Leadership Performance Under Pressure

Hosted by Dex Randall | Leadership Performance Coach

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Episodes

253

Latest episode

Jun 2026

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EN-US

About the show

Leadership Performance Under Pressure is for senior leaders and executives who have built serious careers and know they're capable of more. Each week, Dex Randall covers the leadership skills, decision-making and career strategy that separate leaders who keep advancing from those who plateau. Nine years and 10,000+ coaching sessions with leaders across medicine, law, finance, technology and corporate leadership. One consistent finding: what holds high performers back is not effort or expertise. It's a set of learnable skills most leaders were never taught. Hosted by Dex Randall, leadership performance coach. Leadership Coaching: https://leadership.dexrandall.com Guest Podcast Appearances: https://bit.ly/dex-guest-appearances Global rank top 5%"

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June 10, 2026Episode 22822 min

Ep#228 How to squeeze 30% more discretionary effort out of your team

Discretionary effort is the gap between what people have to give and what they choose to give. Research consistently shows that most leaders are leaving 20–30% of their team’s capacity on the table — not because of skill shortages, but because of environment.In this episode, we draw on six of the world’s most influential thinkers on leadership and performance to give you a practical, layered framework for unlocking the effort your team already has inside them.The question isn’t how to push people harder. It’s how to create the conditions where they choose to give more.I’ve practised all of these myself, in low-functioning teams, and can personally attest to the spectacular rise that’s possible when you are deliberate about applying them.The Six-Layer Discretionary Effort StackLayer/Thinker: The Question to Ask YourselfPositivity/Shawn Achor:Am I creating an environment where people feel good?Clear Direction/Greg McKeown: Do people know exactly what matters most?Strengths/Dan Sullivan: Is everyone working in their Unique Ability?Safety/Timothy R. Clark: Can people speak up without fear?Purpose/Simon Sinek: Do people know why their work matters?Right People/Jim Collins: Are the right people in the right seats?Ask Dex AI Coach for leadership strategy e.g. "My team are underperforming - how can I find out why?" https://app.coachvox.ai/share/DexRandallSubscribe for more leadership and burnout recovery insights → https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7393784577229709312----------------------------------- Resources:Leadership Performance Coaching https://go.dexrandall.com/leadershipDex AI Coach https://app.coachvox.ai/share/dexrandallConfidential. Expert. Free. Your Leadership Performance Partner.For even more TIPS see FACEBOOK: @coachdexrandallINSTAGRAM: @coachdexrandallLINKEDIN: @coachdexrandallYOUTUBE: @dexleadercoachSee https://linktr.ee/coachdexrandall for all links

June 3, 2026Episode 22719 min

Ep#227 10X - How to Lead Bigger

Leadership growth isn't about working harder. It's about thinking bigger. MUCH bigger.In this episode, Dex shares five practical shifts that help professionals and leaders create more influence, impact and freedom at work. Learn how to take ownership of your future, define a compelling direction, stop wasting energy on other people's opinions, focus on your highest-value contribution, and communicate in a way that consistently produces results.If your career feels stalled, pressured or smaller than it should be, this episode offers a different path forward.Refs:10x is Easier Than 2X, Dan SullivanEssentialism, Greg McKeown----------------------------------- Resources:Leadership Performance Coaching https://go.dexrandall.com/leadershipDex AI Coach https://app.coachvox.ai/share/dexrandallConfidential. Expert. Free. Your Leadership Performance Partner.For even more TIPS see FACEBOOK: @coachdexrandallINSTAGRAM: @coachdexrandallLINKEDIN: @coachdexrandallYOUTUBE: @dexleadercoachSee https://linktr.ee/coachdexrandall for all links

May 27, 2026Episode 22618 min

Ep#226 The Fatal Mistake Of Being Too Available

If your success comes from technical excellence but also being dependable, capable, and always available, this episode is for you. Dex explores how chronic overload quietly erodes clear thinking, emotional regulation, creativity, and decision quality in high performers. Modern work culture rewards urgency and over-functioning, but the future belongs to leaders who can stay calm and think strategically under pressure. Learn the practical shifts that restore energy, authority, perspective, and sustainable high performance, so you can excel and be recognised for it in the years ahead. ----------------------------------- Resources:Leadership Performance Coaching https://go.dexrandall.com/leadershipDex AI Coach https://app.coachvox.ai/share/dexrandallConfidential. Expert. Free. Your Leadership Performance Partner.For even more TIPS see FACEBOOK: @coachdexrandallINSTAGRAM: @coachdexrandallLINKEDIN: @coachdexrandallYOUTUBE: @dexleadercoachSee https://linktr.ee/coachdexrandall for all links

May 13, 2026Episode 22525 min

Ep#225 Neuroscience Proves These Leadership Habits Damage Your Brain

Your leadership habits are reshaping your brain right now — for better or worse. Dex breaks down the neuroscience behind five common leadership behaviors that damage brain health.High performers often normalize habits that steadily erode their sharpness, resilience, leadership presence, and even future cognitive health — while still believing they’re “doing what it takes.”-How chronic stress shrinks the brain’s decision-making centers-Why overwork initially improves performance before turning destructive-The link between leadership stress, cortisol, memory loss, and emotional reactivity-How sleep deprivation impairs empathy, judgment, and cognitive function-Why decision fatigue creates brain fog and poor leadership choices-How harsh self-talk keeps the brain trapped in threat mode-Practical ways to protect your brain while improving leadership performanceIf your brain feels overloaded, foggy, reactive, or permanently “ON,” this episode will explain why — and what to do about it.🔗 Ready to recover? leadership.dexrandall.com🔗 Research links:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1z_KIxsW1yBrgk_A6o6qN9rcDhX1yaZAgPWvq8MtA3uY/view----------------------------------- Resources:Leadership Performance Coaching https://go.dexrandall.com/leadershipDex AI Coach https://app.coachvox.ai/share/dexrandallConfidential. Expert. Free. Your Leadership Performance Partner.For even more TIPS see FACEBOOK: @coachdexrandallINSTAGRAM: @coachdexrandallLINKEDIN: @coachdexrandallYOUTUBE: @dexleadercoachSee https://linktr.ee/coachdexrandall for all links

May 6, 2026Episode 22431 min

Ep#224 Best Way to Fix Burnout

Burnout doesn't fix itself — and changing jobs won't solve it either. In this episode, Dex breaks down the three core drivers of burnout (exhaustion, fed up, and anxious), why high achievers are most vulnerable, and the precise internal shift that makes lasting recovery possible.Why burnout is skyrocketing — and who's most at riskThe 3 things being stripped from high performers: efficacy, belonging, and performanceWhat separates people who burn out from those who don'tHow to fix exhaustion, fed up, and anxious — practicallyWhy championing yourself is the foundation of recovery🔗 Ready to recover? leadership.dexrandall.com----------------------------------- Resources:Leadership Performance Coaching https://go.dexrandall.com/leadershipDex AI Coach https://app.coachvox.ai/share/dexrandallConfidential. Expert. Free. Your Leadership Performance Partner.For even more TIPS see FACEBOOK: @coachdexrandallINSTAGRAM: @coachdexrandallLINKEDIN: @coachdexrandallYOUTUBE: @dexleadercoachSee https://linktr.ee/coachdexrandall for all links

April 29, 2026Episode 22319 min

Ep#223 The worst mistake leaders make on bad days (OCEAN)

If you're having a bad day - foggy brain, short fuse, overcooked - as a leader, it's helpful to recognise that and adjust. Don't keep pushing for new decisions, quick output and critical conversations, as if you're at your best.You can measure your OCEAN scores, but they don't tell the whole story! In this episode we'll explore how circumstances might overtake your normal leadership personality and strengths, and how not to compound the problem.Resources:The Power of Introverts TED Talk, Susan CainBig Five Personality Test----------------------------------- Resources:Leadership Performance Coaching https://go.dexrandall.com/leadershipDex AI Coach https://app.coachvox.ai/share/dexrandallConfidential. Expert. Free. Your Leadership Performance Partner.For even more TIPS see FACEBOOK: @coachdexrandallINSTAGRAM: @coachdexrandallLINKEDIN: @coachdexrandallYOUTUBE: @dexleadercoachSee https://linktr.ee/coachdexrandall for all links

April 15, 2026Episode 22214 min

Ep#222 AI Brain Fry - Why You Can’t Think Straight Anymore

AI is making work faster — but it may also be making your thinking weaker.In this episode, we break down the hidden cognitive cost of AI: how small, everyday reliance is quietly eroding focus, depth, and decision-making in high performers.At the same time, companies are racing to adopt it, pouring in investment without clear ROI — and no one’s entirely sure what “good” looks like yet. Or if they'll lose their job.Yet the pressure builds: use it more, move faster… don’t fall behind.This episode cuts through that noise — and shows you how to use AI without handing over the one thing that actually makes you valuable: your thinking.----------------------------------- Resources:Leadership Performance Coaching https://go.dexrandall.com/leadershipDex AI Coach https://app.coachvox.ai/share/dexrandallConfidential. Expert. Free. Your Leadership Performance Partner.For even more TIPS see FACEBOOK: @coachdexrandallINSTAGRAM: @coachdexrandallLINKEDIN: @coachdexrandallYOUTUBE: @dexleadercoachSee https://linktr.ee/coachdexrandall for all links

April 8, 2026Episode 2218 min

Ep#221 Resentment is Burning You Out

Resentment might be the clearest early warning sign of burnout—and most people completely miss it.In this episode, we break down why resentment shows up, why it sticks around, and how it quietly drains your energy, focus, and performance.Resentment isn’t weakness. It’s a signal that something feels wrong and you don’t feel able to resolve it.Left unchecked, it keeps your nervous system on high alert, fuels overthinking, and blocks recovery.You’ll learn: What resentment actually is (and why it repeats) How stress and perceived threat amplify it Why it makes you feel stuck and powerless The hidden cost of “being right” Practical steps to release resentment and regain control How emotional intelligence replaces reaction with leadership This isn’t about suppressing how you feel.It’s about understanding it—and using it to take your power back.----------------------------------- Resources:Leadership Performance Coaching https://go.dexrandall.com/leadershipDex AI Coach https://app.coachvox.ai/share/dexrandallConfidential. Expert. Free. Your Leadership Performance Partner.For even more TIPS see FACEBOOK: @coachdexrandallINSTAGRAM: @coachdexrandallLINKEDIN: @coachdexrandallYOUTUBE: @dexleadercoachSee https://linktr.ee/coachdexrandall for all links

March 25, 2026Episode 22010 min

Ep#220 ADHD as a Leadership Superpower

Listen if you’ve ever wondered why you perform best under pressure, struggle with consistency, or feel like your focus doesn’t always match your ambition.In this episode, Dex explores a common but often unspoken pattern among high-performing leaders — traits associated with ADHD — and how they show up in leadership, performance, and burnout.This is not about diagnosis. It’s about recognising a leadership operating style, understanding its strengths, and learning how to work with it more effectively.Dex walks through: Why this pattern shows up in high achievers The strengths that often drive success The hidden costs that can lead to inconsistency and burnout Practical adjustments to improve performance and sustainability How to protect recovery and build a leadership style that works with your mind, not against it Key takeaway:Energy management is leadership performance. Precision matters more than intensity.----------------------------------- Resources:Leadership Performance Coaching https://go.dexrandall.com/leadershipDex AI Coach https://app.coachvox.ai/share/dexrandallConfidential. Expert. Free. Your Leadership Performance Partner.For even more TIPS see FACEBOOK: @coachdexrandallINSTAGRAM: @coachdexrandallLINKEDIN: @coachdexrandallYOUTUBE: @dexleadercoachSee https://linktr.ee/coachdexrandall for all links

March 18, 2026Episode 21946 min

Ep#219 Radical New Hope for Teen Depression

Content WarningThis episode includes discussion of depression and suicidal ideation. If you are currently in distress, please seek support from your local crisis services before listening.Dr Tim Strauman outlines an exciting new approach to tackling teen depression. We dive into how schools, hospitals, and social services can work together to prevent suffering before it escalates, empower teens to understand their own emotional patterns, and build real-world skills to support mental well-being.Dr Strauman shares how innovative technologies and programs can help teens:Recognize early signs and patterns of depressionDevelop skills to manage emotional challengesNormalize conversations about mental health among peersBoost agency and self-confidenceTrack progress and measure outcomesAccess coordinated support from schools, health services, and social networksIf you’re interested in how science, technology, and community can intersect to change the trajectory of teen mental health, this episode is packed with insights and actionable ideas.Self-System Therapy - to understand how you're evaluating yourself, ask:What do I want?What am I doing to try to get it?What's going wrong?What can I do differently?Subscribe for more leadership and burnout recovery insights → https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7393784577229709312Contact Dr Tim Strauman: tjstraum@duke.edu----------------------------------- Resources:Leadership Performance Coaching https://go.dexrandall.com/leadershipDex AI Coach https://app.coachvox.ai/share/dexrandallConfidential. Expert. Free. Your Leadership Performance Partner.For even more TIPS see FACEBOOK: @coachdexrandallINSTAGRAM: @coachdexrandallLINKEDIN: @coachdexrandallYOUTUBE: @dexleadercoachSee https://linktr.ee/coachdexrandall for all links