40% Better - Engineering Leadership

In this episode of the 40% Better Podcast, Bill Lennan sits down with Chase F., Chairperson of the National Privacy Council, to discuss leadership, cybersecurity, privacy, career growth, failure, and the importance of building strong teams. Chase shares his unique journey from a 20-year career in law enforcement to cybersecurity, IT leadership, teaching, entrepreneurship, and privacy advocacy. He explains how his experience as a detective, undercover officer, dive master, and field training officer shaped his approach to leadership and helped him transition into the technology and cybersecurity space. The conversation explores why cybersecurity is ultimately a people and culture problem, not just a technology problem. Chase explains why organizations need to focus on cybersecurity education for everyone, not just IT teams, and why executive buy-in is critical to building an effective security culture. Bill and Chase also discuss the human side of cybersecurity, incident response, AI adoption, critical thinking, and why organizations should focus on people rather than relying solely on expensive security tools and technology. Chase shares lessons from running multiple companies and ventures, including why leaders need to recognize their own strengths and weaknesses, build teams with complementary skills, and find the right people to help achieve a shared mission. He also discusses the importance of self-awareness and why leaders should avoid trying to imitate someone else's leadership style. The conversation also dives into career advancement, networking, hard work, company culture, and why being known as a reliable and hardworking professional can open doors throughout your career. Chase explains why companies should treat employees with respect and dignity, listen to their people, and create environments where teams are motivated to go the extra mile. Bill and Chase also explore the value of failure and why some of the most important lessons in leadership and life come from mistakes. Chase shares why he believes leadership is a skill that can be learned and developed through dedication, practice, passion, and self-awareness. Topics covered in this episode: * Chase F.'s journey from law enforcement to cybersecurity leadership * Leadership lessons from law enforcement * Cybersecurity and privacy leadership * Building a strong cybersecurity culture * Why cybersecurity is a people problem * The importance of employee cybersecurity training * Executive buy-in and security culture * Cyber crisis response and incident preparedness * AI, critical thinking, and the human factor * Leading multiple companies and ventures * Building teams with complementary strengths * Self-awareness in leadership * Finding your own authentic leadership style * Career advancement and professional growth * Networking and the importance of relationships * Hard work, accountability, and building trust * Company culture and treating employees with respect * Learning from failure * Taking risks and overcoming fear * Why leadership can be learned * Building leadership skills through practice and experience Learn more about leadership, cybersecurity, privacy, AI, technology, and career growth on the 40% Better Podcast. Connect with Chase F. on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chaseprivacy/ #Leadership #Cybersecurity #Privacy #TechnologyLeadership #CybersecurityLeadership #AI #Management #LeadershipDevelopment #CareerGrowth #ChaseF #NationalPrivacyCouncil #40PercentBetter 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

In this episode of the 40% Better Podcast, Bill Lennan sits down with Zach Stein, Director of Information Technology at RuffleButts®, to explore his leadership journey, the transition from individual contributor to technology leader, and the lessons he has learned along the way. Zach shares how he grew from being the first developer at a company into a leadership role, building teams and taking on greater responsibility over a decade-long career. He discusses why communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and empathy can matter more than technical skills when hiring and leading software engineers. The conversation also dives into building a blame-free engineering culture, creating psychological safety, practicing reflective listening, leading with gratitude, and developing the self-awareness needed to become a better leader. Zach explains how therapy, reading, and personal growth helped shape his leadership approach and why accountability is essential to building high-performing teams. Bill and Zach also discuss communicating with executives and non-technical stakeholders, connecting technology decisions to business objectives, managing cloud infrastructure, and the challenges of balancing technical leadership with business priorities. For individual contributors considering a move into technology leadership, Zach offers practical advice on demonstrating leadership before receiving the title, taking on increased responsibility, and understanding that leadership means stepping away from the keyboard and empowering others to succeed. Topics covered in this episode: * Zach Stein's leadership journey * Transitioning from developer to engineering manager * Leadership in technology and software engineering * Hiring for communication and team fit * Problem-solving and the XY problem * Building a blame-free engineering culture * Psychological safety in engineering teams * Self-awareness and accountability * Leading with gratitude and reflective listening * Communicating with executives and stakeholders * Connecting technology to business goals * Cloud infrastructure and DevOps * Moving from individual contributor to leader * Why leaders need to empower their teams * Advice for aspiring technology leaders Learn more about leadership, technology management, engineering culture, and personal growth through the 40% Better Podcast. Connect with Zach Stein on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-stein-90654b5/ #Leadership #TechnologyLeadership #EngineeringLeadership #SoftwareEngineering #ITLeadership #Management #TechLeadership #PsychologicalSafety #EngineeringCulture #ZachStein #40PercentBetter 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

In this episode of the 40% Better Podcast, Bill Lennan sits down with Dr. Debra Clary, Founder & Leadership Advisor at The Clary Group, to explore the powerful connection between curiosity, leadership, performance, and personal growth. Dr. Debra Clary shares why curiosity is not simply an innate personality trait, but a skill and mindset that can be encouraged and developed. They discuss how curiosity impacts leadership performance, why organizations often unintentionally discourage curiosity, and how leaders can create a culture where asking questions, exploring ideas, and challenging assumptions are encouraged. The conversation also explores the neuroscience behind curiosity, learning, fear, and dopamine, including why curiosity can help reduce fear and unlock better thinking. Dr. Debra explains practical ways leaders can build curiosity into meetings, encourage teams to ask better questions, and create environments where people feel safe sharing their perspectives. Bill and Dr. Debra also discuss the role of curiosity in education, parenting, conversations, social anxiety, and personal development. Bill shares his own journey of overcoming social anxiety through a structured system of small, repeatable steps and explains how learning to talk with strangers transformed his approach to networking, job interviews, public speaking, and everyday conversations. Whether you're a leader, entrepreneur, manager, educator, or simply someone interested in becoming more curious and confident, this episode offers practical insights into how curiosity can help you learn faster, lead better, and improve performance. In this episode, you'll learn about: * Why curiosity can be learned and developed * The connection between curiosity and leadership performance * How curiosity influences the brain and learning * Why fear and curiosity cannot easily coexist * How leaders can create a culture of curiosity * Practical ways to encourage questions in teams and meetings * Why leaders don't need to have all the answers * How curiosity can improve resilience and problem-solving * The importance of curiosity in children and education * How to encourage better conversations in a screen-driven world * The connection between curiosity and social confidence * How small, repeatable habits can help overcome social anxiety * Why experimentation and failure are essential for innovation * How curiosity can help individuals and organizations perform better About Dr. Debra Clary: Dr. Debra Clary is the Founder & Leadership Advisor at The Clary Group and an expert on curiosity, leadership, and organizational performance. She is also the author of The Curiosity Curve, exploring how curiosity can transform leadership, culture, and performance. About the 40% Better Podcast: The 40% Better Podcast explores leadership, technology, personal growth, performance, and the ideas that help people and organizations become better at what they do. Connect with Dr. Debra Clary on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdebraclary/ #Leadership #Curiosity #LeadershipDevelopment #DrDebraClary #TheClaryGroup #CuriosityCurve #OrganizationalCulture #LeadershipSkills #PersonalDevelopment #40PercentBetter 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

In this episode of the 40% Better podcast, Bill Lennan sits down with Brandon Rockhold, VP Engineering at Aquia, to explore the principles of effective leadership, psychological safety, trust, emotional intelligence, and building high-performing technology teams. Brandon shares his journey from software engineering to leadership and explains how he stepped into management to protect and strengthen a team culture he deeply valued. The conversation explores why low ego and high support environments help teams collaborate, learn, and perform at their best. They also discuss how leaders can build trust by leading by example, creating psychological safety, embracing vulnerability, and recognizing their own emotional reactions before responding. Brandon shares practical insights on handling difficult conversations, staying calm under pressure, developing patience, and creating space between stimulus and response. The episode also dives into the idea of unconscious competencies and how leaders can identify the skills people naturally excel at, break those skills down into teachable parts, and help others develop them. Bill and Brandon discuss curiosity, self-awareness, confidence, continuous learning, servant leadership, and how technology leaders can reduce friction so their teams can do their best work. Key topics covered: * Brandon Rockhold's journey from software engineer to VP Engineering * How to build psychological safety within technology teams * Why low ego and high support create high-performing teams * Building trust through consistent leadership and leading by example * The role of vulnerability in effective leadership * Emotional intelligence and managing reactions under pressure * How to handle heated conversations and difficult situations * The importance of patience, curiosity, and active listening * Understanding unconscious competencies and making skills teachable * Building confidence as a new engineering leader * Creating a culture of continuous learning * Servant leadership and reducing friction for your team * Stoicism and the space between stimulus and response * Self-awareness and identifying where you lack confidence * How leaders can help people unlock their strengths and potential If you are an engineering leader, technology executive, manager, software engineer, or aspiring leader looking to improve your leadership skills, build stronger teams, and create a culture where people feel safe to learn and contribute, this conversation offers practical insights you can apply immediately. Guest: Brandon Rockhold VP Engineering @ Aquia Connect with Brandon Rockhold on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-rockhold/ #Leadership #EngineeringLeadership #TechnologyLeadership #PsychologicalSafety #EmotionalIntelligence #EngineeringManagement #ServantLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #SoftwareEngineering #HighPerformingTeams 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

In this episode of the 40% Better Podcast, Bill Lennan sits down with Kevin Dias, Founder of Ambiki, to explore leadership, remote teams, customer-driven product development, and the unexpected paths that lead to leadership in technology. Kevin shares how his leadership journey began by starting a college ski team and how that early experience shaped his approach to solving problems, building relationships, and taking initiative without waiting for authority or permission. The conversation covers practical leadership lessons, including why leadership is about trust and relationships, how to make better decisions, the importance of Nemawashi, and why great leaders don't always need to have all the answers. Kevin also discusses leading a 100% remote and distributed team, managing communication across time zones, building psychological safety, and using async communication effectively. He explains how his team uses video in GitHub pull requests to improve communication and even catch bugs before they reach production. A major focus of the conversation is the importance of listening to customers. Kevin shares how Coffee with Kevin helped his development team work directly with speech-language pathologists and how staying close to customers shaped Ambiki's product development. He also explains why teams should understand the problem behind a customer request instead of immediately building the requested solution. Bill and Kevin also explore the value of human customer support, why companies should not rush to replace customer service with chatbots, and how exceptional customer experiences can create loyal customers and long-term business value. Topics covered in this episode: * Leadership in technology * Kevin Dias' leadership journey * Building leadership skills through problem solving * Leading without formal authority * Trust and relationships in leadership * One-way and two-way door decisions * Nemawashi and building team buy-in * The importance of internal networking * Helping teams solve problems without giving all the answers * Building ownership within engineering teams * Managing 100% remote and distributed teams * Async communication and time zone management * Psychological safety in remote teams * Over-communicating in distributed teams * Video pull requests and better developer communication * Software quality and QA * AI and the future of software development * Voice of the customer * Customer-driven product development * Talking directly to customers * Human customer support vs AI chatbots * Building customer loyalty * Exceptional customer experience * Leadership lessons for technology teams Kevin Dias is the Founder of Ambiki, a platform built to help speech therapy private practices manage their business, documentation, billing, scheduling, and more. Connect with Kevin Dias on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-dias-ambiki/ Subscribe to the 40% Better Podcast for more conversations about leadership, technology, engineering, team building, and the practical lessons that help leaders become 40% better. #Leadership #TechnologyLeadership #KevinDias #Ambiki #EngineeringLeadership #RemoteTeams #CustomerExperience #ProductDevelopment #TechLeadership #LeadershipLessons 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

In this episode of the 40% Better podcast, Bill Lennan sits down with Crystal Rowland, Founder & Senior Consultant at Path to Serenity Consulting, for a powerful conversation about self-awareness, workplace well-being, emotional regulation, leadership, and finding purpose in your career. Crystal shares her personal journey from working in the insurance industry to developing training programs focused on workplace well-being, emotional awareness, and helping people become more present at work. She explains how observing gaps in communication and training led her to create workshops that addressed not only professional skills but also the human side of work. The conversation explores why self-awareness is the foundation of effective leadership and personal growth. Crystal discusses the importance of taking time to understand yourself, asking difficult questions, managing stress, and learning to regulate your emotions before reacting. Bill and Crystal also dive into the connection between employee well-being and business performance. They discuss how happy employees can contribute to stronger productivity, better retention, lower recruitment costs, and a healthier workplace culture. They explore why leaders should see themselves as guides rather than heroes and how great leaders create the conditions for their teams to succeed. Key topics covered: * Crystal Rowland's journey into leadership and workplace well-being * The importance of self-awareness and personal growth * Why emotional regulation matters in the workplace * Managing stress and burnout before they become overwhelming * Meditation and developing greater awareness of your thoughts * How to pause before reacting in difficult situations * The connection between employee happiness and business performance * Why leadership training is critical for managers * How poor leadership can impact employee retention * Creating a culture where employees feel valued and supported * The business case for investing in employee mental well-being * Why leaders should act as guides rather than heroes * Helping employees discover what they truly want to do * Building happier teams and more prosperous businesses * The importance of empathy in leadership * How new employees can bring fresh perspectives and valuable insights * Why self-care and workplace well-being should be part of leadership strategy If you are a leader, manager, HR professional, business owner, or professional interested in workplace wellness, emotional intelligence, leadership development, and building healthier teams, this conversation offers practical insights into how self-awareness and employee well-being can transform both people and organizations. Guest: Crystal Rowland Founder & Senior Consultant Path to Serenity Consulting Connect with Crystal Rowland on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cer4040/ #Leadership #WorkplaceWellness #EmotionalRegulation #SelfAwareness #EmployeeWellbeing #LeadershipDevelopment #EmotionalIntelligence #MentalHealthAtWork #WorkplaceCulture #EmployeeEngagement 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

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

In this episode of the 40% Better Podcast, Bill Lennan sits down with Jonathan Fullam, VP of Customer Engineering at vCluster, for a thoughtful conversation about leadership, team culture, employee motivation, and the human side of managing technology teams. Jonathan Fullam shares his journey from software engineering into leadership and the lessons he learned from working with strong leaders and role models. He explains why great leaders should put the spotlight on their teams, how to build trust, and why leadership is about helping others succeed rather than seeking recognition. The conversation also explores mental health, burnout prevention, rest and recovery, and the importance of modeling healthy work habits as a leader. Jonathan discusses how leaders can build stronger remote teams through intentional communication, meaningful connections, coffee chats, cross-team collaboration, and consideration for different time zones. You’ll also hear valuable insights on intrinsic motivation, identifying what drives individual team members, preparing future leaders before they receive a leadership title, and creating a culture where people can lead without being managers. Jonathan also opens up about one of the hardest parts of leadership: handling underperformance. He shares why honest feedback, clear communication, understanding individual strengths, and helping people find the right role are essential to effective leadership. Whether you're a technology leader, engineering manager, aspiring manager, or individual contributor looking to grow your leadership skills, this episode offers practical lessons on building happier, healthier, and more productive teams. Topics covered: • Leadership lessons from software engineering • Why leadership is not about the limelight • How great leaders recognize and empower their teams • Preventing burnout and prioritizing rest and recovery • Building trust in remote and distributed teams • Keeping employees intrinsically motivated • Developing future leaders before giving them a title • Creating a culture of coaching and collaboration • Managing underperformance with honesty and empathy • Finding the right role for every team member • Building happy and productive technology teams Guest: Jonathan Fullam Role: VP of Customer Engineering Company: vCluster Connect with Jonathan Fullam on LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanfullam/ Subscribe to the 40% Better Podcast for more conversations on leadership, technology, team building, and becoming a better leader. #Leadership #LeadershipDevelopment #TechnologyLeadership #EngineeringLeadership #RemoteTeams #TeamBuilding #EmployeeMotivation #Management #TechLeaders #JonathanFullam #vCluster #40PercentBetter 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

Leadership isn't about having all the answers. It's about continuous learning, building strong relationships, and helping others grow. In this episode of the 40% Better Podcast, Bill Lennan sits down with Justin Ryburn, Field CTO & Vice President, Global Solutions Engineering at Kentik, to discuss what it really takes to become an effective technology leader. Justin shares lessons from his leadership journey, the importance of a growth mindset, coaching high-performing teams, communicating with executives, and developing future leaders. Whether you're an engineering manager, tech lead, solutions architect, or aspiring leader, this conversation is packed with practical advice you can apply to your own career. In this episode: • How Justin Ryburn transitioned from technical expert to leadership • Why continuous learning is essential for every leader • Building relationships across teams and organizations • Coaching, mentoring, and developing future leaders • How to communicate technical ideas to executives and CFOs • Creating a culture of growth and ownership • Leadership lessons from successes and failures • Handling difficult conversations with empathy • Why great leaders focus on people first • Career growth in technology leadership Guest: Justin Ryburn Field CTO & Vice President, Global Solutions Engineering Kentik Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, technology, engineering management, career growth, and personal development. Connect with Justin Ryburn on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinryburn/ #Leadership #TechnologyLeadership #EngineeringLeadership #TechLeadership #Management #LeadershipDevelopment #CareerGrowth #GrowthMindset #EngineeringManager #CTO #SolutionsEngineering #Kentik #JustinRyburn #40PercentBetterPodcast #BillLennan 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

Leadership is more than managing people. It's about coaching them to grow. In this episode of 40 % Better, Bill Lennan sits down with Craig Hunt, Chief Technology Officer at Sagecrest Solutions, to discuss what separates great leaders from average managers. Craig shares how early leadership failures shaped his career, why leadership should be taught before someone gets promoted, and how coaching, ownership, transparency, and succession planning create high-performing teams. The conversation also explores AI in leadership, employee engagement, company culture, startup growth, and why investing in people delivers long-term business success. Whether you're a CTO, engineering manager, founder, team lead, or aspiring leader, this episode offers practical insights you can apply immediately. In this episode: • How Craig Hunt became a leader after an early failure • Why leadership is a skill that must be developed • Building future leaders before they get management titles • Creating a culture of ownership and accountability • Why coaching is the foundation of leadership • Employee engagement and retention strategies • Leadership lessons for startups and growing tech companies • The role of AI in software engineering and leadership • Succession planning and developing high-performing teams • Why curiosity and communication make better leaders Guest: Craig Hunt Chief Technology Officer Sagecrest Solutions Host: Bill Lennan About 40 % Better: 40 % Better is a leadership podcast hosted by Bill Lennan, featuring conversations with technology leaders, executives, founders, and innovators who share practical lessons on leadership, management, career growth, and building successful teams. Subscribe for more conversations with industry leaders. Connect with Craig Hunt on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hcraighunt/ #40PercentBetter #BillLennan #CraigHunt #Leadership #LeadershipDevelopment #TechnologyLeadership #CTO #EngineeringLeadership #EngineeringManager #SoftwareEngineering #Management #PeopleLeadership #CareerGrowth #EmployeeEngagement #Coaching #TeamLeadership #CompanyCulture #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #SagecrestSolutions #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

What does it really take to become a great engineering leader? In this episode of the 40% Better Podcast, Bill Lennan sits down with Matt Delacour, Chief Technology Officer at CoinList, to explore the leadership lessons that shaped his journey from entrepreneur and data scientist to CTO. Matt shares how coaching transformed his leadership style, why communication often matters more than technical ability, and how collaborative leadership creates stronger, more engaged engineering teams. He also discusses hiring, career growth, mentoring senior engineers, building high-performing teams, and why long-term thinking beats chasing every opportunity. If you're an engineering manager, software developer, startup founder, CTO, or anyone interested in leadership, career development, and building exceptional teams, this conversation is packed with practical insights. In this episode, you'll learn: • Matt Delacour's journey from entrepreneur to CTO at CoinList • Why soft skills are essential for engineering leaders • The value of executive coaching and self-awareness • How collaborative leadership improves team performance • Why managers don't need to be the most technical person in the room • Building trust and psychological safety within engineering teams • Hiring strategies for startups and growing companies • The importance of communication and career visibility • How to mentor engineers for long-term success • Why leadership is a marathon, not a sprint Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, technology, software engineering, management, and personal growth. Connect with Matt Delacour on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthieudelacour/ #Leadership #EngineeringLeadership #CTO #SoftwareEngineering #EngineeringManagement #TechLeadership #CareerGrowth #LeadershipDevelopment #StartupLeadership #CoinList #MattDelacour #40PercentBetterPodcast 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

Leadership is not about a title. It is about seeing a problem, taking initiative, and helping people succeed. In this episode of the 40% Better Podcast, Bill Lennan sits down with Natalie Renee Parker, Founder | Organizational Development | Talent Management | Employee Engagement at Natalie Parker Enterprises, to explore what real leadership looks like in today's workplace. Drawing from her experience across HR, talent management, organizational development, and executive coaching, Natalie shares practical lessons on employee engagement, leadership development, workplace culture, career growth, and creating meaningful impact without waiting for permission. Whether you're a first time manager, an executive, HR professional, or someone looking to grow your leadership skills, this conversation is packed with actionable insights that challenge traditional management thinking. In this episode, you'll learn: • Why leadership is a mindset, not a job title • How taking initiative can accelerate your career • The difference between managing people and leading people • Why employee engagement starts with trust • The truth about performance reviews and leadership accountability • How great leaders develop future leaders • Why understanding the "why" behind work matters • Building a healthy workplace culture • Strategic thinking vs constantly putting out fires • Career growth, influence, and leading without authority If you're interested in leadership, HR, organizational development, employee experience, talent management, executive leadership, career development, or workplace culture, this episode is for you. Connect with Natalie Renee Parker: Website: https://www.natalieparkerenterprises.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliereneeparker Subscribe to the 40% Better Podcast for more conversations with leaders, innovators, and industry experts sharing practical leadership strategies that help you grow personally and professionally. #Leadership #EmployeeEngagement #OrganizationalDevelopment #TalentManagement #WorkplaceCulture #LeadershipDevelopment #HRLeadership #Management #ExecutiveLeadership #CareerGrowth #BusinessLeadership #ProfessionalDevelopment #40PercentBetterPodcast 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

What does it actually take to get real business value from AI? Jimi Li, CTO at ALM Media, has spent the last three years running AI initiatives inside a company that just went through a successful private equity exit — and he's got the framework to prove what works. From his early days in GE's global leadership program to building L'Oreal's e-commerce platform at scale, Jimi's career has always centred on one question: how does the work you're doing connect to business impact? That same lens is exactly how he approaches AI today. In this episode, Jimi breaks down the three categories of AI value every tech leader needs to understand — productivity, product enhancement, and new revenue streams — and explains why productivity is the most talked-about and the most dangerous if you don't have the right system to capture the gains. He also shares how cross-functional "fusion teams" are collapsing the feedback loop between engineering and the business, why AI fluency is becoming the dividing line between those who thrive and those who get left behind, and what the inflection point for mass adoption actually looks like. Key takeaways: AI value falls into three categories: productivity gains, embedding AI into core products, and new product or revenue creation — each requires a different strategy and measurement approach Productivity savings from AI are real but easily lost if your organisation isn't structured to capture them Cross-functional fusion teams that include sales, finance, product, and engineering dramatically accelerate the feedback loop and motivate developers by connecting their work to real outcomes AI fluency — knowing what's good, what's wrong, and how to direct the output — is what separates high performers from the rest The inflection point for mass AI adoption is closer than most think, probably within one to two years, as friction around prompting and context drops Leaders should focus on re-imagining workflows and tasks, not just learning tools AI amplifies your thinking — it doesn't replace your critical judgment, and that judgment is your core value Connect with Jimi Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimi-li/ If this episode got you thinking differently about AI and leadership, hit subscribe and leave us a review — it helps more leaders find the show. 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

40 Percent Better Podcast with Bill Lennan featuring Jonathan Domsky, Founder and Coach at Untangled Coaching. In this episode, Jonathan shares his journey from accidental entrepreneur to leadership coach and explains how personal growth, self-awareness, and better leadership practices can transform businesses and lives. Jonathan talks about building a successful company, learning leadership through experience, creating strong team cultures, and why great leaders do not need to be the smartest person in the room. Instead, they need to empower their teams, remove obstacles, and help people succeed. They discuss leadership development, entrepreneurship, finding your purpose, overcoming limiting beliefs, building accountability, and discovering your zone of genius. Jonathan also shares how stepping away from a successful business helped him find more meaning and impact through coaching. Topics covered: • Leadership lessons from entrepreneurship • Building strong teams and company culture • Why leaders should empower instead of control • Personal growth and mindset transformation • Finding your purpose and zone of genius • Overcoming self-limiting beliefs • Creating a more meaningful business and life Guest: Jonathan Domsky Founder, Coach Untangled Coaching Connect with Jonathan Domsky on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/business-personal-growth-coach/ Subscribe for more conversations about leadership, entrepreneurship, business growth, and personal development. #Leadership #LeadershipDevelopment #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #Coaching #PersonalGrowth #Mindset #40PercentBetter #TeamLeadership #PurposeDrivenLeadership 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

40 Percent Better Podcast with Bill Lennan featuring Dominic Vogel, President of Vogel Cyber Leadership & Coaching. In this episode, Dominic shares his journey from cybersecurity leadership to entrepreneurship, the lessons he learned from burnout, and how self-awareness transformed his approach to leadership. They discuss the connection between leadership and cybersecurity, building trust, embracing uncertainty, the importance of curiosity, and why cyber risk should be treated as a business priority, not just an IT issue. Dominic Vogel talks about creating meaningful impact, developing stronger leaders, and helping organizations understand that security starts with people, culture, and better decision-making. Topics covered: • Leadership lessons from a cybersecurity career • Moving from corporate life to entrepreneurship • The role of curiosity in effective leadership • Cybersecurity as a business responsibility • Managing risk through better prioritization • Building resilient teams and organizations Guest: Dominic Vogel President, Vogel Cyber Leadership & Coaching Connect with Dominic Vogel on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/domvogel/ Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, business, technology, and personal growth. #Leadership #Cybersecurity #CyberRisk #BusinessLeadership #Entrepreneurship #CISO #InformationSecurity #40PercentBetter #LeadershipDevelopment 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

In this episode of 40 Percent Better, Bill Lennan sits down with Victor Augusteo, CTO @ Boon, for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership, decision-making, artificial intelligence, construction technology, and the mental models that shape success. Victor shares lessons from his personal leadership journey, explaining how concepts like enlightened self-interest, situational awareness, and pattern recognition influence both business and life. The discussion explores how leaders can develop stronger decision-making skills, build resilient teams, and create systems that scale knowledge across organizations. The conversation also dives deep into the relationship between human cognition and AI, comparing neural networks to human thought processes and examining how desires, aspirations, communication, and emotional resilience affect performance in high-pressure environments. Later, Bill Lennan and Victor Augusteo explore the construction industry's growing adoption of AI, including the challenges of construction estimation, data acquisition, commercial building projects, and the emerging market for barn dominium construction. Victor shares insights into startup growth, technology adoption, and the future of specialized AI models designed for construction workflows. Topics covered: • Leadership and personal growth • Situational awareness and mental models • Decision-making under pressure • Emotional resilience and communication skills • Neural networks and human cognition • Artificial intelligence and pattern recognition • AI adoption in construction • Construction estimation software • Barn dominium design and construction • Commercial and industrial construction • Startup challenges and innovation • Data acquisition for AI models • Technology adoption and market trends Whether you're interested in leadership development, AI technology, entrepreneurship, construction innovation, or building high-performing teams, this episode offers valuable insights and practical takeaways. About the Guest: Victor Augusteo is CTO @ Boon, where he focuses on leveraging technology and AI to solve complex challenges in construction, estimation, and business operations. Connect with Victor Augusteo on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoraugusteo/ Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, technology, entrepreneurship, and personal growth. #40PercentBetter #BillLennan #VictorAugusteo #CTOatBoon #Leadership #ArtificialIntelligence #ConstructionTech #AI #Entrepreneurship #DecisionMaking #MentalModels #ConstructionIndustry #StartupGrowth #Technology #BusinessLeadership 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

In this episode of 40 Percent Better, Bill Lennan sits down with Dave Bair, Operations Executive: Certified Change Management Professional; Collaborative Design & NLP Practitioner, to explore the leadership principles that help teams thrive in complex and fast-changing environments. Dave shares his leadership journey, the transferable skills that shaped his career, and why creating clarity, trust, and psychological safety is essential for high-performing teams. The conversation covers learning organizations, effective communication, cultural learning, team dynamics, and the evolving role of leaders in modern organizations. Whether you're a manager, executive, team leader, or aspiring leader, this episode offers practical insights on building trust, fostering continuous learning, and leading with self-awareness. Topics Covered: • Leadership in technology • Leadership journey and transferable skills • Building trust within teams • Psychological safety at work • Learning organizations and continuous improvement • Communication strategies for leaders • Team dynamics and organizational culture • Change management and leadership development • Technical leadership vs people leadership • Self-awareness and vulnerability in leadership Key Takeaways: • Leadership is about creating clarity and trust. • Psychological safety encourages innovation and learning. • Effective communication requires understanding your audience. • Cultural learning is just as important as technical learning. • Trust is built through consistent actions over time. • Great leaders enable their teams to succeed. About the Guest: Dave Bair is an Operations Executive, Certified Change Management Professional, Collaborative Design & NLP Practitioner with extensive experience leading teams, driving organizational change, and building learning-focused cultures. Connect with Dave Bair on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bairdave/ Connect with 40 Percent Better for more conversations on leadership, learning, personal growth, and professional development. #40PercentBetter #BillLennan #DaveBair #Leadership #TechnologyLeadership #PsychologicalSafety #TeamDynamics #LearningOrganization #LeadershipDevelopment #CommunicationSkills #TrustInLeadership #ChangeManagement #OrganizationalCulture #Management #ProfessionalGrowth 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

In this episode of 40 Percent Better, Bill Lennan sits down with Craig Taylor, CEO and Co-Founder of CyberHoot, to talk about leadership, cybersecurity, communication, and the power of positive reinforcement in workplace training. Craig shares his journey from early leadership experiences and public speaking failures to building a cybersecurity company focused on making security awareness engaging, human, and effective. The conversation dives into leadership lessons, root cause problem solving, social anxiety, Toastmasters, AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude, and why most cybersecurity training fails employees. You’ll also hear how CyberHoot is changing the way organizations approach cybersecurity awareness through gamification, behavioral psychology, and educational design. Topics covered: • Leadership lessons from failure • Public speaking and overcoming social anxiety • Root cause analysis in tech leadership • Cybersecurity awareness training • Positive reinforcement vs punishment culture • AI tools for writing and productivity • ChatGPT vs Claude • Building company culture in tech • Psychology and behavior change • Entrepreneurship and startup growth About the Guest: Craig Taylor is the CEO and Co-Founder of CyberHoot, a cybersecurity awareness and training platform that helps organizations improve cyber literacy through engaging and positive learning experiences. With a background in psychology, cybersecurity, and education, Craig brings a unique perspective to leadership and human behavior in technology. Companies and People Mentioned: 40 Percent Better Bill Lennan Craig Taylor CyberHoot Connect with Craig Taylor on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigmtaylor/ Learn more about CyberHoot: https://cyberhoot.com](https://cyberhoot.com Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, technology, communication, and personal growth. #40PercentBetter #BillLennan #CraigTaylor #CyberHoot #CyberSecurity #Leadership #AI #ChatGPT #ClaudeAI #PublicSpeaking #SocialAnxiety #TechLeadership #Entrepreneurship #CyberAwareness #businesspodcast 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

In this episode of 40 Percent Better, Bill Lennan sits down with Gavin McMahon, CEO of fassforward and author of Story Business, for a fascinating conversation about leadership, storytelling, team alignment, and the power of creating shared context. Drawing from his experience working with organizations around the world, Gavin explains why storytelling is one of the most effective tools a leader can use to inspire action, build trust, and help teams make better decisions. The discussion explores how leaders can create motivated, high-performing teams by focusing less on directing every task and more on helping people understand the bigger picture. Topics covered include: * Why storytelling is a critical leadership skill * The difference between empowerment and agency * How great leaders create alignment across teams * The Hope, Fear, and Reason framework for influencing decisions * Building intrinsically motivated teams * Product storytelling and innovation lessons from Slack * Why engineers and technical professionals benefit from storytelling skills * Leading organizational change through better communication * Creating cultures that encourage ownership and growth Gavin also shares stories from his career, insights from researching and writing Story Business, and practical advice for managers, executives, founders, and aspiring leaders looking to improve how they communicate and influence others. About Gavin McMahon Gavin McMahon is the CEO of fassforward, a consulting firm that helps organizations navigate transformation and change. He is the author of Story Business, a book that explores how storytelling can be used to drive better leadership, stronger brands, more effective products, and healthier organizational cultures. Connect with Gavin McMahon on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gmcmahon/ Subscribe to 40 Percent Better for more conversations on leadership, technology, management, and personal growth. #40PercentBetter #BillLennan #GavinMcMahon #fassforward #CEO #Leadership #Storytelling #Management #TeamLeadership #BusinessLeadership #CommunicationSkills #ProfessionalDevelopment #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

In this episode of 40 Percent Better, Bill Lennan sits down with Jimmy Burroughes, Founder of Aidencoach.io, to explore what real leadership looks like beyond job titles and hierarchy. The conversation dives deep into practical leadership lessons drawn from military cadets, software teams, and modern organizations struggling with complexity, trust, and execution. Jimmy shares his core philosophy of leadership as a mindset, not a position, and introduces powerful ideas like friction removal and compound performance through his Simplify to Amplify approach. Together, Bill and Jimmy unpack why so many teams feel stuck despite working hard, and how clarity, ownership, and better communication can unlock significantly higher performance. They also discuss how leaders can reduce overwhelm by prioritizing impact over urgency, using simple frameworks like weekly alignment check-ins, the 3 by 3 by 3 method, and setting clear decision boundaries within teams. The discussion highlights how trust, autonomy, and role clarity directly influence motivation, engagement, and results. Bill brings his experience from product and startup environments, connecting leadership theory to real-world execution challenges in tech teams, prioritization battles, and stakeholder management. Key topics covered: Leadership as a mindset Friction removal in organizations Simplify to Amplify framework Compound performance and 1 percent improvements Building trust and psychological safety Role clarity and ownership in teams Managing priorities and stakeholder alignment Practical communication systems for leaders Guest: Jimmy Burroughes, Founder, Aidencoach.io Connect with Jimmy Burroughes on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmyburroughes/ Host: Bill Lennan Podcast: 40 Percent Better If you are a team leader, manager, or aspiring leader looking to improve team performance without adding complexity, this conversation offers practical, real-world tools you can start using immediately. 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

Welcome to 40 Percent Better with Bill Lennan featuring Joshua Gould, Group CEO @ thebigword In this episode, Bill Lennan and Joshua Gould dive into leadership, AI, business growth, technology transformation, and what it really takes to build resilient teams in a rapidly changing world. Joshua shares his journey of growing thebigword from a $6 million business into a company generating over $100 million in revenue. The conversation explores AI evolution, leadership principles, communication skills, sales mindset, startup challenges, hiring resilient people, and how technology can strengthen human potential instead of replacing it. Topics covered: • AI and leadership in modern business • Building resilient teams • Scaling from millions to $100M+ revenue • Hiring for mindset and adaptability • Communication and people skills • Sales psychology and rejection • Startup growth lessons • Human leadership in an AI-driven world 40 Percent Better Bill Lennan Joshua Gould Group CEO @ thebigword Connect with Joshua Gould on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuadgould/ #40percentbetter #BillLennan #JoshuaGould #Leadership #AI #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #Technology #Startups #Sales #Management #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

In this episode of 40 Percent Better, Bill Lennan sits down with Charley Wedeen-Zittle, Sr. Value Engineer at Box, for a raw and thoughtful conversation about leadership, power dynamics, and what actually makes people thrive at work. Charley shares how her leadership journey began early in life, shaped by a strong sense of responsibility and a belief that if you care, you step up. From student leadership to navigating complex workplace environments, she reflects on lessons learned the hard way, including balancing efficiency with empathy and learning how to lead with people, not over them. This conversation goes deep into what separates good leaders from ineffective ones. You will hear honest perspectives on intrinsic motivation, why co-creating environments leads to better outcomes, and how leadership is less about control and more about enabling others to succeed. Bill and Charley also unpack the idea that leadership is a system that can be learned, practiced, and improved over time. A major theme throughout the episode is the gap between what companies say and what they actually do. Charley challenges performative approaches to leadership, diversity, and workplace culture, explaining why checking boxes never replaces genuine care for people. She also shares real experiences navigating toxic environments and offers clear, practical advice on how to handle difficult managers, when to give feedback, and when it is time to walk away. The discussion also explores managing up, managing across, and understanding power structures inside organizations. Charley breaks down how to communicate effectively with leaders, advocate for yourself, and build influence without formal authority. Bill adds insights on leadership as a learnable system, including how breaking skills into small, repeatable actions can help anyone grow into a stronger leader. You will also hear powerful insights on resilience, personal responsibility, and the courage it takes to operate outside your comfort zone. Whether it is giving feedback, navigating difficult conversations, or building emotional composure, this episode offers practical ways to grow both professionally and personally. Topics covered: leadership development and mindset managing up and influencing without authority workplace culture and employee experience handling toxic managers and difficult situations intrinsic motivation and team performance leadership systems and skill building career growth and feedback strategies personal responsibility and resilience Featuring: Bill Lennan Host of 40 Percent Better Charley Wedeen-Zittle Sr. Value Engineer Box Connect with Charley Wedeen-Zittle on Linkedln - https://www.linkedin.com/in/wedeen/ If you are looking to become a better leader, navigate workplace challenges, or understand how to build real influence at work, this episode delivers clear, honest, and actionable insights. Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, growth, and real experiences from the tech world. 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

Step inside a real-world tech leadership journey in this episode of 40 Percent Better with Bill Lennan and guest Juan Boyce, Chief Technology Officer, Principal Software Engineer at Boyce Tech. Juan shares how he got started in software engineering at startups, where leadership often shows up before the title does. He talks about automating his early work, earning recognition from leadership, and learning how to influence teams through action rather than authority. The conversation explores the difference between startup environments and large companies, why hands-on problem solving matters, and how early exposure to responsibility can shape stronger engineers and leaders. Juan also opens up about making bold career moves, including relocating to Silicon Valley to level up his skills and opportunities. A big part of this episode focuses on adaptability. Juan explains how multiple career pivots pushed him toward self-reflection, helping him sharpen his thinking, improve decision making, and stay relevant in a fast-changing tech landscape. From transitioning programming languages to embracing AI-driven development, his journey highlights what it really takes to evolve over time. You will also hear practical insights on software architecture, including how to think in trade-offs, design scalable systems, and build with long-term flexibility in mind. Juan shares why coding languages matter less than understanding systems, and how modern tools like AI are reshaping the way developers work. This episode is especially valuable for aspiring developers, engineers early in their careers, and anyone curious about leadership in tech. Juan offers grounded advice on getting started, building real projects, staying out of your comfort zone, and choosing a career path you genuinely enjoy. If you are looking to grow in tech, lead without a title, or understand how to stay adaptable in a changing industry, this conversation delivers clear, honest insights from someone who has lived it. Topics covered: software engineering careers startup vs corporate experience leadership without a title career pivots in tech software architecture and system design AI in software development adapting to change in technology building real-world coding skills Featuring: Bill Lennan Host of 40 Percent Better Juan Boyce Chief Technology Officer, Principal Software Engineer Boyce Tech Connect with Juan Boyce on linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/juanboyce/ Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, growth, and real stories from the tech world. 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

Welcome to the 40% Better podcast with your host, Bill Lennan!In this episode, we sit down with Rob Zuber to explore his candid journey into leadership—from the trial by fire of the startup world to managing complexity in scaling organizations. This conversation is a masterclass in how to build a high-performing culture by putting people first.Rob dives deep into the non-negotiables of modern leadership, emphasizing why psychological safety isn't just a buzzword, but the foundation for true innovation and honest feedback. We discuss the critical role of clarity in leadership, how to cultivate intrinsic motivation in your team, and the power of genuinely learning from mistakes instead of fearing them.If you are a founder, manager, or an aspiring leader interested in team building, achieving a flow state in your work, and maintaining organizational identity while scaling, this episode is essential listening.🔥 Key Takeaways You'll Get from Rob:Why embracing your limitations is the first step to becoming a better leader.The essential ingredients for creating psychological safety that drives innovation.How intrinsic motivation fuels performance more than external incentives.Balancing structure and flexibility as your organization grows.The secret to maintaining clarity and organizational identity during hyper-growth.🎤 Sound Bites from the Episode:"I realized that I wasn't a great team player.""It's very much up or out.""They found their tribe and that's awesome."

What does it actually take to get real business value from AI? Jimi Li, CTO at ALM Media, has spent the last three years running AI initiatives inside a company that just went through a successful private equity exit — and he's got the framework to prove what works. From his early days in GE's global leadership program to building L'Oreal's e-commerce platform at scale, Jimi's career has always centred on one question: how does the work you're doing connect to business impact? That same lens is exactly how he approaches AI today.In this episode, Jimi breaks down the three categories of AI value every tech leader needs to understand — productivity, product enhancement, and new revenue streams — and explains why productivity is the most talked-about and the most dangerous if you don't have the right system to capture the gains. He also shares how cross-functional "fusion teams" are collapsing the feedback loop between engineering and the business, why AI fluency is becoming the dividing line between those who thrive and those who get left behind, and what the inflection point for mass adoption actually looks like.Key takeaways:AI value falls into three categories: productivity gains, embedding AI into core products, and new product or revenue creation — each requires a different strategy and measurement approachProductivity savings from AI are real but easily lost if your organisation isn't structured to capture themCross-functional fusion teams that include sales, finance, product, and engineering dramatically accelerate the feedback loop and motivate developers by connecting their work to real outcomesAI fluency — knowing what's good, what's wrong, and how to direct the output — is what separates high performers from the restThe inflection point for mass AI adoption is closer than most think, probably within one to two years, as friction around prompting and context dropsLeaders should focus on re-imagining workflows and tasks, not just learning toolsAI amplifies your thinking — it doesn't replace your critical judgment, and that judgment is your core valueConnect with Jimi Li:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimi-li/If this episode got you thinking differently about AI and leadership, hit subscribe and leave us a review — it helps more leaders find the show.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 teamConnect 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/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0Apple 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

In this episode of the 40% Better Podcast, Jeremy Hass shares powerful insights from his leadership journey, shaped by his experiences in the military, startups, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.Jeremy dives into the importance of resilience, risk-taking, and personal growth, explaining how embracing challenges can lead to long-term success in both life and business. He also discusses how Brazilian Jiu Jitsu transformed his mindset, teaching discipline, adaptability, and emotional resilience.The conversation explores how leaders can build strong teams, communicate effectively, and develop future leaders within their organizations. Jeremy also shares practical advice for navigating failure, pursuing meaningful work, and surrounding yourself with the right people.What you’ll learn in this episode:Why resilience is essential for leadership and business successHow Brazilian Jiu Jitsu shapes mindset and disciplineThe importance of risk-taking in personal and professional growthHow to build and mentor future leadersWhy effective communication is critical in leadership rolesHow to overcome failure and learn from setbacksThe value of emotional intelligence in leadershipWhy chasing passion leads to long-term fulfillmentKey insights:“I’d rather try and fail than not try at all.”“Surrounding yourself with the right people is key.”“Jiu Jitsu saved my life.”“My job is to build and enable the person below me.”“Chase what makes you happy.”This episode is perfect for leaders, founders, entrepreneurs, and anyone looking to grow personally and professionally through resilience, discipline, and purpose.Timestamps:00:00 The Foundations of Leadership02:52 Early Career Experiences and Responsibilities05:53 Embracing Challenges and Risk-Taking09:00 Resilience and Overcoming Failure12:07 The Role of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Personal Growth15:08 Leadership Lessons from Martial Arts18:08 Current Work and Helping Startups21:13 Operational Challenges in Business23:52 Building Future Leaders26:57 Effective Communication in Leadership30:12 Personal Projects and Future Aspirations33:11 Final Thoughts and Words of WisdomSubscribe for more conversations on leadership, growth, and performance.#Leadership #Resilience #PersonalGrowth #Entrepreneurship #Startups #EmotionalIntelligence #RiskTaking #Mindset #BusinessGrowth #40PercentBetterI 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 teamConnect 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/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0Apple 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

In this episode of the 40% Better Podcast, Tamara Laine shares her unconventional leadership journey from teaching dance at a young age to working in documentaries, journalism, and eventually leading in the tech world.Tamara breaks down how taking risks, embracing failure, and building resilience shaped her career and leadership style. She explains why confidence is built through repetition, how communication is a learned skill, and why breaking big goals into micro tasks is essential for success.The conversation also explores leadership in startups, building effective systems, and how great leaders empower their teams while staying adaptable. Tamara shares practical insights on overcoming fear, developing strong communication skills, and creating a mindset that turns challenges into opportunities.What you’ll learn in this episode:How an unconventional career path can lead to strong leadershipWhy repetition and practice build confidence and communication skillsThe importance of breaking goals into small, actionable stepsHow to overcome fear and social anxiety through systemsWhy risk-taking is essential for personal and professional growthHow to build and lead high-performing teams in startupsThe role of systems and structure in execution and productivityWhy failure is a critical part of long-term successKey insights:“I’d rather try and fail than not try at all.”“You have to put the reps in.”“Failure is a step toward the destination.”“Surround yourself with the right people.”“Chase what makes you happy.”This episode is perfect for founders, leaders, and professionals looking to grow through resilience, improve communication, and build a mindset that embraces risk and opportunity.Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, growth, and performance.#Leadership #PersonalGrowth #Entrepreneurship #Startups #Mindset #Resilience #CommunicationSkills #CareerGrowth #BusinessGrowth #40PercentBetterI 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 teamConnect 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/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0Apple 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

Serial entrepreneur Oscar Hedaya, founder of SPACE and The Space Safe, joins Bill Lennan on the 40% Better podcast for a wide-ranging conversation on what real leadership looks like across industries. Oscar's career has taken him from visual merchandising in New York to touch-screen gloves, electric mobility, and now the world's first smart safe with a built-in camera, touchscreen, tamper sensors, and app connectivity. Along the way, he's built and led teams of 25+ people across hardware, software, firmware, and design, and he shares the hard-won lessons that came from managing very different personalities under one roof. The conversation digs into the messy, human side of leadership: how to handle conflict without letting it fester, why getting quiet team members to speak up can completely transform a team's output, and how psychological safety and employee happiness aren't soft extras but core performance drivers. Oscar and Bill also unpack the challenge of getting cross-functional teams speaking the same language, the power of extreme ownership when things go wrong, and why small gestures like better coffee or Friday pizza often matter more than a pay rise. Key TakeawaysLeaders who come from under-resourced backgrounds often develop stronger creative problem-solving instincts early onManaging larger teams means spending significant time on interpersonal issues, not just the work itselfBringing clashing team members together socially is often the most effective way to defuse conflictGetting promoted doesn't mean doing more of the same job; the role fundamentally changesQuiet, high-performing team members need time and consistent encouragement before they'll speak up in group settings, but it's worth the investmentCross-functional teams (hardware, firmware, software, design) each speak a different language; a good leader bridges that gapWhen something goes wrong, blame-minimising and accountability-taking from the top changes the entire team cultureEmployee happiness is a business metric: appreciated employees go beyond their job description, stay longer, and produce better workSmall perks (better coffee, free lunch, a nearby hotel room for late nights) create disproportionate goodwill and loyaltyUpgrading team equipment is one of the highest-ROI investments a leader can makeConnect with Oscar Hedaya: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oscar-hedaya-b1a76b3/ Website: https://www.thespacesafe.com If you found this episode useful, hit subscribe and leave a review. It really helps the show reach more leaders who want to build better teams.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 teamConnect 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/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0Apple 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

Most organizations measure engagement. But engagement only tells you who's busy, not who's going to stay. Andrea D. Carter, organizational scientist and creator of the Belonging First methodology, joins the 40% Better podcast to share why belonging is measurable performance infrastructure and what technical leaders need to build it on purpose. Andrea is CEO and Founder of Andrea Carter Consulting and creator of the Belonging First Methodology.Andrea developed the first scientifically validated framework for measuring workplace belonging, starting with a two-year study across 3,500+ employees in Canada's mining sector. The findings were clear: belonging gaps aren't primarily a diversity issue, they're a positional power issue. And when those gaps close, organizations see a 24% reduction in belonging gaps, a 28% increase in performance, an 18% increase in engagement, and a 16% reduction in turnover.In this conversation, Andrea walks through the five conditions that must be present for belonging to exist: comfort, connection, contribution, psychological safety, and well-being. She translates each into practical, behavioral actions leaders can take immediately, from how to open a meeting to how to rotate facilitation to how to name the impact of someone's work, not just the task they completed. Bill and Andrea also dig into why brilliant technical work dies in silos when connection is low, why resilience training alone sets people up to fail, and how belonging is fundamentally interdependent, not something one person figures out alone.Key TakeawaysBelonging is not a feeling. It is measurable performance infrastructure with direct impact on speed, quality, retention, and engagement.The five indicators of belonging are comfort, connection, contribution, psychological safety, and well-being. Each one has specific behaviors attached to it that leaders can implement immediately.Comfort is about cognitive load management. When roles, expectations, and decision processes are predictable, people's brains stop scanning for threats and free up capacity for complex problem-solving.Connection is your information transfer protocol. When trust is high and information flows without verification overhead, cross-functional collaboration accelerates and quality goes up.Contribution requires making impact visible, not just task completion. Acknowledge specifically how someone's work moved things forward and create visibility for your B and C contributors, not just your A players.Psychological safety is your early warning system. It only functions well when comfort is already present. Without it, people silence themselves before errors reach a point where they're catastrophic to fix.Well-being is infrastructure, not a perk. Resilience is not a solo sport. Organizations that treat it as an individual responsibility burn out their best people first.80% of managers never receive training on how to lead people. The performance gaps this creates are measurable and preventable.Belonging is interdependent. It requires both parties to actively give and receive the five conditions. When it's 100% on one person to figure out, that's a fitting-in environment, and it will eventually break people.Connect with Andrea D. Carter: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreadcarter/ Website: https://belongingfirst.com/ Company: Andrea Carter ConsultingIf this episode made you think differently about your team, subscribe to the 40% Better podcast for more conversations at the intersection of leadership and technology. Share it with a leader who's still measuring engagement and wondering why people keep leaving.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 teamConnect 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/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0Apple 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

In two decades of coaching leaders across startups to multi-billion dollar corporations, Ian Watts discovered that companies lose talented people not because of compensation, but because they treat employees like replaceable widgets instead of human beings with aspirations beyond their job description. As founder of Employee Success Company, Ian developed the ACTS Method after reverse-engineering what allowed him to build teams with minimal turnover across 60 locations nationwide, recruiting over 400 loyal team members who knew exactly how much he cared about their personal success.Ian shares why the best leaders work themselves out of a job by making themselves unnecessary, why vulnerability combined with security creates magnetic leadership people want to follow, and how systematic support during critical life moments builds loyalty that salary alone can never buy. Discover why doing hard things literally grows your brain's capacity for more challenges, how treating people as individuals rather than production machines transforms retention, and why the secret to employee engagement isn't complicated—it's just caring about their personhood, not just their productivity.Key Topics:The ACTS Method: Aspirations, Calling, Transformation, and Support as the framework for employee retentionWhy companies that invest 3% of annual revenue into their people dramatically outperform competitorsHow creating deep reciprocity through systematic care during life moments (college, home purchases, loss) builds unshakeable loyaltyWhy vulnerability and security in leadership creates cultures where people don't want to leaveThe cost of treating people like widgets: $50,000+ per hire and 1-4x salary to replace employeesWhy most HR departments lack capacity to execute retention strategies even when they have the desireHow doing hard things (cold showers, polar plunges) trains your mid anterior cingulate cortex to embrace discomfortWhy knowing when to be tough versus tender separates good managers from transformational leadersThe power of helping employees achieve personal goals unrelated to their job performanceWhy modeling uncomfortable behavior yourself is the only way to credibly ask your team to growConnect with Ian WattsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianmwatts/Website: https://employeesuccesscompany.com/Book a complimentary strategy session to discuss employee engagement, performance, and retention challengesSubscribe for conversations with leaders who understand that your greatest competitive advantage isn't technology or strategy—it's how well you invest in the humans who make everything else possible.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 teamConnect 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/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0Apple 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

In 2002, a 25-year-old Andrei Yurkevich started a software outstaffing business in Belarus with internet speeds under 100 kilobits per second for the entire country—slower than a dial-up modem. Twenty-two years later, he's President and CTO of Altoros with 350+ engineers across 25 countries, plus multiple spin-off companies including Protofire, a Web3-focused venture. Andrei shares why he spent two years answering seven questions that should have taken two hours, why distribution must always come before delivery, and how giving everyone equity ownership creates the type of organization where people leave, gain experience, and choose to return.Discover why Andrei's biggest hiring mistake was starting initiatives without a "single thread leader," why he motivates leaders with revenue shares but learned that scaling teams before having solid sales pipelines is fatal, and how following the Scaling Up methodology's "7 Strata" document became their most powerful alignment tool. Learn why Altoros operates as a venture studio with each business having separate leadership, cap tables, and P&Ls, why they explored but ultimately didn't fully implement DAO principles, and how their back-office shared services model enables spin-offs to focus purely on delivery and customer acquisition while finance, legal, marketing, and HR serve everyone.Key Topics:- Starting a software business in 2002 Belarus with dial-up internet speeds and no venture capital- The "7 Strata" strategy: why answering seven questions took two years instead of two hours- Distribution first, delivery second: why you can't scale teams without solid sales pipelines- Why single thread leaders are non-negotiable before starting any new initiative- Building a venture studio: separate P&Ls, cap tables, and equity ownership for every business unit- How giving everyone shareholder stakes (from 0.5% to 25%) creates retention and commitment- Why people leave, gain experience elsewhere, and choose to return years later- The pivot from serving startups at $50/hour to Fortune 500 clients at $150-200/hour- Exploring DAO principles in Web3: what worked, what didn't, and the governance challenges- Managing 300+ people across 25 countries with no physical offices post-COVID- Why Scaling Up by Vern Harnish became their foundational methodology across all businesses- Selling imaginary products first: never build before you verify someone will buy itConnect with Andrei Yurkevich:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreiyurkevich/Title: President and CTOCompanies: Altoros (https://www.altoroslabs.com/) | Protofire (Co-Founder, Web3/Blockchain)Subscribe for conversations with technology leaders who've built organizations from Soviet-era constraints to global venture studios, and understand that trust, autonomy, and shared ownership create the conditions where talent chooses to return.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 teamConnect 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/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0Apple 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 #podcastThis episode includes AI-generated content.

In 2002, a 25-year-old Andrei Yurkevich started a software outstaffing business in Belarus with internet speeds under 100 kilobits per second for the entire country—slower than a dial-up modem. Twenty-two years later, he's President and CTO of Altoros with 350+ engineers across 25 countries, plus multiple spin-off companies including Protofire, a Web3-focused venture. Andrei shares why he spent two years answering seven questions that should have taken two hours, why distribution must always come before delivery, and how giving everyone equity ownership creates the type of organization where people leave, gain experience, and choose to return.Discover why Andrei's biggest hiring mistake was starting initiatives without a "single thread leader," why he motivates leaders with revenue shares but learned that scaling teams before having solid sales pipelines is fatal, and how following the Scaling Up methodology's "7 Strata" document became their most powerful alignment tool. Learn why Altoros operates as a venture studio with each business having separate leadership, cap tables, and P&Ls, why they explored but ultimately didn't fully implement DAO principles, and how their back-office shared services model enables spin-offs to focus purely on delivery and customer acquisition while finance, legal, marketing, and HR serve everyone.**Key Topics:**- Starting a software business in 2002 Belarus with dial-up internet speeds and no venture capital- The "7 Strata" strategy: why answering seven questions took two years instead of two hours- Distribution first, delivery second: why you can't scale teams without solid sales pipelines- Why single thread leaders are non-negotiable before starting any new initiative- Building a venture studio: separate P&Ls, cap tables, and equity ownership for every business unit- How giving everyone shareholder stakes (from 0.5% to 25%) creates retention and commitment- Why people leave, gain experience elsewhere, and choose to return years later- The pivot from serving startups at $50/hour to Fortune 500 clients at $150-200/hour- Exploring DAO principles in Web3: what worked, what didn't, and the governance challenges- Managing 300+ people across 25 countries with no physical offices post-COVID- Why Scaling Up by Vern Harnish became their foundational methodology across all businesses- Selling imaginary products first: never build before you verify someone will buy itConnect with Andrei Yurkevich:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreiyurkevich/Title: President and CTOCompanies: Altoros (https://www.altoroslabs.com/) | Protofire (Co-Founder, Web3/Blockchain)Subscribe for conversations with technology leaders who've built organizations from Soviet-era constraints to global venture studios, and understand that trust, autonomy, and shared ownership create the conditions where talent chooses to return.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 teamConnect 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/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0Apple 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

When Josh Carroll tells his engineers not to bring him their hard problems, he's actually doing the opposite—he's making sure they feel resourced enough to tackle anything. As an engineering leader with 20+ years of experience who's scaled teams at agencies, startups, and now Skylight, Josh has learned that leadership is problem-solving with people, not code. He shares why his old boss told him to "run to the inevitable"—why waiting to have hard conversations makes everything worse—and how discovering he has ADHD transformed his listening skills after painful 360 feedback revealed he was making conversations about himself when trying to show empathy.Josh reveals Skylight's "say the thing" principle for psychological safety, why they measure velocity by setting aggressive roadmaps they can't hit and aiming for 80-90%, and why hiring engineers just to write code leaves half their value on the table. From understanding stakeholder success metrics to avoiding pet agendas, Josh shares battle-tested frameworks for creating environments where brilliant engineers with low egos ship customer-delighting products at high velocity.Key Topics:Why "run to the inevitable" means having hard conversations immediately, not laterHow 360 feedback and discovering ADHD transformed Josh's leadership approachSkylight's "say the thing" principle for creating psychological safetyWhy hiring engineers just to write code wastes half their problem-solving valueThe three-sprint maximum rule: forcing teams to ship iteratively and learn fastMeasuring velocity without silly metrics: aggressive roadmaps at 80-90% completionHow past company dysfunction creates self-fulfilling prophecies at new companiesWhy Josh rarely shares his solutions anymore, even when he's seen the problem beforeBuilding high-trust, low-ego teams: avoiding pet agendas and command-and-control baggageConnect with Josh Carroll:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-carroll-83637912/Company: Skylight (MySkylight.com/careers - hiring 20+ engineering roles!)Skylight is actively hiring Ruby on Rails, TypeScript/React/React Native, and Android Kotlin engineers. Check out their careers page if you're looking for a high-trust, low-ego engineering culture that values autonomy, rigor, and care.Subscribe for more conversations with engineering leaders who understand that leadership is a series of humbling lessons, and growth means constantly discovering new mistakes to work on.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 teamConnect 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/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0Apple 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

When Sairan Aqrawi decided to become a swimming coach as a teenager in Iraq, she discovered something critical about leadership: passion alone isn't enough. You need skills, responsibility, and the willingness to take action. That early lesson would carry her through 30 years of engineering across the Middle East and United States, where she learned that failure isn't the end—it's where real growth begins.Sairan shares why she tells young engineers that no one will die from their mistakes, using this extreme framing to help them understand that taking risks is essential for growth. Discover why she believes the jobs you hate teach you the most, how aging actually made failure easier to handle, and why the most important question isn't whether you'll fail but what you'll learn when you do.Learn why Sairan refuses to respond immediately to harsh emails, understanding that pausing and replying professionally instead of reacting emotionally often means the problem resolves itself by noon. She reveals the critical difference between competence and confidence—you can't fake confidence, but when you're truly competent, your body language naturally communicates it without you having to perform.Sairan breaks down why having an impressive LinkedIn profile full of certifications means nothing if you can't communicate effectively in meetings, how she learned to be curious about her team members instead of assuming she knows everything, and why being a role model as a leader is exactly like parenting—your actions speak louder than your words.From working on multi-billion dollar transportation projects with Homeland Security and Boeing to mentoring the next generation of women in STEM, Sairan explains why innovation keeps you young, how taking scary risks in your 30s transforms you into a better version of yourself, and why the first time she spoke on stage about women's empowerment she literally forgot her name and started thinking about dinner.Discover why engineers who only know one discipline won't thrive in today's world, how Western engineering practices have evolved to require T-shaped knowledge, and why your degree is just a plus—not the pathway to success. Sairan reveals her three-step framework for becoming an effective leader, born from 35 years of experience across small companies, big corporations, county government, and international projects.Whether you're a young engineer afraid to take risks, a midlife professional looking to reignite your career, or a leader trying to build psychological safety on your team, this conversation offers hard-won wisdom from someone who's failed, learned, and succeeded across two continents and three decades.Connect with Sairan Aqrawi:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sairan-aqrawi-m-sc-993bb61a3/Website: https://www.sairanaqrawi.com/Download Sairan's free three-step checklist to becoming an effective leader—created from 35 years of engineering experience in the Middle East and United States.  https://pro.speakerhub.com/speaker-feedback/?qr=db5082b4-078d-41ee-b934-c4a961e8413cSubscribe for more conversations with leaders who understand that action breeds confidence, not the other way around. Share this with engineers who need permission to fail, learn, and grow into the leaders they're meant to become.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 teamConnect 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/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0Apple 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

When Sebastien Jean was five years old, he organized all the neighborhood kids into a military parade after seeing his first air show. Kids much older than him willingly followed this little commander up and down the street for 20 minutes while parents watched from their porches. That early leadership moment would eventually lead him to become CTO of Fizon Electronics, a company that makes 20% of the planet's SSDs.Sebastien shares how his unconventional path through the Army Reserve Signal Corps taught him that to be a good leader, you first have to be a good follower. Discover why he believes the most important leadership skill is understanding that everybody has a boss, and if your ego is always involved, you'll never succeed in a larger organization.Learn why Sebastien deliberately adds extra words and pauses to his speech to avoid shutting down conversations, how he coaches his nine-year-old son that politeness requires longer explanations, and why saying "I don't know" creates psychological safety that unlocks better solutions from your team. He reveals the critical difference between over-specifying requirements and giving talented engineers ownership through clear objectives without prescribed implementation.Sebastien breaks down why the number 648.973256 and 650 convey the same thing in presentations but one creates unnecessary cognitive load, how forward framing gets people to care before you present technical details, and why you should round complex data to the nearest multiple of 50 unless you're building car motors.Discover how Sebastien helps risk-averse engineers get comfortable with uncertainty through strategic proof of concepts and staging devices, why he believes he's "at least as dumb as that other guy over there" to give himself permission to ask for help, and how creating safe spaces for incomplete answers leads to breakthrough innovations.From building enterprise SSDs to launching new product classes in 2026, Sebastien explains why the quiet people in meetings are his canary in the coal mine for team health, how he balances aggressive risk-taking with calculated experiments, and why great leaders focus on enabling their teams rather than micromanaging implementation details.Whether you're leading hardware teams, managing firmware development, or trying to build a culture where smart people feel comfortable being wrong, this conversation offers battle-tested frameworks from someone who's led technical teams for decades across continents.Connect with Sebastien Jean:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjean233/Company: Fizon Electronics (Enterprise brand: Piscari)Subscribe for more conversations with technology leaders who understand that your job as a leader is to make your boss's life easier while simultaneously enabling your team to do their best work. Share this with leaders who need permission to say "I don't know" more often.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 teamConnect 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/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0Apple 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

From College Meal Plans to Multi-Tenant Cloud Platforms: How a CTO Built an 80% Market Share by Stacking the Odds for His Teams with Taran LentWhat started as a hungry college student solving his own problem with slips of paper and a bicycle turned into a career building mission-critical payment platforms serving 80% of colleges nationwide. Taran Lent, CTO of Transact Seaboard (soon to be Illumia), shares how sports taught him that being coached means someone believes in your potential, and why he refuses assignments when he knows they're set up to fail.Discover why Taran believes the most well-intentioned thing leaders do, the hero mentality, is actually destructive. Learn how a 10-minute conversation where he refused to accept an assignment without proper resources turned a $65 million acquisition into a product growing 14% year over year. Taran explains why playing to win means having a full team focused on fewer things rather than spreading eight players across an eleven-player game.Taran breaks down his overarching leadership framework: a leader's only job is to stack the odds in favor of their teams so they have the best chance to win. He shares why conviction requires letting people throw rocks at ideas, why Sullenberger was still asking for better ideas 400 feet above the Hudson, and how going slow to go fast through unit testing, load testing, and security work lets you move fast for two decades instead of limping along forever.From building the first off-campus student debit card system to partnering with Apple to put student IDs on phones and watches, Taran reveals what makes closed campus environments different from traditional payments, why autonomous robots are delivering lunch to students, and how cashless campuses create safer communities with better operational insights.Learn why great leaders define problems instead of dictating solutions, why asking smart people for recommendations always produces ideas two or three times better than yours, and why sustainable high performance over long periods is the only definition of excellence worth pursuing.Whether you're leading product teams, fighting for resources, or trying to build conviction before execution, this conversation offers battle-tested frameworks from someone who's been building and scaling platforms for over two decades.Connect with Taran Lent:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taranlent/Company: Transact Seaboard (rebranding to Illumia in 2026)Subscribe for more conversations with technology leaders who understand that short-term wins at the cost of long-term sustainability aren't worth celebrating. Share this with leaders who need permission to refuse assignments that aren't set up for success.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 teamConnect 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/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0Apple 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

When Prashanth Tondapu started his company at 27, he had no formal leadership training. What he discovered through building an 85-person engineering team would completely transform his approach to leadership, starting with a personal crisis that became his greatest teacher.In this deeply personal conversation, Prashanth shares how his wife's cancer diagnosis three years ago shattered his illusion of control and led him to discover Advaita philosophy and the power of emotional regulation. Learn why he believes being a witness to your emotions rather than being consumed by them is the first critical skill every leader must develop.Discover the Atakme framework his leadership team uses to make better decisions by mentally projecting problems onto an imaginary company, allowing them to separate ego from problem-solving. Prashanth explains why he tells his team leads that for their reports, they ARE the company, not some abstract entity, and how this shift creates genuine advocacy rather than blind compliance.Prashanth discusses the journey from outcome-driven to process-first to people-first leadership, and why his company is using 2026 to focus on building people, not just the business. He shares practical insights on implementing rewards and recognition frameworks that identify future leaders, and why intent matters more than outcomes when someone makes a mistake.Learn why Prashanth compares humans to large language models, constantly updating our models based on new information, and why he believes we're far more predictable than we think. He reveals how reality is just the product of billions of years of evolution, but our feelings about reality are optional, and why this perspective eliminates so much unnecessary suffering.Whether you're struggling with the weight of leadership decisions, building your first management team, or trying to create genuine psychological safety, this conversation offers both philosophical wisdom and practical frameworks you can implement immediately.Connect with Prashanth Tondapu:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prashanth-tondapu/Company: InnoStacksSubscribe to hear more conversations about the intersection of leadership, technology, and personal growth. Share this episode with leaders who understand that the inner work of leadership matters just as much as the external results.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 teamConnect 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/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0Apple 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

Discover why traditional technical skills aren't enough anymore. Bryan O'Neill, engineering leader with 35+ years of experience, shares how communication skills and growth mindset are becoming more valuable than pure coding ability in the age of AI-assisted development.In this conversation, Bryan breaks down practical strategies for helping engineering teams adapt to rapid technological change, from creating AI wins channels to sending engineers to practitioner-led conferences. Learn why the best engineers are making the shift from focusing on "bits and bytes" to understanding business value, and how AI tools are changing the role of software engineers from coders to orchestrators.Bryan shares real examples of how his team at Form Assembly uses AI to accelerate bug fixes and API upgrades by leveraging context engineering. He also discusses why empathy mapping stakeholders makes you a better communicator and leader, and how the skills that made great leaders in sports translate directly to engineering management.Key topics include navigating the spectrum from AI skepticism to overenthusiasm on your team, why document-driven development is making a comeback, and how to hire for the future when technical wizardry alone won't be enough.Whether you're leading an engineering team through AI adoption or building your own leadership skills, this episode offers actionable insights on communication, coaching, and creating a culture of continuous learning.Connect with Bryan O'Neill:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bmoneill/If you found this conversation valuable, subscribe to the 40% Better podcast for more insights on leadership in technology. Share this episode with engineering leaders who are navigating the transition to AI-assisted development.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 teamConnect 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/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0Apple 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

In this episode of the 40% Better podcast, host Bill Lennan is joined by technology leader Durgesh Sukhtankar for a deep conversation on leadership, curiosity, and building high performing product teams.Durgesh shares his leadership origin story, from engineering roles at GE Healthcare to helping teams transition from project based delivery to true product ownership. Together, Bill and Durgesh unpack why leadership starts long before a management title, how curiosity drives better decision making, and why empowered teams consistently outperform deadline driven ones.The conversation explores practical leadership lessons including building product oriented teams, creating psychological safety through calculated risk taking, developing future leaders inside technical teams, and why talking to users matters more than perfect requirements.Durgesh also shares his approach to mentorship, acting as a “heat shield” for developing leaders, and helping engineers grow by understanding the business and customer pain points behind the code. If you are a technology leader, engineering manager, founder, or executive looking to build stronger teams, better products, and a more resilient leadership culture, this episode offers thoughtful insights you can apply immediately.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 teamConnect 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 #CoachingThe 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

In this episode of the 40% Better Podcast, host Bill Lennan sits down with Jacob Crockett for a thoughtful conversation on leadership in the modern tech world—and beyond. Together, they explore what truly makes an effective leader, why titles don’t always equal influence, and how emotional intelligence plays a critical role in building strong teams and healthy company culture.Jacob shares lessons from his early leadership experiences, highlighting how discomfort, vulnerability, and genuine care for people often lead to the greatest growth. The discussion dives into systems thinking, the impact of poor leadership, and why happiness at work isn’t just a “nice to have,” but a key driver of productivity and long-term success.This episode is packed with practical insights for leaders, managers, and anyone looking to grow personally and professionally—by focusing on relationships, purpose, and leading with authenticity.Key themes include:Leadership in tech and fast-growing organizations Emotional intelligence and human-centered managementBuilding meaningful relationships at workSystems thinking as a leadership tool Why genuine care fuels performance and happinessSound bites from the episode:“Wisdom might be very generous.”“Be the leader.”“Happiness leads to productivity.” 🎙️ Whether you’re a seasoned leader or just starting your journey, this conversation will challenge the way you think about leadership, growth, and what it really means to be 40% better. 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 teamConnect 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/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/40%25-better---engineering-leadership/id1709546347Amazon 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.

In this episode of the 40% Better Podcast, host Bill Lennan sits down with Rob Johnson to explore what leadership really means in technology—and why leading people is fundamentally different from managing projects. Rob shares his unconventional journey from a shy, risk-averse engineer to a confident technology leader and entrepreneur.Drawing from experiences in engineering, product management, startups, and executive leadership, Rob explains why soft power, servant leadership, and self-awareness matter more than titles, authority, or being “the smartest person in the room.” This wide-ranging conversation covers risk tolerance, entrepreneurship, military-influenced leadership lessons, listening over talking, and the mindset shift required to succeed at higher levels of leadership.Rob also discusses why control is an illusion, why being wrong is essential to learning, and how leaders can remove roadblocks so teams can thrive. If you’re an engineer, product leader, founder, or aspiring executive navigating the transition into leadership, this episode is packed with practical insights, memorable stories, and counterintuitive advice to help you become 40% better.🎯 Key Takeaways Leadership often starts with ego—and matures through self-awareness You can manage projects, but you must lead people Soft power is more effective than authority Giving before you get builds trust and influence Listening is more powerful than talking Being wrong is essential for growth and learning Risk tolerance develops through experience, not theory Entrepreneurship reshapes how leaders see systems and change Titles matter less than removing obstacles for teams Great leaders make others excited—not anxious—to work with them 🎙️ Memorable Sound Bites “You can manage projects. You can’t manage people.” “There are no points for being right—only for doing right.” “Control is an illusion.” “I want to be wrong more before breakfast than most people are all day.”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 teamConnect 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/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/40%25-better---engineering-leadership/id1709546347Amazon 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.

In this episode of the 40% Better Podcast, Wolfgang Schram shares his extraordinary journey from Germany to the global concert touring industry, and ultimately to leading engineering teams in the corporate world. He discusses how his ADHD shaped his learning and leadership style, the lessons he learned from owning his work, and the ways he developed the ability to guide complex teams across high-stakes projects. Wolfgang explores the human side of leadership, emphasizing ownership, intrinsic motivation, and fostering an environment where people can thrive both professionally and personally.Takeaways: Leadership is about enabling others to succeed, not doing everything yourself.Ownership and trust are key to building high-performing teams.Understanding individuals’ strengths, weaknesses, and motivations is crucial.Emotional intelligence and social competence often determine project success.AI can amplify leadership and problem-solving but requires clear communication of outcomes.Passion and intrinsic motivation drive learning, growth, and long-term success.Sound bites:“Feelings are everything. They are the core decision makers in our actions every day.” “Ownership comes by encouraged creative thinking.”“If you put people in a place where they can shine, the work becomes joy.”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 teamConnect 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/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/40%25-better---engineering-leadership/id1709546347Amazon 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.

In this episode of the 40% Better Podcast, host Bill Lennan is joined by Brent Wodicka, Chief Technology Officer at Applied Information Sciences (AIS), for a focused conversation on what it truly means to build, engage, and sustain highly competent teams.Brent shares clear, experience-driven insights on why engagement isn’t about perks, pressure, or constant motivation—but about providing meaningful challenges, continuous learning, and real growth opportunities. He explains the implicit contract leaders make when they recruit strong talent: if you hire highly capable people, your responsibility is to stretch them, develop them, and ensure their work remains intellectually engaging. The discussion highlights how leaders can prevent stagnation, retain top performers, and create environments where teams stay curious, challenged, and invested in their work. Brent also emphasizes leadership accountability—making sure leaders are holding up their end of the bargain by creating space for learning, growth, and mastery. This episode is especially valuable for engineering leaders, technology executives, and managers who want to build teams that don’t just perform—but continuously grow and improve. 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/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/40%25-better---engineering-leadership/id1709546347Amazon 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.

In this episode of the 40% Better Podcast, host Bill Lennan speaks with Jill Willard, Chief Technology Officer at IXOPAY, about her leadership journey and how she empowers software and payments teams to build trust, embrace failure, and drive innovation. Jill draws from over two decades of experience leading global software and payment platform teams, offering insights on situational leadership, accountability, effective communication, and building a thriving work culture that encourages psychological safety and experimentation in engineering environments. ixopay.comWhether you’re a tech leader, engineering manager, or aspiring CTO, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways to help you become a more effective and inspiring leader.🎯 Key TakeawaysJill’s leadership journey began with a desire for controlTransitioning from small to larger teams requires evolving leadership skillsBuilding trust is essential for high-performing software teamsFailure is a natural part of engineering and growthLeaders must give teams permission to take risks and learnAccountability should be shared between leaders and team membersSituational leadership supports individuals at their levelEffective communication drives healthy team dynamicsInnovation thrives in environments that are engaging and funSelf-awareness is a critical skill for leaders🎙️ Memorable Sound Bites“Failure is built in.”“You can’t scale that way.”“Confidence is contagious.”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 teamConnect 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/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0Apple 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.

In this episode of 40% Better, host Bill Lennan sits down with Bill Binkiewicz to explore how asymmetric wins, leadership, and continuous learning shape high-performing software teams and modern engineering organizations. The conversation spans leadership lessons learned through coaching and sports, building trust and psychological safety in teams, and why curiosity and mental models matter more than ever. They also dive into the evolving role of AI in software development, discussing where it adds value, where it falls short, and why it should be treated as a productivity tool—not a replacement for critical thinking. From engineering management and team dynamics to automotive technology, internal customer needs, and delivering business value quickly, this episode offers practical insights for leaders, developers, and anyone interested in building better teams and better systems. 🔑 Topics CoveredAsymmetric wins and exponential growth opportunitiesLeadership lessons from sports, coaching, and software teamsBuilding trust, transparency, and psychological safetyContinuous learning and growth mindset in engineeringAI in software development: promise vs realityEngineering management and team collaborationInternal customer needs and business value alignmentMental models, curiosity, and critical thinkingIn-person collaboration and serendipitous conversationsAutomotive technology and the future of software💡 Key TakeawaysAsymmetric wins can unlock outsized results in leadership and teamsPsychological safety drives better collaboration and innovationContinuous learning is essential for modern engineering teamsAI enhances productivity but doesn’t replace human judgmentDelivering value quickly is critical to business successCuriosity and strong mental models improve problem-solvingTrust enables better contributions and team engagement

In this conversation, Darshan Bildikar shares his journey from being an introverted builder to a successful engineering manager. He discusses his early experiences in programming, his transition into management, and his time at Amazon, where he built and led teams. Darshan reflects on his move to a startup environment, the impact of AI on productivity, and the importance of balancing speed and quality in development. He emphasizes the need for human oversight in AI-driven processes and shares insights on adapting to different work cultures and the future of work.Connect with Darshan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darshanbildikar/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 teamConnect 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/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0Apple 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.

In this powerful episode of the 40% Better podcast, host Bill Lennan talks with educator and professor Rodrigo Senra about his groundbreaking philosophy on teaching and education.Rodrigo argues that a teacher's job is not merely content delivery but a mission of inspiration. He emphasizes that true learning and success in computer science come from cultivating passion and a love for computing in students. He reveals that his personal role is akin to that of a Cupid, whose goal is to make students fall in love with the subject, leading to much better long-term learning outcomes.If you are a student, teacher, or leader, this conversation is a masterclass in the value of mentorship and how creating a deep, emotional connection to a subject is the most valuable tool for igniting intrinsic motivation and driving future generations to excel.Find Rodrigo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodsenra/✨ Key Takeaways & Inspirational Insights:Inspiration Over Content: Why fostering a passion for computing is more valuable than just delivering curriculum content.The Cupid Role: Rodrigo's perspective that his job as a teacher is to be a "Cupid" who makes students fall in love for computing.Mentorship: The crucial role of mentorship in enhancing a student's learning experience and overall success in education.Connection is Key: How creating a strong connection with students leads to better learning outcomes and helps them achieve higher success.Driving Excellence: Understanding how passion can become the fuel that drives students to excel in their studies.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 teamConnect 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/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0Apple 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.

Join Bill Lennan on the 40% Better podcast as he welcomes Suresh Mani, a seasoned technology executive, to share his remarkable journey from technician to industry leadership. Suresh unpacks the non-negotiables of success in modern tech, emphasizing how curiosity, effective mentorship, and fostering deep team cohesion are paramount. He delves into critical topics like the transformative role of AI in boosting productivity, the necessity of measured risk management, and the foundational power of psychological safety for encouraging diverse ideas. This episode is a masterclass in balancing constant innovation with stability and driving personal growth through challenge.Key Chapters:01:42 Navigating Early Career Challenges11:13 Evolving Leadership Perspectives29:25 Adapting Leadership in the Age of AI42:59 Risk Management in LeadershipI 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 teamConnect 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/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/40%25-better---engineering-leadership/id1709546347Amazon 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.

Join host Bill Lennan on the 40% Better podcast as he sits down with veteran executive Amit Mital for a candid look at his 25-year career.In a world that prizes learning from others, Mital shares why his own personal experience and the "school of hard knocks" were his most valuable teachers. This episode challenges the traditional view of professional development and focuses on the power of doing and failing.You will learn:Why personal experience often trumps theoretical knowledge in real-world challenges.The essential mindset shift that turns mistakes into valuable lessons for personal growth.The critical importance of reflecting on past decisions to avoid repeating errors (and get 40% better in your own role).How embracing difficulty and overcoming obstacles shapes a deeper, more resilient understanding of leadership.If you believe true growth comes from getting your hands dirty and learning directly from your challenges, this episode is a must-listen for executives, leaders, and anyone committed to an ongoing journey of learning.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 teamConnect 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/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0Apple 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.

In this powerful episode of 40% better, host Bill Lennan sits down with sales leader Mike Bourgeois to dive deep into the essential mindset that separates top sales professionals from the rest: customer-centric selling.Mike argues that the key to sales success isn't aggressive closing tactics, but a relentless focus on serving the customer and building a genuine, long-term relationship. If you've ever wondered how to close more deals, stop making the sales process about your quota and start making it about the customer's needs!🔑 Episode TakeawaysIt's Never About You: Mike's core philosophy is that the salesperson's job is to serve, not to sell themselves.The Power of Perspective: Why understanding the customer's long-term needs is more important than the immediate transaction.Empathy in Action: How listening and empathy are the most critical tools for every sales engineer and professional.The Blueprint for Repeat Business: Focusing on value creation leads directly to enduring customer relationships and continued sales success.Connect with Mike on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/semikeb/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 teamConnect 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/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0Apple 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.