The Love Monday Podcast

Hosted by Ryan Houmand

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Episodes

142

Latest episode

Jun 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

This podcast is devoted to showing people how to improve their lives by taking specific steps to love Monday just like Friday. Join host Ryan Houmand, author of "A Passion for Monday" as he and his guests break down exactly how you can love Monday just like Friday but for a different reason. For more information on how to Love Monday just like Friday go to: LoveMondayLikeFriday.com

Listen to episodes

60 recent

June 15, 20268 min

142. The Simple Test of Leadership: Will They Follow?

Send us Fan MailWhat makes someone a true leader? Is it a title, authority, experience, or results? In this episode of the Love Monday Podcast, Ryan Houmand explores the simplest test of leadership: Would people willingly follow you if your title disappeared tomorrow? Learn the difference between compliance and commitment, why employee engagement is really a followership issue, and what great managers do differently to earn trust, loyalty, and discretionary effort. If you're a manager, executive, HR professional, or aspiring leader, this episode will challenge how you think about leadership, employee engagement, workplace culture, trust, coaching, and influence.Support the showFor more information on how to love Monday just like Friday, got to: LoveMondayLikeFriday.com. Find more information from Ryan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-houmand/Get the book! "A Passion for Monday"

June 8, 20268 min

141. The 3 Manager Blind Spots That Quietly Kill Engagement

Send us Fan MailWhy do good employees disengage, burn out, or quietly quit even under “good” managers? In this episode of the Love Monday Podcast, Ryan Houmand breaks down the three biggest leadership blind spots he sees in management today: emotional disconnect, coaching avoidance, and lack of employee advocacy. Learn how these management behaviors impact employee engagement, retention, culture, and performance — often without leaders realizing it. If you’re interested in leadership development, employee engagement, manager coaching, Gallup research, or workplace culture, this episode gives practical insight into the hidden patterns that quietly damage teams.Support the showFor more information on how to love Monday just like Friday, got to: LoveMondayLikeFriday.com. Find more information from Ryan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-houmand/Get the book! "A Passion for Monday"

June 1, 20267 min

140. From Insight to Action: Where Most Leaders Drop the Ball

Send us Fan MailMost leadership assessments stop at awareness. A manager gets a score, glances at a report, and nothing changes. In this episode of the Love Monday Podcast, Ryan Houmand explains why the real value of the Love Monday Manager QB Rating™ isn’t the score itself — it’s the coaching and action that happen afterward. Learn how dimension-level feedback reveals leadership blind spots, improves employee engagement, and helps organizations build better managers instead of simply rating them. If you care about leadership development, management coaching, employee retention, workplace culture, or Gallup-style engagement, this episode is for you.Support the showFor more information on how to love Monday just like Friday, got to: LoveMondayLikeFriday.com. Find more information from Ryan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-houmand/Get the book! "A Passion for Monday"

May 27, 20269 min

139. The 9 Dimensions That Actually Define a Great Manager

Send us Fan MailWhat actually makes a manager effective?In this episode of the Love Monday Podcast, I break down the 9 core dimensions that define great management—based on real-world experience, employee engagement data, and what actually drives team performance.Most companies either don’t measure managers at all… or they measure the wrong things. The result? Inconsistent leadership, disengaged teams, and missed performance.Building on the idea of a “QB Rating” for managers and the evolution into the Love Monday Manager System™, this episode introduces the framework behind how great managers are evaluated and developed.You’ll learn:The 9 dimensions that separate average managers from great onesWhy most managers aren’t failing across the board—but in just a few key areasHow identifying specific gaps can unlock performance, engagement, and retentionIf you lead managers—or are one—this episode will challenge how you think about leadership and give you a clearer picture of what actually matters.Because great management isn’t random.It’s measurable. And it’s developable.#Leadership #ManagerDevelopment #EmployeeEngagement #LeadershipDevelopment #PerformanceManagement #LoveMondaySupport the showFor more information on how to love Monday just like Friday, got to: LoveMondayLikeFriday.com. Find more information from Ryan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-houmand/Get the book! "A Passion for Monday"

May 19, 202612 min

138. From Scorecard to System: The Missing Piece in Measuring Manager Performance

Send us Fan MailWhat if measuring manager performance isn’t enough?In this episode of the Love Monday Podcast, I build on last week’s concept of a “QB Rating” for managers—a simple, objective way to evaluate how effectively a manager is leading their team.But after pressure-testing the idea with a leader experienced in 360 feedback systems, something became clear:A score alone doesn’t develop managers.And feedback without a score lacks clarity and comparability.So what’s the answer?In this episode, I introduce the next evolution of the Love Monday Manager System™—a shift from measuring managers to actually developing them through a combination of: Clear performance scoring Dimension-based diagnosis Actionable coaching guidance If you’re a CEO, CHRO, or leader responsible for manager effectiveness, this episode will challenge how you think about manager evaluation, employee engagement, and leadership development.Because the real question isn’t: “How do we measure managers?”It’s: “How do we make them better?”#ManagerDevelopment #Leadership #EmployeeEngagement #PerformanceManagement #LeadershipDevelopment #LoveMondaySupport the showFor more information on how to love Monday just like Friday, got to: LoveMondayLikeFriday.com. Find more information from Ryan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-houmand/Get the book! "A Passion for Monday"

May 11, 202613 min

137. What If We Could Measure Managers Like We Do Quarterbacks?

Send us Fan MailWhat if managers were evaluated like quarterbacks?In this episode of the Love Monday Podcast, I introduce the concept behind the Love Monday Manager QB Rating™ — a new way to think about leadership, employee engagement, and manager effectiveness.We’ve got stats for athletes, KPIs for businesses, and performance reviews for employees… but almost no meaningful way to evaluate a manager’s ability to actually lead people.That’s a problem.Because managers impact nearly everything:Employee engagementRetentionBurnoutProductivityCustomer experienceTeam cultureDrawing from years of leadership coaching, Gallup research, and real-world management experience, I break down why traditional leadership evaluation misses the mark and why it’s time to raise the standard for managers everywhere.If managers are responsible for engagement, shouldn’t we start measuring leadership more intentionally?This episode is the introduction to a bigger conversation about blind spots, coaching, advocacy, accountability, and what it really means to move a team down the field.#Leadership #Management #EmployeeEngagement #LeadershipDevelopment #ManagerTraining #LoveMonday #CompanyCulture #Gallup #Coaching #LeadershipPodcastSupport the showFor more information on how to love Monday just like Friday, got to: LoveMondayLikeFriday.com. Find more information from Ryan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-houmand/Get the book! "A Passion for Monday"

May 4, 202621 min

136. A Service-Profit Chain Case Study

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Love Monday Podcast, Ryan explores a powerful Service-Profit Chain case study through Epic Systems and founder Judy Faulkner. Learn how strong internal culture, employee experience, and long-term leadership thinking can create customer loyalty, operational excellence, and lasting business success.If you care about employee engagement, leadership strategy, customer satisfaction, or building a great company culture, this episode breaks down why Epic Systems is another example of getting the fundamentals right—and why people-first organizations often win big.Link to Freakonomics Radio Epic Systems EpisodeSupport the showFor more information on how to love Monday just like Friday, got to: LoveMondayLikeFriday.com. Find more information from Ryan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-houmand/Get the book! "A Passion for Monday"

April 27, 202621 min

135. Employees: Do They Know? Do They Care?

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Love Monday Podcast, Ryan breaks down one of the simplest and most powerful frameworks in performance management: Do they know, or do they care? When employee productivity issues, quality problems, or missed expectations show up, great managers must diagnose before they react.Learn how to use the Coaching Cycle™ to uncover whether the issue is lack of training, unclear expectations, disengagement, low motivation, or poor role fit. If you lead people, manage teams, or want stronger employee accountability, this episode gives you a practical coaching tool to improve performance and engagement fast.Support the showFor more information on how to love Monday just like Friday, got to: LoveMondayLikeFriday.com. Find more information from Ryan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-houmand/Get the book! "A Passion for Monday"

April 20, 202615 min

134. Don't Be An Emotional Hostage

Send us Fan MailAre you stuck people-pleasing at work or in relationships? In this episode of Love Monday, we unpack how weak boundaries, conflict avoidance, and over-functioning can turn you into a hostage to other people’s moods, demands, and dysfunction. We explore why people pleasing feels noble—but often creates resentment, burnout, and loss of self-respect.Learn how to set healthy boundaries, stop absorbing everyone else’s chaos, and reclaim your time, energy, and peace. If you’re ready to stop managing everyone else and start leading your own life, this episode is for you.Support the showFor more information on how to love Monday just like Friday, got to: LoveMondayLikeFriday.com. Find more information from Ryan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-houmand/Get the book! "A Passion for Monday"

April 13, 202611 min

133. Using the Love Monday Tools to Be a Great Manager

Send us Fan MailYou’ve got the tools—now how do you actually use them together?In Part 2 of this Love Monday series, I go beyond individual frameworks and show how Development Ranking, the 5 Talents of Great Managers, Gainers & Drainers, and Career Drivers work as a system.Because great managers don’t use tools in isolation—they connect the dots.I break down how to integrate these tools to spot patterns, diagnose performance and engagement issues, and take the right action at the right time.This is where management stops being reactive—and starts becoming intentional, proactive, and effective.DM me if you want the Love Monday Tools. I'll need your email address. Ryan@lovemondaylikefriday.comSupport the showFor more information on how to love Monday just like Friday, got to: LoveMondayLikeFriday.com. Find more information from Ryan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-houmand/Get the book! "A Passion for Monday"