The Unleashing Leaders Podcast

Hosted by Lee Scott

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Jun 2026

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Unleashing Leaders podcast empowers leaders with stories and strategies to tackle tough challenges. Host Lee Scott shares practical steps to strengthen teams, clarify vision, and engage people.

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June 10, 202647 min

Perseverance in the Face of Adversity: From Geopolitics to the Gut Check with George Tagg Jr. | Ep 56

Setbacks don't send a calendar invite. They show up at 6 a.m. on a Teams call. In a hospital room. On a battlefield. George Tagg Jr. has met adversity at every one of those addresses. And every single time, he found a way forward. Attorney. Former DOJ Nazi hunter. A State Department and DOD official who negotiated in the Caucasus, was on the ground in Kyiv when Russia's invasion began, and managed the deconfliction line between U.S. and Russian forces in Syria. George has served across multiple presidential administrations. He is now founder and CEO of GTC 360 Advisors. And writing a book on resilience, including a chapter on dealing with bullies. Starting with Putin. But if you ask George, his hardest moments were never on a battlefield. Losing his grandparents young. Then his father, one of the most magnetic lobbyists in DC during the 90s, gone suddenly to a heart attack six months after 9/11. George was 20. He could have gone the other direction. Instead, he picked up the legacy, held onto the lessons, and kept going. That is what this episode is really about. Not the geopolitics. The process. A repeatable, human way of turning your worst moments into the thing that moves you forward. If you have ever faced a moment that felt unsurvivable, this one is for you. Additional Resources: Connect with George on LinkedIn Learn more about GTC 360 Advisors Attend Unleashing Leaders University! Sign up for our newsletter! Learn more about Unleashing Leaders Follow Unleashing Leaders on LinkedIn Connect with Lee on LinkedIn Follow Unleashing Leaders on Facebook Follow Unleashing Leaders on Instagram Key Takeaways: Lick Your Wounds, Then Move: why giving yourself grace after a setback is not weakness, it is the first step The Blamestorm Trap: how blaming others feels good for a minute and keeps you stuck indefinitely The 180 Turn: George's three-phase framework from retrospective grief to forward-facing momentum The Rabbi Rule: why your results will never speak for themselves and the connective tissue that keeps you standing The Rule of Threes: why trying something once tells you almost nothing and how to find what reignites you Compounding Works Both Ways: small investments in action compound powerfully

May 27, 202643 min

Ep 55: From Brain Dump to Breakthrough: Lessons from Healthcare's Frontlines on Getting Teams to Use Data That Saves Lives with Anna Basevich

Information transferred is not information absorbed. It sounds obvious. And yet most leaders keep running the same play anyway. The boot camp. The all-hands demo. The two-day blitz. And then three weeks later, nobody's using the tools. Anna Basevich has spent her career at the intersection of health data and human behavior. As SVP at Arcadia, she helps healthcare organizations turn fragmented, siloed data into life-saving decisions. She spent years flying across the country delivering marathon trainings that felt great in the room and evaporated by Monday. It took a pandemic, a rapid acquisition, and a ban on hospital hopping to force a better way. What came out the other side was a playbook built around one stubborn truth: people don't absorb what they're handed. They absorb what they use, revisit, and discover for themselves. The examples here come from the deep end. Nine-figure implementations. Heavily regulated data. Cross-functional teams who barely speak the same language. But every principle in this episode translates directly to any leader rolling out new tools, whether that's an enterprise platform or an AI pilot for a team of 20. Key Takeaways: The Brain Dump Trap: why cramming everything into two days guarantees your team forgets it by week three The T-Shaped Learner: broad awareness plus targeted depth beats the pure generalist and the siloed expert Chunk It or Lose It: bite-sized iterative rollouts unlock more value than any boot camp ever will Outcomes as North Star: why revisiting customer goals feels redundant until the moment it saves the whole project The Peer Effect: organic knowledge sharing among teammates beats top-down training every time The Unleashed Leader: passionate about the work and the outcome, together, not separately Additional Resources: Follow Anna on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabasevich/ Attend Unleashing Leaders University! Sign up for our newsletter! Learn more about Unleashing Leaders: https://unleashingleaders.com/ Follow Unleashing Leaders on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unleashingleaders Connect with Lee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leeallenscott/ Follow Unleashing Leaders on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnleashingLeaders/ Follow Unleashing Leaders on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unleashingleaders/

May 13, 202639 min

Ep 54: Music, Meaning, and the Power of Relentless Recognition: Unleashing Leaders Through Encouragement with Karen Jean Reed

What does a gospel saxophonist, a forensic psychiatric program director, and a community pillar have in common? They're all the same person, and she's been quietly unleashing leaders for over three decades. In this episode, Lee Scott sits down with Karen Jean Reed, Program 3 Director at Atascadero State Hospital, a cancer survivor, musician, and leader who built a culture of relentless recognition in one of the most demanding workplace environments imaginable. Frustrated early in her career by leaders who only spoke up when something went wrong, Karen stepped into management with a mission: change the music. Drawing on her roots as a music therapist, where she learned that every person has a "key signature" that unlocks their potential, she built a team culture anchored in one bold belief: Program 3 is the best program ever. Backed by 200+ framed certificates a year, potlucks, T-shirts, and specific weekly encouragement, her message never wavers: you are seen, valued, and essential. This episode is for any leader who has wondered whether the small gestures actually matter. Karen Jean Reed is living proof they do. Additional Resources: Attend Unleashing Leaders University! Learn more about Unleashing Leaders Follow Unleashing Leaders on LinkedIn Connect with Lee on LinkedIn Follow Unleashing Leaders on Facebook Follow Unleashing Leaders on Instagram Key Takeaways: How music bypasses the defenses that conventional leadership cannot Why Karen stepped into management when representation was scarce and changed the culture of recognition The "Program 3 is the best program ever" philosophy: aspiration as a leadership strategy Practical recognition tactics that cost little but land with lasting impact How faith, community leadership, and personal tragedy shaped her capacity to lead through adversity

April 22, 202614 min

Replay: Six Fundamentals of Human Needs with Lee Scott

What really drives people to say yes, lean in, and follow through? Lee Scott breaks down one of his go-to leadership frameworks: the six fundamental human needs, and how understanding them can instantly sharpen the way you lead. From certainty and variety to significance, connection, growth, and contribution, Lee explores how these needs shape motivation, influence behavior, and reveal what matters most to the people around us. He shows leaders how to listen for the clues, adapt their language, and connect change to what already fuels someone internally. This episode is a practical deep dive for people-first leaders who want to communicate with more clarity, inspire with more intention, and lead in a way that truly resonates. Additional Resources: Attend Unleashing Leaders University! Learn more about Unleashing Leaders Follow Unleashing Leaders on LinkedIn Connect with Lee on LinkedIn Follow Unleashing Leaders on Facebook Follow Unleashing Leaders on Instagram Key Takeaways: Motivation starts with understanding underlying human needs. People prioritize needs differently in each situation. Better leaders tailor language to individual drivers. Healthy strategies meet needs without harmful side effects. Influence grows when leaders speak others' need language.

April 8, 202622 min

Ep 53: The Compelling Invitation: How Leaders Get the Right People to the Table in the Right State with Lee Scott

Every leader has conversations they're dreading, avoiding, or fumbling before they even begin. In this episode, Lee Scott unpacks one of the most underestimated tools in the leadership toolkit, the compelling invitation. Not the ambush, not the vague "can we talk?" text, and not the cold command to report to the conference room. The compelling invitation is the art and science of getting the right person to show up curious, safe, and ready to engage, before the real conversation even starts. Drawing on frameworks from "Crucial Conversations," Chris Voss's "Never Split the Difference", Edgar Schein's humble inquiry, and Judith Glaser's conversational intelligence, Lee walks through the anatomy of a compelling invitation, and why skipping it is almost always your worst option. Whether you're navigating a performance challenge, pitching an idea upward, asking for a raise, or addressing friction in a long-standing relationship, how you extend the invitation shapes everything that follows. Additional Resources: Attend Unleashing Leaders University! Learn more about Unleashing Leaders Follow Unleashing Leaders on LinkedIn Connect with Lee on LinkedIn Follow Unleashing Leaders on Facebook Follow Unleashing Leaders on Instagram Key Takeaways: Why avoidance and assault are the two failure modes on either side of a compelling invitation The wedding invitation framework: the overlooked parallel to how leaders should open conversations Tailoring your invitation to DISC styles and the six fundamental human needs Contrasting outcomes vs. positions: what you want, and what this conversation is not going to be Giving people a genuine choice, and why "no" being on the table is actually a sign the relationship is working Real-world scripts across four scenarios: prospective clients, bosses, struggling employees, and personal relationships

March 25, 202634 min

Replay: Balancing Ideas and Advocacy in the Workplace with Jen Bauer

Change is inevitable, but fearless leaders choose to run toward it. In this replay episode, Lee sits down with Jen Bauer, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Culture at Miron Construction, to explore what it truly takes to build a people powered organization in an industry facing rapid transformation. From talent shortages to shifting workplace expectations, Jen shares candid insights on how purpose, community impact, and bold innovation are shaping the future of leadership. Together, Lee and Jen unpack how organizations can rethink recruiting pipelines, create meaningful internship experiences, and challenge the familiar phrase "that's not how we've always done it." With real world stories about investing in the next generation, embracing fresh perspectives, and cultivating ownership level engagement, this conversation highlights how culture driven strategies can unlock growth at scale. 💡 If you are a leader navigating change, striving to attract passionate talent, or searching for practical ways to energize your team, this episode offers both inspiration and actionable direction to help you build excellence from the inside out. Key Takeaways: Fearless leaders embrace change and view failure as growth. Talent attraction now requires purpose driven employer branding. Internships create future ready leadership pipelines. Fresh perspectives challenge outdated organizational norms. Culture and community impact strengthen retention and engagement. Additional Resources: Attend Unleashing Leaders University! Learn more about Unleashing Leaders Follow Unleashing Leaders on LinkedIn Connect with Lee on LinkedIn Follow Unleashing Leaders on Facebook Follow Unleashing Leaders on Instagram

March 11, 202653 min

Ep 52: Leading as a service to make a global impact in innovation and longevity with Jamie Justice

In this inspiring episode, Dr. Jamie Justice shares her journey from a snowboard athlete to a pioneering scientist and now a global leader in the fields of aging and health innovation. Discover how seeing leadership as a service at any level in the hierarchy, leveraging setbacks as launchpads, and relentless curiosity are transforming the quality and longevity of human life. This episode is a treasure trove for innovators, health leaders, and anyone passionate about transforming human potential through strategic leadership, partnership, and innovation. Key Takeaways: Get inspired about what humans can do when we innovate at the edge of humanity's greatest challenges via the X-Prize Early career leadership lessons to access mentorship and find your place to contribute even in a crowded room of experts Leveraging personal and professional setbacks to launch the next breakthrough Building and scaling interconnected communities through humility, service, and relentless curiosity Building innovative frameworks and navigating regulatory landscapes for scientific breakthroughs and rethinking limiting assumptions on human aging Additional Resources: Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn Learn more, compete, and contribution through the X-Prize: X-Prize X-Prize HealthSpan Competition Attend Unleashing Leaders University! Learn more about Unleashing Leaders Follow Unleashing Leaders on LinkedIn Connect with Lee on LinkedIn Follow Unleashing Leaders on Facebook Follow Unleashing Leaders on Instagram

February 25, 202622 min

Replay: Exploring the Impact of Leaders on Mental Health and Performance with Jen Arnold

In this replay episode, Lee sits down with Jen Arnold, CEO of Growth Signals, to unpack the real impact leaders have on trust, wellbeing, and performance at work. Jen challenges the surface-level approach to workplace wellness and reframes leadership as one of the most influential forces in a person's mental health and daily energy. She shares why trust is built in the smallest moments, how unclear expectations quietly erode culture, and what "compassionate candor" looks like when leaders go first with honesty and ownership. From missed one-on-ones to broken peer trust, Jen offers practical ways to repair relationships before resentment becomes the norm. Lee and Jen also explore the hidden stress of peer-to-peer conflict and the emotional energy it drains from teams. Together, they outline actionable steps leaders can take to name emotions, assume good intent, navigate workplace politics with integrity, and rebuild trust without sacrificing values. This conversation is a masterclass in resilient, people-first leadership that strengthens both culture and results. Key Takeaways: Trust builds in small, consistent daily actions Leaders impact mental health more than spouses Name emotions before addressing workplace conflict Acceptance reduces stress in peer tensions Politics is simply relationships with mixed interests Additional Resources: Attend Unleashing Leaders University! Learn more about Unleashing Leaders Follow Unleashing Leaders on LinkedIn Connect with Lee on LinkedIn Follow Unleashing Leaders on Facebook Follow Unleashing Leaders on Instagram

February 11, 202648 min

Ep 51: Leading in high positions at a young age: overcoming doubts from others and yourself with Charles Sharp

In this conversation, Charles Sharp reflects on what it means to lead at a young age, sharing the experiences and formative moments that shaped his confidence, credibility, and approach to leadership. He talks about early lessons in humility, respect and relationship-building including stories that taught him never to underestimate people and always treat everyone with dignity. Charles walks through his rise from coordinator to vice president in his early thirties, explaining how he learned to overcome doubts from others and from himself. He details how young leaders earn trust: by sticking to facts, delivering results, asking thoughtful questions, and staying humble even when they're expected to prove themselves. He also shares the internal battles that come with leadership — the fear of making mistakes, looking inexperienced, or asking for help and why mentors, feedback, and deliberate reflection are essential at every stage. Additional Resources: CFO and Senior Vice President of PRIDE Industries Attend Unleashing Leaders University! Learn more about Unleashing Leaders Follow Unleashing Leaders on LinkedIn Connect with Lee on LinkedIn Follow Unleashing Leaders on Facebook Follow Unleashing Leaders on Instagram Key Takeaways: If you get a job, the company believes you're the right person. Your confidence is key to your success. Being the youngest or starting out doesn't diminish your value. Self-belief can propel you forward in your career. Success builds upon itself, leading to further opportunities.

January 28, 202646 min

Ep 50: Seeing through the Hidden Blindspots of Leadership with Cyrus Aram

In this milestone 50th episode of the Unleashing Leaders podcast, host Lee Scott and guest Cyrus Aram shine a light on hidden blind spots of leadership. They discuss Cyrus's unique international experiences and early career challenges that revealed patterns in blind spots. Through stories of massive and micro scale changes, Cyrus shares how he learned how there are always blindspots and how to spot and reveal them, generally before the bite you. He then offers practical tips on a few blind spot antidotes: keeping culture front and center, navigating conflict resolution frameworks, leading customer-centric process changes, and balancing strategic and operational thinking. Cyrus emphasizes the need for both mentors and champions in one's career and shares valuable insights on how to find and access their wisdom effectively. Takeaways: Spotting the hidden cultural canaries that can derail mega changes (Bagel lady) Recognize and address team conflict with ABC (Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence) Overcoming internal bias by improving processes from the outside-in (Customer-centric) Differentiate and leverage both Mentors and Champions Picking up the cues when to be Strategic vs Operational Learning to read the micro-expressions and behaviors (Poker Tells) Additional Resources: Cyrus Aram, CEO Unleashing Leaders, Faculty Professor UC Davis Graduate School of Management, Tedx Talk Speaker: Linkedin-personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyrus-aram-688b1437/ Linkedin-UL company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unleashingleaders/ Ted Talk - Uncertainty Tolerated: https://www.ted.com/talks/cyrus_aram_uncertainty_tolerated_the_surprising_clarity_when_managing_ambiguity Escape from Tehran by Dr. Assad Aram. https://www.amazon.com/Escape-Tehran-Assad-Aram/dp/1492347620 Attend Unleashing Leaders University: https://unleashingleadersuniversity.com/purchase Learn more about Unleashing Leaders: https://unleashingleaders.com/ Follow Unleashing Leaders on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unleashingleaders Connect with Lee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leeallenscott/ Follow Unleashing Leaders on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnleashingLeaders/ Follow Unleashing Leaders on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unleashingleaders/