting things done yourself How to shift from problem solver to obstacle remover The power of aligning purpose, identity, and daily actions Why miscommunication is quietly draining your team’s performance How to actually empower your team to step up and take ownership Robert shares hard-earned lessons from the military, education, and corporate world—and breaks down what it really takes to bring out the best in your people. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, frustrated…
People in this episode
Host: Jon S. Rennie
Guest: Robert Heath Sr.
Topics covered
- leadership
- problem solving
- team empowerment
- high performance
- communication
- military lessons
Keywords
- leadership skills
- high performers
- team performance
- obstacle remover
- purpose alignment
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Marine Corps, corporate world, education, robertheathsr.com
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