Leadership Powered by Common Sense

Hosted by Doug Thorpe, HeadwayExec, LLC, LLC aka Doug Thorpe Group

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Episodes

559

Latest episode

Oct 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

Doug Thorpe is a performance-driven Senior Executive, Entrepreneur, Board Member, Thought Leader, and Consultant with more than 40 years of success in the financial services, executive coaching, oil & gas, and healthcare industries. Leveraging extensive experience in guiding business transformation for growth-oriented organizations, he is a trusted guide for mid-cap companies to large global enterprises requiring expert assistance with leadership development, team performance, employee engagement, culture shifts, and change management.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

October 20, 202630 min

Is AI part of your technology stack — or your talent stack?

In Episode 533 of Leadership Powered by Common Sense, Doug Thorpe sits down with Sara Skowronski, an HR and AI consultant who helps small businesses (50 employees or fewer) adopt AI without creating new risks. They talk about why AI belongs in your talent conversation, who should own it, and why AI should never be the one making a hiring or firing decision. Sara shares how she turned a two-hour resume reformatting job into a two-minute task, why "97 agents in a box" packages deserve a hard look, and how to protect sensitive employee data before it ever touches an AI tool. Doug tells the story of how a lawsuit landscape shut down production of the Cessna 172 — and why AI may be heading into similar uncharted legal territory. They wrap up with a practical hiring test that weeds out AI-polished resumes, and a Zappos lesson about seeing candidates when they think no one's watching. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

October 13, 202645 min

Leading Calmly When Everything's on Fire

How do you keep your cool as a leader when everything around you is on fire? Henry Evans knows. He went from a bullied, stuttering kid in Brooklyn to a self-made millionaire by 30, lost it all after 9/11, and then got recruited into a 22-year journey in counterterrorism and national security while building his consulting firm, Dynamic Results. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

October 8, 202637 min

Your Culture Says One Thing, Your People Do Another

Doug and Natalie talk about EOS and the "rocket fuel" between a visionary and an integrator. Doug explains getting your team into second gear, the discretionary effort people choose to give when the conditions are right. Doug tells the story of two companies with values printed on their security badges: one used them to make every decision, the other treated them as a joke. Natalie shares why operationalizing values means defining real behaviors, and why repetition alone won't build new habits until you get under the hood to people's inner operating system. Doug's banana bread latte story shows the difference between reacting and responding. And the episode closes with a client whose team finally started "flow-ting." Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

October 6, 202640 min

Your Employees Are Bypassing Your AI Policy

Episode 529: Is AI Leaking Your Company’s Data? with Denis O’Shea Introduction If you’re running your own business or even running a team in a larger setting, you probably have an idea of what your people are doing, and at least in your mind, maybe what they’re supposed to be doing. But do they really […] The post Your Employees Are Bypassing Your AI Policy first appeared on Leadership Powered by Common Sense . Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

September 29, 202633 min

Communication Is Leadership in Action

Episode 528 with Andrew Hurteau Introduction We frequently talk about executive presence and executive communication. It’s an art more than a skill. And my guest today is going to help us really peel that onion. His name is Andrew Hurteau. Andrew, welcome to the show. Thank you. Doug, how are you doing today? I’m doing […] The post Communication Is Leadership in Action first appeared on Leadership Powered by Common Sense . Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

September 24, 202639 min

Revenue Isn’t Profit — Plugging the Leaks in Your Business

Episode 527 with the “Profit Doctor” Ben Hansen Introduction You’re listening to Leadership Powered by Common Sense with your host, Doug Thorpe. Here’s Doug. Today we’re going to talk to the Profit Doctor, if you’ve got a business and maybe you’ve plateaued and wonder what’s going on, we may have some interesting information for you […] The post Revenue Isn’t Profit — Plugging the Leaks in Your Business first appeared on Leadership Powered by Common Sense . Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

September 22, 202633 min

The Integrator’s Seat — Confident Humility and Culture That Sticks

Episode 526 with Rebecca Johnson Introduction Hey, everybody, I’ve got a special going on here today. We’re going to have two back to back episodes with, ladies that are partners in a business. The business is focused on helping entrepreneurs and small to midsize businesses build great culture in their work. But they also happen […] The post The Integrator’s Seat — Confident Humility and Culture That Sticks first appeared on Leadership Powered by Common Sense . Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

September 17, 202631 min

You Lost Them In 11 Seconds

Episode 525: The Neuroscience of Ethical Persuasion, with Thomas Trautmann Introduction Hey, everybody. You know, it’s been said you make an impression in 10s. And my guest expands that window a little bit. He gave us 11 seconds to make that right impression. Today we’re going to dive into that very important topic of making […] The post You Lost Them In 11 Seconds first appeared on Leadership Powered by Common Sense . Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

September 15, 202634 min

Your Family Is Getting Leftovers

Episode 524: Warrior to Wealth — Why Your Home Life Has to Win First, with Jonathan Berryhill Introduction You know, when you’re in business or working your job as a leader, you may well kind of leave the family and the personal life behind. And it’s not uncommon. I’m not saying it as judgment, but […] The post Your Family Is Getting Leftovers first appeared on Leadership Powered by Common Sense . Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

September 10, 202637 min

Leading Under Pressure — Clarity, Communication, and Trust

Episode 523: with Fire Chief Eric Saylors Introduction Hey, everybody. We talked a lot about leadership being under pressure at times, and psychologists tell us that we inevitably have an alter ego that shows up when we are under pressure. But what if your whole job was fundamentally under pressure? My guest today is a […] The post Leading Under Pressure — Clarity, Communication, and Trust first appeared on Leadership Powered by Common Sense . Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.