Lead Into It
84. What a Life-Threatening Health Scare Taught Him About Leadership, Success & People | Dave Guttman
What happens when you're 24 years old, working your ass off, building a successful career and suddenly you're told you might only have six months to live? For Dave Guttman that moment completely changed the way he thought about success. Thankfully, the diagnosis was wrong. But the experience forced Dave to step back and ask a much bigger question: What was all that work actually for? That question became a turning point in how he approached his career, his relationships, and eventually, his leadership philosophy. In this episode, Dave and I talk about: The health scare that became one of the biggest inflection points of Dave's life—and how it changed his perspective on success. Why Dave shifted toward servant leadership and decided to make success the side effect rather than the goal. The influence Dave's parents had on his ambition, emotional intelligence, and self-awareness. His experience at Wharton and the lessons he learned through the Small Business Development Center by working directly with business owners. Why Dave believes humility, curiosity, discipline, and fair-mindedness can matter more than raw talent when you're building a team. The interview process Dave uses to get beyond the polished answers, including open-ended questions, case studies, projects, reference checks, and 90-day plans. The difference between solving the problem and holding someone accountable —and why good leaders need to be able to do both. Why leaders should deflect credit, absorb blame, and be willing to publicly own their mistakes. How psychological safety and accountability can actually work together rather than being opposites. Why firing someone should never come as a surprise—and how waiting too long can impact an entire team. How Dave uses core values as a practical filter for hiring, promotions, recognition, and rewards. Why peer-driven recognition can help reinforce the culture you actually want to build. And why leadership isn't necessarily for everyone—and why the values of the people and organizations you work for matter so much, especially early in your career. About Dave Guttman Dave Guttman brings decades of experience in business and leadership to this conversation, sharing lessons he's learned from building teams, hiring and developing people, making mistakes, and—perhaps most importantly—learning how to lead with humility. How six words changed my life | Dave Guttman | TEDxSDSU Thanks for listening!! Let’s keep the conversation going: Connect with me on Instagram and LinkedIn , or subscribe to my weekly newsletter . Excited to be here with you!
