Take Care Radio

In this episode, I dig into something I call the Compliance Triangle. One of the biggest frustrations I hear from coaches and managers alike is, "How do I get people to actually follow through?" And the honest answer starts with a reminder: human beings are not algorithms. Change is slow, hard, and complex, and the best thing we can do as leaders is extend compassion to ourselves and our people before anything else. That said, there are three skills that meaningfully increase follow-through when practiced well. Together, these three elements form the foundation of influence-based leadership—the kind that actually works.   Get Weekly Insights on Leadership: Sign up for weekly tools to communicate and behave in ways that actually change other's behavior Sign up free here: https://www.dannycoleman.co  Connect with Danny: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsdannycoleman/  Substack: https://substack.com/@dannycoleman  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/djcoley/ 

In my work, I use a framework for motivating others, which I call the Four Dials. When most people talk motivation, they typically think of the Light Switch Model—the common belief that leaders can flip a switch and turn on someone's motivation—but that approach tends to breed frustration, burnout, and stalled progress. Instead, let me offer up the Michelangelo Model: the idea that motivation already exists within people, and our job as leaders is simply to chisel away what's blocking it. Drawing on Self-Determination Theory, I'll walk through each of the four psychological dials we can tune up or down to create an environment where motivation thrives naturally—the Information Dial (giving people what they need to succeed, without overwhelming them), the Safety Dial (helping people feel free from judgment and connected to the shared human experience), the Autonomy Dial (ensuring people feel like the authors of their own story, with meaningful agency inside a structure), and the Connection Dial (the foundation of everything, because when people truly feel known and cared for, they'll run through a wall for you and for themselves).   Get Weekly Insights on Leadership: Sign up for weekly tools to communicate and behave in ways that actually change other's behavior Sign up free here: https://www.dannycoleman.co  Connect with Danny: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsdannycoleman/  Substack: https://substack.com/@dannycoleman  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/djcoley/ 

In my opinion, the single most important habit of high performance is creating rituals. Through my own oddly specific rituals, I've learned something that elite athletes and other high performers have long understood: our energy operates in natural cycles of stress and recovery, and rituals are the structures that allow us to tap into that rhythm. Rituals conserve willpower, calm your physiology, and create boundaries in a world that never stops demanding your attention. Your rituals should be personal and enjoyable (no cold plunges required!), they should be specific and anchored to a time and place, and they should have a consistent cadence, whether that's daily, weekly, monthly, or annual. Your homework this week is to build your own, and send them to me on Instagram at @itsdannycoleman.     Get Weekly Insights on Leadership: Sign up for weekly tools to communicate and behave in ways that actually change other's behavior Sign up free here: https://www.dannycoleman.co  Connect with Danny: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsdannycoleman/  Substack: https://substack.com/@dannycoleman  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/djcoley/ 

Welcome to Leadership Chemistry, the rebranded show where we study the composition, structure, and reactions that make leadership actually work. In this debut episode, Danny takes a sledgehammer to what he calls The Great Myth of Leadership — the pervasive idea that "jerks get results." Using examples from business and sports, the research on dark personalities, and a clear-eyed look at long-term impact, Danny lays out why empathetic, thoughtful leaders are not only the more humane choice, but the more effective one. If you've ever felt like the loud, brash, dominant leaders get all the credit while you do the real work — this episode is your permission slip to lead differently. Get Weekly Insights on Leadership: Sign up for weekly tools to communicate and behave in ways that actually change other's behavior Sign up free here: https://www.dannycoleman.co  Connect with Danny: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsdannycoleman/  Substack: https://substack.com/@dannycoleman  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/djcoley/