Good Company

What happens when the tools designed to make leadership easier begin to reshape how we think and learn? In this episode of the Good Company Podcast, Drew Dudley and Brett Elmgren explore how AI is reshaping leadership in ways that are both promising and worth questioning. They discuss the various benefits of AI, especially as a problem-solving tool, and why it’s a game-changer for neurodivergent thinkers. At the same time, they unpack the risks of overreliance, including over-validation and the loss of discomfort that drives real growth. Through the lens of The Matrix and The Karate Kid, they examine the tension between knowing and learning, and the evolving role of leaders in guiding others in an AI-assisted landscape. Rather than offering simple answers, they challenge the assumption that more efficiency always leads to better outcomes and consider what it means to lead in a world where the process itself can be bypassed. Tune in today for a thoughtful look at how leaders can engage with AI without losing what makes leadership human!Key Points From This Episode:The origin story behind Brett’s company name, Axom Leadership. [0:00:00]Personal updates and what’s been going well for Brett and Drew. [0:07:06]The concept of psychological safety and its unintended “shadow side.” [0:11:47]Today’s topic: How AI is Changing the Work of Leadership. [0:18:52]The unique opportunities and risks of AI, especially for neurodivergent thinkers. [0:21:55]AI as a tool that removes friction and accelerates thinking and execution. [24:43]Finding the balance between removing friction and providing challenge. [0:32:02]AI as a safe space to test ideas without real-world consequences. [0:33:21]Using AI to challenge thinking, expose blind spots, and add productive friction. [0:41:06]Unpacking the role of leadership in the future world of AI. [48:23]Lessons from The Karate Kid and The Matrix: the tension between knowing and learning in an AI-driven world. [0:52:22]Final takeaways and reflections. [0:59:48] Quotes:“The irony is, everyone wants to talk about developing resiliency, but then they live in a world of over-validation, and that's a huge issue with AI, – it just tells you everything you do is amazing, and that feels good [but] it is really bad for your ongoing development.” — Brett Elmgren [0:19:55]“The biggest revolution that you're going to see as more people use [AI], is it's going to redefine atypicals’ understanding of their role in leadership.” — Drew Dudley [0:22:33]“What's the equilibrium, if there even is one, between the right amount of friction that it is still developmental, but continues to produce that momentum which is exhilarating and really productive?” — Brett Elmgren [0:32:51]“[AI] allows me to test and fail faster, with fewer consequences than has ever existed before.” — Drew Dudley [0:34:07]“Our role as leaders in a world of AI is to make sure that human leadership still exists. It doesn't become human-assisted leadership. It is AI-assisted leadership, not human-assisted leadership.” — Drew Dudley [0:52:06]“There's a huge difference between learning and knowing, and the leader's job is learning to create the environment where people have the ownership so they can be on the right side of that.” — Brett Elmgren [01:07:41]Links:Drew Dudley | Everyday LeadershipBrett Elmgren | Axom Leadership

Finding Leadership Momentum When Your Tank is EmptyWhat do you do when you want a fresh start, but your tank is still empty? In this Season 3 premiere, Drew Dudley and Brett Elmgren discuss how to restart when your energy is low and momentum feels hard to find. First, they share what’s been good, what’s been weighing on them, and steps for a powerful check-in when you are depleted and worried it is leaking out as guilt, frustration, or anger. They dig into what anger can signal and the complexities around setting healthy boundaries as a leader. Drew and Brett then dig into ways to restart when your energy is low, and you cannot find the motivation to start. They explore the tension between bending your schedule to match your energy versus trying to force your energy to match your calendar, and why urgency for relaxation usually backfires. They unpack why tolerance for discomfort is important, how to develop the discipline muscle, and the role of accountability and discipline in finding motivation. They also share their new “Agree to Agree” segment, which tests how much they actually align on culture versus strategy, toxic high performers, and the only holiday argument that really matters. Join Drew and Brett to discover how to reframe tasks, learn simple habits to restart when your energy is low, and uncover the interdependence between culture and strategy. Key Points From This Episode:• Bending your schedule to your energy versus bending your energy to your schedule. [0:17:55]• How breaking a task into smaller steps can unlock momentum and build discipline. [0:26:04]• Learn why accountability is vital, how to sustain discipline, and the role of patience. [0:30:58]• An overview of the new “Agree to Agree” segment and the motivation for starting it. [0:37:24]• Explore the complex interplay between culture and strategy and why it matters. [0:40:23]• Find out whether toxic employees should be fired regardless of their performance. [0:47:56]• Unpack the concept of exploring your “wrongness” as an intellectual exercise. [1:05:30] Quotes:“It is amazing what you attract when you are driven by certain purpose.” — Brett Elmgren [0:06:02]“We’ll never start if we are searching for motivation – but if it is a search for patience, that makes it a search for quiet, which often makes it a search for peace.” — Drew Dudley [0:35:34]“Strategy will sometimes eat culture for breakfast, but culture is going to give you a six-pack over time. – So, culture beats strategy [in the] long-term.” — Drew Dudley [0:42:31]“Culture informs strategy, and culture has to be part of strategy. They are integrated with each other, they are not two separate entities.” — Brett Elmgren [0:45:43]“Problematic behavior cannot be corrected if people [are] not aware that it is problematic.” — Drew Dudley [0:55:21] Links in Today’s Episode:Atomic HabitsThe Last LectureOutliersThe Tipping PointDrew Dudley | Everyday Leadership Brett Elmgren | Axom Leadership

Today on the Good Company Podcast, we continue our overarching theme of creating better workplaces by exploring how to build (and keep) respect at work. Drew and Brett unpack taking ownership and accountability to gain influence, how to build trusting relationships, workplace behaviors that build and break trust, best practices for receiving bad news as a leader, and why there are no winners in the blame game. Tuning in, you’ll also learn about safety culture, the reasons certain negative events recur, the perils of the human condition, and how to garner trust and respect at work. To close, Drew and Brett explore the art in your work and how silence can often lead to new and better discoveries.Key Points From This Episode:• How their colleagues have won their respect, and why this matters. [0:03:09]• Ways that ownership and accountability influence respect in the workplace. [0:08:55]• Comparing workplace behaviors that build and break trust. [0:16:22]• Best practices for receiving bad news as a leader: regulating your emotions. [0:25:20]• Why blame never solves any problems. [0:34:49]• Safety culture, and why certain behaviors repeat when others don’t. [0:41:43]• How many of our shortcomings are the result of the human condition. [0:45:03]• Important advice for garnering trust and respect at work. [0:51:15]• Finding the art in work. [0:56:22]Quotes:“When you shut up, people will ask you stuff. – When you constantly talk, people get tired of hearing what you have to say.” — Drew Dudley [0:03:45]“Leadership comes in all shapes and sizes. You don’t have to be in – formal senior executive leadership to demonstrate it.” — Brett Elmgren [0:08:17]“Something that naturally wins respect is when somebody is self-aware [enough to] acknowledge their weaknesses, is open about that, and willing to actually improve upon it. We build trust so much quicker that way.” — Brett Elmgren [0:09:00]“Most people are going to be harder on themselves than you are going to be on them.” — Drew Dudley [0:15:17]“One of the best ways of building trust is demonstrating trust.” — Drew Dudley [0:24:37]“Blame has never solved any organizational problem ever.” — Brett Elmgren [0:35:46]“‘I don’t know’ are the three most powerful words in leadership.” — Drew Dudley [0:55:36]“Even if you’re an analytical person, recognize the art in your work. – Make sure that there is emotion in your intellect and intellect in your emotion.” — Drew Dudley [0:56:21]Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:CEO ExcellenceThe AlchemistSafeStart Drew Dudley | Everyday Leadership Brett Elmgren | Axom Leadership

Welcome to part two of our career development, freedom, and ambition discussion! If you haven’t listened to part one of the conversation, be sure to do so now. Starting off, Drew and Brett share some of the biggest career pitfalls people need to watch out for based on their personal experiences, the danger of being self-centered before establishing credibility, and why you should compare yourself to the competition and not the qualifications. You’ll hear all about why rethinking talent systems is so important before discussing why resilience, courage, and impact are far more valuable than qualifications. To close off, we chat about some hypothetical hiring experiments companies could use to select employees. Thanks for listening! Key Points From This Episode:• Some of the biggest mistakes to avoid making in your career. [0:00:59]• Why being self-centered around your career is problematic. [0:08:41]• Comparing yourself to the competition, not the qualifications. [0:13:05]• Challenging the way we recruit talent and focusing on resilience instead. [0:18:18] Quotes:“The worst career advice might very well have been the stuff that made me the most money!” — Drew Dudley [0:02:57]“Everybody wins in the broader scope of an organization if people are – prospering.” — Brett Elmgren [0:08:15]“The job changes! It’s not just this perfect ladder as we’ve been made to believe.” — Brett Elmgren [0:12:42]“You don’t have to have 100 [percent of the qualifications on a job description!]” — Drew Dudley [0:17:22] Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Drew Dudley | Everyday Leadership Brett Elmgren | Axom Leadership

What if the finish line wasn’t the end of a journey, but the peace you could enjoy before it ends? In this episode, we share Drew’s recent “red dot” talk, titled ‘Somebody That I Used to Know’, where he shares the vulnerable story of how he learned not to chase potential beyond his health and happiness. We unpack some key insights from his talk, including his relationship with potential, what it looks like to accept the changes that life brings, and how to recognize and nurture healthy ambition. Our conversation also explores whether you can truly be both ambitious and happy and how to evaluate your goals based on what truly matters to you and your team. Tune in to gain practical tools and perspective shifts that can help you pursue success without losing yourself along the way!Key Points From This Episode:• Personal takes on ambition, work, and mental health behind this episode. [0:00:30]• Drew’s “red dot” talk: how a health scare prompted a re-evaluation of his goals. [0:05:13]• What your understanding of striving for potential can do to shape your life’s journey. [0:14:18]• Reflections on the talk and Drew’s perspective on his delivery. [0:19:09]• Unpacking the metaphor of the mind as an operating system. [0:25:04]• Factors that led to Drew accepting the benefits of his new capacity. [0:33:00]• Questions to ask to differentiate healthy ambition from unhealthy ambition. [0:44:10]• Exploring whether you can be ambitious and happy at the same time. [0:50:00]• Determining if a new goal is worth striving for (for you and your team). [01:01:05]Quotes:“The people in your life who love you, they don’t love you because of what you might be one day. They’re not in your life because they bought you low as a stock and they’re hoping to stick around until you finally pay off.” — Drew Dudley [0:09:40]“Potential is the word other people use to describe how much money they think you should make.” — Drew Dudley [0:14:23]“Finish lines are not the end of a journey. The finish line is the peace that you get to enjoy before the end of the journey.” — Drew Dudley [0:16:34]“Do not chase your potential past your health and past your happiness.” — Drew Dudley [0:17:42]“[Ask yourself:] whatever the things the people who love me the most value the most in me, how prevalent are those things in my workplace?” — Drew Dudley [0:41:41]Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Field of Dreams Drew Dudley | Everyday Leadership Brett Elmgren | Axom Leadership

What’s the real difference between a toxic workplace and a dysfunctional one? In this season opener of The Good Company Podcast, hosts Drew Dudley and Brett Elmgren delve into the grey areas of workplace culture. In their conversation, Drew and Brett discuss what makes a culture toxic, how to tell if it’s permanently broken or just temporarily off-track, and how leaders can respond accordingly. They explore the difference between temporary dysfunction and baked-in toxicity, and why too many leaders jump to extreme language without naming what’s going on. They unpack how cultures drift into dysfunction “gradually and then suddenly,” the danger of normalizing poor behavior, and why personal values are the ultimate litmus test for when it’s time to walk away. Drew and Brett also uncover their three-level model of workplace culture and share what it takes to move teams up that ladder. Join in for leadership insight that will challenge how you think about hope, emotional honesty, and the lies we tell ourselves to get through the day. Tune in now! Key Points From This Episode:• Introduction and outline of what listeners can expect from the episode. [0:00:00]• They reflect on season one and the most common feedback from listeners. [0:01:20]• Explore the difference between a dysfunctional culture and a toxic culture. [0:03:18]• Brett’s three-tiered culture model: dysfunctional, transactional, legendary. [0:06:38]• Drew’s definition of toxic and why tracking emotional well-being is important. [0:14:00]• Broader implications of toxicity and the common lies managers tell themselves. [0:20:00]• Managers chasing professional acclaim versus managers who are people pleasers. [0:27:42]• Learn practical tips for delivering hard feedback while maintaining care and intent. [0:35:52]• Find out what is needed to transform a toxic culture into a positive one. [0:40:06]• Final takeaways: track trends, have hard conversations, and refocus on purpose. [0:49:15] Quotes: “Dysfunction can be temporary. Toxicity is baked right [into workplace culture].” — Drew Dudley [0:05:56] “A toxic culture would be defined by an environment that forces you to violate your personal values in order to survive within it.” — Brett Elmgren [0:07:10] “It is easier to survive financial bankruptcy than emotional bankruptcy.” — Drew Dudley [0:20:58] “The path to toxicity is often paved with the best intentions.” — Drew Dudley [0:34:22] “Great leaders don’t manage processes and systems – great leaders manage energy.” — Brett Elmgren [0:45:38] Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Radical CandorThe Five Dysfunctions of a Team Drew Dudley | Everyday Leadership Brett Elmgren | Axom Leadership

Leadership Traits: Overrated and UnderratedWhat leadership traits are essential, and which ones are given more credit than they deserve? In this episode of Good Company, hosts Drew Dudley and Brett Elmgren unpack the most overrated and underrated leadership traits in today's workplace. In their conversation, they define overrated and underrated characteristics and how certain traits can help leaders create more productive workplaces and fulfilling company cultures. Drew and Brett discuss the common misconceptions surrounding charisma and why there is an inherent distrust of it. They unpack why collaboration is overrated and the concept of mindful collaboration. They also explore why education and credentials are not a silver bullet for competence, and the power of fostering personal value discovery in the workplace in addition to organizational values. Discover why leaders need to understand data, the role of agility and adaptability in leadership, why asking good questions is a vital skill, and more. Tune in to uncover the key traits to leadership success with Drew Dudley and Brett Elmgren!Key Points From This Episode:Find out why charisma is not a leadership trait and how it differs from confidence. [0:04:22]The value of collaboration and the risk of too many people making decisions. [0:12:15]Learn why companies should hire based on skills and not credentials or education. [0:17:22]Explore the power of personal values and why they are essential for the workplace. [0:24:40]Discover why data literacy and storytelling are highly underrated leadership skillsets. [0:31:48]Discuss the need for agility and adaptability in leadership. [0:37:18]Misconceptions surrounding personal boundaries and how to implement them. [0:40:00]Why the ability to ask the right questions is a critical, but underrated leadership skill. [0:42:03]How leaders can improve decision-making and assess information effectively. [0:47:00]Honorable mentions: humility, common sense, humanity, and humor. [0:50:01]Quotes:“Let's work on abolishing the extroverted bias within how [leaders] run meetings and how [leaders] promote people in the organization.” — Brett Elmgren [0:09:46]“Really, what charisma is is the ability to have people form opinions of you that are positive very quickly.” — Drew Dudley [0:11:10]“Collaboration is not necessarily a skill. It is what emerges from developing a certain set of other skills.” — Drew Dudley [0:15:31]“We just use credentialism to gatekeep what access people get.” — Drew Dudley [0:19:03]“I think leaders over manage people through change when the real successful people in organizations understand that change is constant and they are business ready at all times.” — Brett Elmgren [0:37:34]“I think a boundary is the line past which your values start to be threatened.” — Drew Dudley [0:40:24]Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:This Is Day OneMaking Numbers CountDrew Dudley | Everyday LeadershipBrett Elmgren | Axom Leadership

How can organizations foster trust, resilience, and connection in a world increasingly marked by disconnection and distrust? In this thought-provoking episode of Good Company, Drew Dudley and Brett Elmgren tackle the complexities of post-pandemic organizational culture. They explore why some companies thrived during adversity, the tension between engagement and accountability, and how assumptions about leadership and decision-making shape workplace dynamics. Packed with actionable insights, this conversation challenges leaders (and employees) to rethink their approach to building trust and culture. Tune in to discover strategies for bridging divides, strengthening team cohesion, and leading with authenticity in today’s ever-changing work landscape!Key Points From This Episode:• Improving engagement through quick office returns and intentional social connection [0:01:31]• How resilient leaders minimized disruption by acting fast in the face of adversity [0:05:44]• The need to accommodate diverse needs when balancing remote and in-office work [0:07:44]• Shaping a strong culture through consistent actions aligned with shared values [0:10:31]• Reasons that employees struggle when leaders dismiss cultural initiatives as "soft" [0:16:31]• Five ways healthy cultures drive engagement, productivity, profitability, and more [0:18:34]• The danger of a single story and why you can’t outsource culture to the C-suite [0:22:14]• A simple question that serves as a litmus test for a strong organizational culture [0:26:06]• Fostering trust and honesty within organizations in an age of disinformation [0:28:21]• C-suite scuttlebutt: frustration with a perceived sense of employee entitlement [0:33:36]• Employee entitlement versus the demand for a more human-centered approach [0:40:32]• Demystifying the executive suite by helping employees understand leadership better [0:44:10]• Practical strategies for building unity and overcoming division in organizations [0:48:20]• Wrapping up and what's next: key takeaways and upcoming topics [0:52:32]Quotes:“We overcomplicate [culture] – If you want to change the culture, just change the way you do things. That's it.” — Brett Elmgren [0:12:11]“[Organizations that have] supportive, psychologically safe, – and empowering cultures of accountability, transparency, [and] authenticity – have way higher employee engagement and productivity, like 21% higher profitability and 147% higher earnings per share.” — Drew Dudley [0:19:13]“Don't outsource culture to your boss. You are the culture!” — Brett Elmgren [0:24:58]“Allow your people to discover you. Don't try to introduce yourself to them.” — Drew Dudley [0:32:21]“Engagement minus accountability equals entitlement.” — Brett Elmgren [0:35:53]“The best cultural indicator is how generous your collective assumptions are in an organization.” — Brett Elmgren [0:53:13]Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Reality-Based Leadership | Cy Wakeman‘Why good leaders make you feel safe’ | Simon Sinek | TEDDrew Dudley | Everyday Leadership Brett Elmgren | Axom Leadership