11 Ten Leadership

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Oct 2026

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The 11 Ten Leadership Podcast tackles topics at the intersection of leadership, faith and culture. Leadership is challenging. Now more than ever. Today’s leaders need a vision for their leadership that engages culture AND weaves health and wholeness into their companies and communities. But to do this well, leaders need a radically different approach to their leadership. Proverbs 11:10 lays out a bold (and counter-cultural) vision… “when the righteous prosper, the city rejoices.” But what does it look like, practically, to be this type of leader—leaders willing to invest everything they have so that everyone around them can thrive? Join hosts David Spickard and Rob Shields on the journey as they lean in, listen, and learn how to become Proverbs 11:10 kind of leaders—the kind of leaders that make our cities rejoice.

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October 13, 202641 min

[Replay] Episode 91: Ambidextrous Leadership, Co-creating with AI, & The 4 Things Your Team Need Most from You

What do the people you lead need most from you? According to a global Gallup study, the answer is hope, followed closely by trust. In this replay of Episode 91, Rob Shields and David Spickard welcome back longtime friend Jes Averhart for a wide-ranging conversation about how leadership is shifting and what that shift asks of leaders today. Jes is a leadership advisor, master certified life coach, award-winning author, and creator of the Reinvention Road Trip. She traces the evolution of leadership from the Great Man theory to transformational leadership and asks where AI and today's competing leadership models might take us next. She shares how she uses AI as a co-creator and thought partner without losing her own voice, and why becoming an ambidextrous leader who balances innovation with execution is her next level of growth. Along the way, Rob, David, and Jes explore curiosity and humility, why hope is best anchored in past victories rather than promises, and how stones of remembrance and cultures of celebration help teams see how far they have come. At 11 Ten Leadership, we believe leaders who help their people thrive help their cities rejoice. That kind of leadership starts with leaders who are filled with hope themselves. Listen in for practical ways to find that hope and pass it on to your team. Timestamps 00:00 Welcome and introduction 00:45 Introducing Jes Averhart 03:50 From the Great Man theory to transformational leadership 07:05 AI, geopolitics, and a leadership crossroads 11:50 The warning signs of transformational leadership 14:20 AI as a co-creator and where to draw the line 19:45 Why some work should stay slow 22:35 Ambidextrous leadership: Balancing innovation and execution 26:40 Curiosity and humility in leadership 28:10 Gallup research: Why people need hope from leaders 30:55 How to give hope: Anchoring your team in past victories 33:20 Stones of remembrance and cultures of celebration 37:10 Hope starts with the leader 38:25 Practical takeaways for leaders 39:45 Closing thoughts Resources 11 Ten Leadership Jes Averhart Living Beyond Burnout: Burnout Recovery Guide by Jes Averhart Reinvention Roadmap® by Jes Averhart Reinvention Road Trip Black Wall Street Homecoming Harvard Business Review: The Ambidextrous Organization Gallup: What Do People Need Most From Leaders? Six Stones Journey with Jason Young

September 29, 202633 min

One-on-Ones: The Leadership Health Indicator Hiding in Plain Sight

What makes a one-on-one truly effective, and why do so many leaders struggle to make them a priority? Kim Scott, author of Radical Candor , calls regular one-on-ones probably the most important thing a leader can do, yet almost half of employees rarely or never get one. In this episode, Rob Shields and David Spickard kick off a new series on the success indicators of leadership health, starting with one of the most basic and often overlooked leadership rhythms. Drawing from research and their work with leaders through 11 Ten Leadership, Rob and David explore why one-on-ones matter, what a canceled and never-rebooked meeting signals to a team, and how leaders can move these meetings from transactional check-ins to opportunities for coaching, development, trust, and connection. They also address the pushback from high-profile CEOs who have abandoned one-on-ones altogether, and offer practical guidance for getting them right: letting the direct report own the agenda, talking less than they do, being more coach than cop, and paying attention when all you hear is good news. When leaders protect this time, people leave feeling known, encouraged, and challenged, and that is how thriving teams are built. This episode ends with one simple question worth asking your direct reports this week. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – A leader's most important habit 01:00 – Introducing the success indicators of leadership health 04:00 – What a one-on-one is really for 08:00 – What a canceled one-on-one signals to your team 10:00 – Why leaders say they don't have time for their people 12:00 – The case against one-on-ones: Brian Chesky and Jensen Huang 14:00 – Why senior leaders need more one-on-ones, not fewer 16:00 – From reactive check-ins to intentional conversations 18:00 – Who owns the agenda and who does the talking 21:00 – More coach than cop, and the danger of only good news 25:00 – Reading body language in person and online 26:00 – The manager and employee perception gap 29:00 – The bottom line: One question to ask your direct reports RESOURCES 11 Ten Leadership Kim Scott, "7 Things to Know About 1:1 Meetings that Will Make You a Better Boss" (Radical Candor) Steven G. Rogelberg, "Make the Most of Your One-on-One Meetings" (Harvard Business Review )

September 15, 202634 min

Just AI: Leading with Love in an Age of Artificial Intelligence

In this episode of the 11 Ten Leadership Podcast, Rob Shields and David Spickard revisit the rapidly evolving conversation around artificial intelligence and explore what it means to lead well in a world where AI can outrun our teams, our judgment, and even our rest. Drawing from Notre Dame's DELTA framework: Dignity, Embodiment, Love, Transcendence, and Agency and 11 Ten Leadership's THRIVE model, Rob and David consider how leaders can embrace the real benefits of AI without allowing efficiency, productivity, or the pressure to keep up to redefine what matters most. They explore the tension between using AI to create margin and simply filling that margin with more work, the impact of AI on jobs and human dignity, and the danger of allowing AI to eliminate the wrestling and relational work that makes leadership meaningful. Ultimately, AI is a mirror and it will amplify what is already present in us and our organizations. The question for leaders is: Are we approaching AI through a lens of love or a lens of power? TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – What does AI reveal about us? 03:00 – David's evolving relationship with AI 07:00 – What we could lose when AI eliminates the “wrestling” 09:00 – The DELTA framework: Dignity, Embodiment, Love, Transcendence & Agency 14:00 – AI as an extension of our leadership philosophy 16:00 – Love vs. power: What lens are we using? 20:00 – AI, jobs, and the dignity of work 24:00 – Using AI to create margin for people 27:00 – AI, team culture, and decision-making 29:00 – Why leaders shouldn't eliminate the pain and struggle of the journey 32:00 – The bottom line: Lead AI through a lens of love RESOURCES 11 Ten Leadership Notre Dame's DELTA Framework (Institute for Ethics and the Common Good) Andy Crouch on the Good Faith podcast, "Spiritual Preparation for the AI Era" — source of the "lens of love vs. lens of power" framing Denver Institute for Faith & Work, "AI Series: Artificial Intelligence and Redemptive Work" with Andy Crouch Harvard Business Review, "AI Is Revolutionizing Strategic Decision-Making"

September 1, 202641 min

The 9 Core Needs of Sustainable Leadership with Jessie Hathcock

Most leaders are handed a simple scoreboard: achievement and wealth. Jessie Hathcock opens with a harder claim — success is neither of those. It's whether nine core needs are actually being met. And when a leader quietly stops tending to them, the people who count on them feel the cost long before the leader ever names it. Jessie is president of The Loading Dock, a Raleigh coworking community, with two decades of leadership across education, nonprofits, and business — and a story of burning out twice before thirty that reshaped how she defines a life well led. With Rob Shields, she explores the nine core needs, the difference between dying to your ego and dying to yourself, the neuroscience of unmet needs, and the shift from leading out of protection to creation. Caring for ourselves, she argues, isn't an indulgence but the foundation of sustainable leadership — even a matter of justice. That's where her framework meets the 11 Ten vision of Thriving Leaders, Thriving Teams, and Thriving Cities: we can't create flourishing around us while running on empty ourselves. When one leader becomes healthier and more whole, the impact ripples outward — at The Loading Dock, 82.5% of members reported their wellbeing had improved through being part of the community, a tangible picture of what that ripple can look like. A city is better when its leaders are healthy. Listen in, then ask yourself: Which core need have you quietly stopped tending? TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Welcome, and why this topic called for outside expertise 02:00 – The bold claim: success isn’t achievement or wealth 03:00 – Jessie’s origin story and the letters that redefined success 07:00 – When achievement becomes a substitute for what we need 10:00 – The nine core needs, and which ones leaders sacrifice first 14:00 – When a leader’s burnout ripples out to teams and community 19:00 – Dying to your ego versus dying to yourself 23:00 – The neuroscience of unmet needs 26:00 – The shift from protection to creation 29:00 – How to audit your nine core needs 32:00 – Why personal wholeness is a justice issue 36:00 – The ripple effect at The Loading Dock 38:00 – Rapid-fire questions 40:00 – Bottom line: The city is better when its leaders are healthy RESOURCES The Loading Dock — Jessie Hathcock’s Raleigh coworking community. Atomic Habits by James Clear — The source of the “habit stacking” concept Jessie adapts into her idea of “need stacking.” The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey — Jessie references the framework of circles of concern and influence when talking about discerning where leaders can make a difference.

August 18, 202631 min

Which Belief Is Running Your Leadership?

Every leader hits a wall and the instinct is to blame what's around us: the budget, the team, the difficult boss. But after two decades coaching hundreds of executives, Muriel Wilkins found the biggest blockers almost never live out there. They live in here, in beliefs so ingrained we don't even know we're carrying them. In this episode, Rob and David explore Wilkins's seven hidden blockers — from “I know I'm right” to “I can't make a mistake” to “I don't belong here” — and self-diagnose in real time. They walk her three-step framework (uncover, unpack, unblock) and connect it to the work of just leadership: seeing the whole playing field starts with seeing yourself clearly. Along the way they get honest about where these beliefs come from, why a blocker is often a real strength that's outgrown its boundary, and why lasting change is an identity issue before it's a behavior one. Because the healthiest leaders aren't the ones without blind spots — they're the ones humble enough to name them and invite others in. That's what it looks like to help people and cities thrive. Listen in, then take the challenge: put the seven in front of someone you trust and ask which one they see in you. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Welcome and the seven beliefs running your leadership 02:10 – The article behind the conversation: Wilkins on hidden blockers 03:20 – Which one jumps out? David and Rob self-diagnose 05:50 – The three blockers they see most in the leaders they coach 09:40 – Seeing yourself clearly, and step one: uncover 10:40 – Step two, unpack: where the belief came from 11:30 – When strengths become blockers 18:20 – Why you can't skip straight to fixing 19:40 – Not a behavior problem, an identity problem 23:40 – Step three, unblock: reframing the belief 26:40 – Faith, identity, and where the reframe comes from 28:30 – The bottom line: your team already knows 30:50 – Closing thoughts and a challenge to listeners RESOURCES 11 Ten Leadership The Hidden Beliefs That Hold Leaders Back — Muriel Wilkins, Harvard Business Review The Just Leader: Thriving in a Fractured World — David Spickard

August 4, 202628 min

Why Every Team Needs a Super Facilitator

What separates good teams from great ones? The answer often isn’t another superstar—it’s someone who quietly helps everyone else become better. Inspired by a recent Harvard Business Review article, Rob and David explore the role of the super facilitator and why every high-performing team needs one. Drawing on Jamil Zaki’s research and the “Chris Paul effect”—the remarkable ability to elevate every team he joins—they unpack the three practices that define a super facilitator: Attunement (making people feel seen), Communication (helping them believe in themselves), and Distribution (making sure every voice is heard). Along the way, they explore why empowering leadership consistently outperforms a directive, top-down approach over the long haul and share practical ways to identify and develop the super facilitator already on your team. At its heart, this conversation is about “die to self” leadership—the willingness to decrease so others can increase. That’s the kind of leadership that helps people thrive, strengthens teams, and transforms communities. As you listen, consider: Who is the super facilitator on your team? And how can you become the kind of leader who helps everyone around you thrive? TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Welcome and introduction 01:00 – From super communicator to super facilitator 02:00 – The Chris Paul effect: the star who makes everyone better 03:30 – What a super facilitator actually is, and collective intelligence 06:00 – Why the most talented team doesn’t always win 08:00 – The mindset shift: making your team great 11:00 – Three core practices: Attunement, Communication, Distribution 19:00 – Directive vs. empowering leadership over the long haul 22:00 – Three practical ways to start 25:00 – Bottom line: die to self leadership RESOURCES 11 Ten Leadership “Every Team Needs a Super-Facilitator” by Jamil Zaki The Just Leader by David Spickard

July 21, 202626 min

Care Without Limits: Why Healthy Leaders Build Systems That Last

In the final episode of our State of Leadership series, Rob Shields and David Spickard move from insight to action. After analyzing leadership data from organizations across the country, one conclusion rises to the surface: leaders don’t have a passion problem—they have a sustainability problem. Many leaders genuinely care deeply about their people. In fact, “I truly care for my employees” was the highest-scoring statement in the THRIVE Assessment. Yet leader health continues to decline, work-life balance remains a struggle, and giving power away ranks among the lowest-scoring leadership habits. So what needs to change? In this conversation, Rob and David explore how leaders can build healthier rhythms, create sustainable cultures, and empower their teams to thrive. If you want to build an organization that flourishes—not just one that succeeds—this episode offers practical insights you can begin applying today. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Welcome and the thesis: caring without limits 02:00 – Two ends of the assessment: care at 97, work-life balance at 42 04:00 – Cultural norms of work and the irony of AI eroding margin 06:00 – The downstream cost: what doesn’t get built without margin 07:00 – You manage what you measure: wholeness and thriving 10:00 – Shifting the work through your people 11:00 – Leadership teams as a rhythm 14:00 – Being your team’s biggest fan 19:00 – Inside 11 Ten: meeting depleted leaders where they are 20:00 – The smallest rhythm: listening before directing 22:00 – One structural limit every leader should build in 24:00 – How a rest plan empowers your team 25:00 – A teaser: model good health, not hard work RESOURCES 11 Ten Leadership 2026 State of Leadership

July 7, 202631 min

Leadership Beyond the Organization: Giving Power Away to Your City

Across 100-plus episodes, one thread has continually surfaced without ever being fully pulled: place. In this episode, Rob and David finally pull on that thread, asking a deceptively simple question: How does where you lead actually shape the way you lead? For leaders whose work has become increasingly remote, individualized, and untethered, it’s a question that gets to the very purpose of business. Drawing on insights from the State of Leadership Report, Rob and David explore why Giving Power Away ranks as the lowest of the four qualities of Just Leadership. They unpack the gap between investing in a community and truly measuring its impact, challenge the limits of the traditional “service day” model, and invite leaders to adopt a different posture—one of humility, curiosity, and learning. Through the story of 11 Ten Leadership’s Just Fund, they share how giving away decision-making power to trusted community leaders has transformed not only their approach to generosity, but also their understanding of leadership itself. This conversation brings the vision of Proverbs 11:10 to life—leaders using their influence so their cities can flourish. If you’ve ever felt there has to be more to leadership than growing your organization, this episode is an invitation to expand your vision, invest more deeply in the place you lead, and discover what your own “Just Fund” could look like. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Welcome 02:00 – Are leaders tethered to place? 03:00 – The Proverbs 11:10 foundation 08:00 – State of Leadership Report findings 10:30 – Community impact as a success metric 13:30 – Beyond the service day 14:30 – The posture of a learner 16:00 – The Just Fund 21:00 – The cost — and why it’s worth it 24:00 – “Would the work stop?” 26:30 – Bottom line 30:30 – Closing RESOURCES 11 Ten Leadership 2026 State of Leadership The Just Leader by David Spickard

June 23, 202629 min

The Purpose Gap: Helping Leaders and Teams Connect to Their Why

Employees with a strong sense of purpose are 5.6 times more likely to be engaged at work—yet only 18% of workers say their job has a purpose they believe in. In the 11 Ten Leadership’s State of Leadership Report, leaders consistently reported feeling more connected to their organization’s purpose than their teams. That gap isn’t just a statistic; it’s a leadership challenge. In this episode, Rob Shields and David Spickard explore why purpose has become one of the most important conversations in leadership today. From the impact of COVID and remote work to the rise of AI and shifting generational expectations, they discuss why people are increasingly asking deeper questions about meaning, work, and contribution. They also unpack why many leaders struggle to articulate their own personal why, how purpose differs from success, and what leaders can do to help their teams move beyond simply knowing the mission statement to truly owning the mission. David closes with practical exercises leaders can use to reconnect with their purpose — and create cultures where people show up knowing exactly how their work contributes to th TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Purpose and engagement: the leadership challenge 00:01 – The 5.6x engagement statistic and the purpose gap 00:03 – Why purpose gets lost in organizations 00:04 – Why purpose matters more than ever in today’s workplace 00:07 – Work, faith, and human flourishing 00:09 – AI, efficiency, and the deeper question leaders must answer 00:10 – Why leaders often lose sight of their own why 00:13 – Purpose versus success: understanding the difference 00:17 – Signs your team has truly embraced the mission 00:20 – Closing the gap between leaders and teams 00:21 – Helping employees connect their work to impact 00:24 – Why purpose can’t be treated as a profit hack 00:25 – Practical exercises for discovering and renewing purpose 00:28 – Final reflections and encouragement for leaders RESOURCES 11 Ten Leadership State of Leadership Report Start With Why by Simon Sinek Gallup Employee Engagement Research

June 9, 202629 min

Building Super Teams: Lessons from the Oklahoma City Thunder

What does it take to build a team that keeps getting better? The Oklahoma City Thunder's rise from a 24-win team to NBA champions in just three seasons offers an unexpected leadership blueprint. In this episode, Rob and David explore research on "super teams" and unpack the three traits that set them apart: they get more done, they make each other better, and they continually improve. Along the way, they discuss why great leaders create permission to fail, how intellectual humility builds trust, and why coaching conversations often matter more than status updates. The conversation concludes with a powerful reminder that exceptional teams are fueled by more than performance metrics. Great leaders help people understand why their work matters, who it serves, and how it contributes to something bigger than themselves. If you're looking to build a team that grows stronger, adapts faster, and stays connected to a meaningful mission, this episode is for you. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Welcome & Introduction 01:00 – Summer check-in and NBA Finals conversation 03:30 – The Oklahoma City Thunder and the research behind super teams 05:00 – The three traits of high-performing teams 06:00 – Why continuous improvement is difficult to prioritize 08:00 – Creating a culture of experimentation and permission to fail 14:00 – Intellectual humility and the power of saying “I don’t know” 17:00 – Better one-on-ones: moving from updates to problem-solving 19:30 – Staying involved without micromanaging: the coach's role 23:00 – Connecting people to purpose, place, and community 26:00 – Why younger generations are seeking meaning at work 27:30 – Expanding the definition of success beyond outcomes 28:30 – Closing thoughts and key takeaways RESOURCES 11 Ten Leadership How to Build a Superteam That Keeps Getting Better — Seven research-backed practices, by Ron Friedman The Just Leader by David Spickard

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