EPISODE · Jun 2, 2025 · 50 MIN
S8 E7: Your Leadership is a Joke (But Nobody’s Laughing) with Matt Poepsel
from I Hate It Here · host Hebba Youssef
Look, I’ll be honest: most “leadership experts” lowkey make me want to throw my laptop into a pool. But Dr. Matt Poepsel? This man’s the REAL DEAL! Marine veteran, Ironman triathlete, PhD in psychology, and the actual godfather of talent optimization (no, really, he wrote the book on it)! So when he says leadership today is broken, you listen. Today, we’re dragging egos, calling out the “hero leader” BS, and answering the question employees are too scared to ask: Why are so many leaders terrible at their jobs? From vulnerability without oversharing to why your status reports are already obsolete, this is the leadership reset you didn’t know you needed. Multi-state compliance is a nightmare—but SixFifty makes it easy. Get instant answers to employment law questions, generate a compliant multi-state handbook in minutes, and stay ahead of changing laws with automated updates. Visit SixFifty.com to learn more! Whether you’re scaling fast or filling a critical role, Oyster helps you tap into the global talent pool and navigate international hiring with confidence. Hire full time talent or work flexibly with contractors- hire remotely, manage payroll, and ensure compliance ethically, with real employment experts by your side. Visit oysterhr.com to learn more! 0:02:30 - One Truth About Work Matt Wishes More Leaders Understood 0:03:37 - How to Build Self-awareness as a Leader 0:06:57 - When A Leader’s Ego Gets in the Way of Good Leadership 0:09:36 - Spotting the Difference Between Authentic Leaders and Stiff Leaders 0:12:58 - A Game-changing Moment in Matt’s Leadership Journey 0:19:21 - What Employees ACTUALLY Want From Leaders 0:22:19 - If a Manager Only Has Time to do One Thing, What Should it Be? 0:27:07 - A Small Action Leaders Can Take That Has a Huge Impact 0:32:41 - The Fine Line Between Vulnerability and Oversharing 0:34:39 - Navigating Leadership in an Era of Burnout, Layoffs, and AI 0:40:03 - Something Every CEO Should Understand About Their Company 0:43:41 - Rewriting the Playbook on How Companies Develop Leaders And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Matt: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattpoepsel/ Follow Hebba: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef
What this episode covers
Look, I’ll be honest: most “leadership experts” lowkey make me want to throw my laptop into a pool. But Dr. Matt Poepsel? This man’s the REAL DEAL! Marine veteran, Ironman triathlete, PhD in psychology, and the actual godfather of talent optimization (no, really, he wrote the book on it)! So when he says leadership today is broken, you listen. Today, we’re dragging egos, calling out the “hero leader” BS, and answering the question employees are too scared to ask: Why are so many leaders terrible at their jobs? From vulnerability without oversharing to why your status reports are already obsolete, this is the leadership reset you didn’t know you needed. Multi-state compliance is a nightmare—but SixFifty makes it easy. Get instant answers to employment law questions, generate a compliant multi-state handbook in minutes, and stay ahead of changing laws with automated updates. Visit SixFifty.com to learn more! Whether you’re scaling fast or filling a critical role, Oyster helps you tap into the global talent pool and navigate international hiring with confidence. Hire full time talent or work flexibly with contractors- hire remotely, manage payroll, and ensure compliance ethically, with real employment experts by your side. Visit oysterhr.com to learn more! 0:02:30 - One Truth About Work Matt Wishes More Leaders Understood 0:03:37 - How to Build Self-awareness as a Leader 0:06:57 - When A Leader’s Ego Gets in the Way of Good Leadership 0:09:36 - Spotting the Difference Between Authentic Leaders and Stiff Leaders 0:12:58 - A Game-changing Moment in Matt’s Leadership Journey 0:19:21 - What Employees ACTUALLY Want From Leaders 0:22:19 - If a Manager Only Has Time to do One Thing, What Should it Be? 0:27:07 - A Small Action Leaders Can Take That Has a Huge Impact 0:32:41 - The Fine Line Between Vulnerability and Oversharing 0:34:39 - Navigating Leadership in an Era of Burnout, Layoffs, and AI 0:40:03 - Something Every CEO Should Understand About Their Company 0:43:41 - Rewriting the Playbook on How Companies Develop Leaders And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Matt: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattpoepsel/ Follow Hebba: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef
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S8 E7: Your Leadership is a Joke (But Nobody’s Laughing) with Matt Poepsel
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