Humanergy Leadership Podcast

Impactful leadership development. For 25 years, Humanergy has helped leaders cut through the noise and take real action. This podcast delivers straight-talking insights, practical tools, and expert strategies you can actually use—right away. Whether it’s a deep-dive conversation with an experienced coach or a quick, powerful tip from the field, every episode is designed to help you lead with clarity and impact. Practical, proven, and built for real-world leadership.

Humanergy Leadership Podcast is a business podcast hosted by David Wheatley, with 248 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

David Wheatley hosts Humanergy Leadership Podcast, a business show with 248 episodes published.

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  Episode #255

  Ep 255 CEO Succession Planning: The Transition Starts Before the Handoff

  Sep 24, 202642 minS5

  When a CEO leaves, the entire organization goes through the transition, and how the exit is handled shapes what the next leader inherits. In this second conversation on executive transitions, David Wheatley, Judy Brown, and Rick Eigenbrod talk about why sense-making has to start the day a departure is announced, how boards and outgoing CEOs can plan the narrative together, and what it takes for a transition to end well. They also share a family business handoff that worked against conventional wisdom and Jeffrey Sonnenfeld's four styles of leadership exits. Humanergy is a leadership development firm helping leaders and executive teams since 2000; learn more at humanergy.com . Link to 1st executive transitions conversation . Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn . Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.

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  Episode #253

  Ep 253 Succession Planning Simplified

  Sep 10, 202615 minS5

  Succession plans live in a binder nobody opens until someone quits, and by then it's out of date. Here's a two-part excise you can actually run this week. In this episode, David Wheatley opens a four-part series on succession planning by skipping the expensive consulting version most companies pay for and never use again. Instead, he breaks it down to two tools built to actually get used - 2 Names, 3 Charts. Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn . Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.

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  Episode #252

  Ep 252: Why Being the Expert Isn't Enough Anymore

  Sep 3, 202626 minS5

  A lot of leaders build their careers on being the expert in the room. What happens when that stops working? David Wheatley talks with Nikki Patterson about why, as AI makes information available to everyone instantly, the leaders who succeed won't be the ones who know the most. They'll be the ones who can build a team willing to challenge them, question the machine's output, and learn faster than the situation changes. They get into what Nikki calls the silence tax, the cost organizations pay when people can see a problem coming and don't feel safe enough to say so, Amy Edmondson's research on psychological safety, and what it actually takes to shift your own identity from expert to expert learner. Humanergy has spent over two decades helping leaders build stronger teams and better conversations. Learn more at humanergy.com. Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn . Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.

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  Episode #251

  Ep 251: Leadership Books Worth Reading This Summer (2026)

  Jun 26, 20264 minS4

  Seven books. One summer. A few of them might change how you think about leadership. David Wheatley, co-founder of Humanergy and host of the Humanergy Leadership Podcast, wraps up the season with his annual summer reading list for leaders. This year's picks span decentralized leadership, AI, gender dynamics in the workplace, coaching philosophy, team performance, and how people build a life worth living. The books on the list: Turn the Ship Around by David Marquet — a classic on leader-leader culture that keeps coming back into the conversation for good reason. The AI-Driven Leader by Jeff Woods — the book Humanergy has been recommending all year for leaders trying to get a practical handle on AI. The Only Woman in the Room by Lisa Davis — not just for women. David interviewed Lisa earlier this season; this is a good companion listen. The Score Takes Care of Itself by Bill Walsh — a look at what actually goes into building a winning culture, from the coach who rebuilt the 49ers. And It Was Beautiful by Phil Hay — the story of Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds, and a counterpoint to Walsh worth reading alongside it. What Great Teams Do Great by Humanergy — if you haven't read it yet, it's 98 pages and worth every one of them. What to Make of a Life by Jim Collins — his newest book. If you know Collins from Good to Great or Great by Choice, you know what to expect: rigorous, research-driven, and worth your time. Drop your own summer reading recommendations in the comments. Humanergy is a leadership development company based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Learn more at humanergy.com. Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn . Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.

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  Episode #247

  Ep 247 "Why" Is Not a Neutral Question

  May 28, 20262 minS4

  When leaders ask "why," they often get defensiveness instead of dialogue, even when that's not what they intended. In this episode, David Wheatley explores why the word "why" tends to put people on the front foot and shares a simple language shift that changes the whole tone: replacing "why" with "what's causing that?" It's a small swap, but it opens conversations that might otherwise close down. Humanergy is a leadership development firm dedicated to practical, human-centered leadership. Learn more at humanergy.com. Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn . Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.

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