Leadership, Psychological Safety & The Power of Failing Forward I LJ Morris

In this episode of the 40% Better Podcast, Bill Lennan sits down with LJ Morris, Chief Technology Officer at ProScore Technologies, to explore the leadership lessons that shaped his career and his approach to building high-performing teams. LJ shares the incredible story of organizing a trip to Six Flags Magic Mountain at just 13 years old, an experience that sparked his passion for leadership and taught him the importance of bringing people together around shared experiences. The conversation covers servant leadership, psychological safety, building trust, learning from failure, employee retention, communication, emotional intelligence, and creating a workplace where people feel valued and supported. LJ explains why leaders should invest in their people, how creating a safe environment can encourage innovation, and why companies should focus on learning from calculated failures instead of creating a culture where people are afraid to take risks. He also shares practical lessons on communication, active listening, continuous feedback, career development, and the importance of helping employees work in roles that align with their strengths and ambitions. Key topics discussed: * The origins of LJ Morris's leadership journey * Servant leadership and investing in your people * How trust and psychological safety build stronger teams * Why leaders should create an environment where people can fail safely * Turning failures into opportunities for learning and innovation * Employee retention and the true cost of losing experienced talent * Building a culture of belonging and shared purpose * The importance of communication and emotional intelligence * Active listening and practical communication techniques * Continuous feedback vs annual performance reviews * Reducing chronic stress in the workplace * Supporting employee mental health * Developing future leaders through mentorship and vulnerability * Why leaders need to make space for better decision-making If you are interested in leadership, technology leadership, servant leadership, team building, employee engagement, psychological safety, workplace culture, or learning from failure, this episode offers practical insights for leaders at every level. Subscribe to the 40% Better Podcast for more conversations about leadership, technology, personal growth, and the lessons that help us become better leaders. Connect with LJ Morris on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ljmorris/ #Leadership #TechnologyLeadership #ServantLeadership #PsychologicalSafety #LeadershipDevelopment #TeamBuilding #WorkplaceCulture #EmployeeEngagement #LJMorris #ProScoreTechnologies #40PercentBetter #Podcast I hope you enjoy this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly. – Bill and the 40 % Better podcast team Connect with Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wblennan/ Visit the 40 Percent Better website here: https://40pb.com/ Listen to 40 % Better on these podcast platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/40%25-better---engineering-leadership/id1709546347 Amazon Podcasts: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/01ad162e-7a33-4df4-8c29-04c4af0405fc/40-better---engineering-leadership #40PercentBetter #BillLennan #Leadership #TeamPerformance #EmployeeEngagement #PsychologicalSafety #BusinessGrowth #Kaizen #EngineeringLeadership #Coaching The 40% Better podcast with Bill Lennan unlocks previously unheard-of performance levels in teams and leaders. Bill Lennan, founder of 40 Percent Better, interviews experts on employee engagement, psychological safety, engineering leadership, and actionable mental models. Learn how to foster high-performing teams, improve team productivity, and achieve sustainable success in business through a focus on human-centered systems. #technologyleadership #productmanagement #engineeringleadership #leadershipdevelopment #careergrowth #podcast