A Navy SEAL said something to me once about leadership that I have never forgotten. He told me if his general ever showed up on the front line while bullets were flying, he would physically tackle him and drag him to the back. Not because the general couldn't handle it. Because the general was the only one who could see the whole battlefield. And if he went down, everyone was lost.

That is your team right now. They don't need you in the weeds with them. They need you three steps ahead.

THE IDENTITY SHIFT THAT MAKES EVERYTHING ELSE STICK

Here's the thing about tools and frameworks - you can learn all of them and still slide right back into the tactical cycle within a week. Because if you don't change the identity underneath the behavior, the behavior doesn't stick.

Your identity is who you feel you are. And if you still feel like the person who gets things done, you are going to keep getting things done at the cost of everything that actually needs your leadership. We fix that from the inside out.

INFLUENCE IS NOT SOFT. IT IS THE WHOLE JOB.

Control is what made you great as a doer. I get it. But in a strategic role, that same instinct creates a bottleneck, burns you out, and keeps you doing work that isn't yours anymore.

Brandon was a law firm practice group leader who spent his whole career as the go-to person for everything. After making this shift he said he went from being the bottleneck to being the builder. That is what we are going for here.

WHAT STRATEGIC PLAYERS ACTUALLY DO DIFFERENTLY

It is not about the content you bring into a room. It is about your framing, the questions you ask, and honestly what you choose not to say.

There is a specific way strategic leaders show up in senior rooms and people notice it immediately. You will know exactly what that looks like and how to start building that reputation on purpose.

Mentioned in this episode:

Join the Strategic Leadership Accelerator here

http://rmichaelanderson.com/strategic

2026 Strategic Leadership Accelerator

A business owner came up to me after a presentation. After five years of huge growth, they’ve levelled off. He told me: "I realized the bottleneck was me. I come from sales and I am still out there selling. But they do not need me to sell anymore. They need me to lead. And honestly I do not know what that means."

That is the most honest thing a leader can say. And it is exactly what this masterclass is built to answer.

WHY EVERYTHING YOU HAVE ALREADY TRIED HAS NOT WORKED

Time management systems, better delegation, the MBA, the new role - none of them made you more strategic, and there is a specific reason for that. Every one of those solutions was built for doers. They help you do more things more efficiently. They do not help you do less.

The gap between where you are and where your role needs you to be is not a knowledge problem. It is a behavioral, identity, and habit problem. You will learn why each of the five most common myths leaders believe about going strategic are quietly keeping you exactly where you are.

THE TACTICAL CYCLE AND WHY YOU CANNOT BREAK OUT OF IT ALONE

You clear some space. Something urgent happens. You fly in and save the day. Overwhelm sets back in. You tell yourself you will try again next week. Next week looks exactly the same. This is not a character flaw.

It is the burnout cycle, and not adapting to your role as a strategic leader is one of its biggest drivers. You will understand exactly where the cycle breaks down and what it takes structurally to step out of it.

THE DOPAMINE TRAP NOBODY WARNS YOU ABOUT

Every time you check something off your task list, your brain rewards you. That neurological loop took twenty or thirty years to build and it is the invisible reason your calendar keeps filling back up the moment you clear it.

You will learn the neuroscience behind why high performers are structurally wired for doing over thinking - and the one weekly practice that begins rewiring that reflex within six to eight weeks.

Mentioned in this episode:

Join the Strategic Leadership Accelerator here

http://rmichaelanderson.com/strategic

2026 Strategic Leadership Accelerator

A leader in one of my APAC coaching sessions asked me what to do when someone rolls their eyes at him mid-meeting. My answer surprised him.

Your Body Knows Before Your Brain Does

When something needs to be addressed in a room, your nervous system will tell you first — a tightening in the chest, a tension in the shoulders, a twinge you have learned to ignore. Mindfulness is not a wellness concept. It is a leadership tool. I will show you how to read those signals as the early warning system they are, and what to do the moment they fire.

Calling Out the Unsaid Is an Act of Leadership, Not Aggression

I coached a compliance leader at a pharmaceutical company who was convinced that naming the passive-aggressive behavior in her meetings would make things worse. It did the opposite. When you give voice to what everyone in the room already knows is happening, you are not creating conflict. You are ending it. The bully in her meeting never gave her a problem again.

The Avoidance Trap

We run from difficult conversations because we believe we are protecting something: the relationship, our reputation, the sense of being liked. But avoidance does not protect any of those things. It destroys them slowly, from the inside. The leaders people genuinely respect are not the ones who kept things smooth. They are the ones who held the line when it was uncomfortable, and who made it safe for everything real to come to the surface.

Your Challenge: identify the one conversation you have been postponing, the situation you have been hoping will quietly resolve itself, and before this episode is over, take one concrete step toward it, whether that is writing the email, booking the meeting, or simply saying out loud the thing everyone in the room already knows but no one will say.

Resources:

-Join the Conversation: Join our Leadership Mindset 2.0 community on LinkedIn or Facebook

-Get Live Coaching: Move from listening to doing inside the Growth Leaders Collective. Start your $1 trial at RMichaelAnderson.com/GLC

Members of my private community asked me two questions that I know a lot of you are sitting with: What daily habits actually improve your leadership? And how do you truly switch off from work at the end of the day?

The answer to both comes down to the same thing: rewiring. All psychology is, at its core, rewiring old beliefs and patterns into new ones. And the good news is you can start doing it in about three minutes.

In this live Q&A episode, I walk you through the two practices I give every leader I coach, including the ones I still rely on myself after decades of practice.

What you'll take away:

The Meditation Myth Busted -- Most leaders have tried meditation and quit because they think a wandering mind means they're doing it wrong. It doesn't. I'll show you exactly how to start (and why three minutes is all you need).

The Ritual Reset -- A ritual isn't a spiritual practice. It's a signal you give your brain to shift states. I'll give you simple examples for switching off from work, preparing for high-stakes meetings, and even building this into your team culture.

The Respond vs. React Shift -- The single biggest payoff from these habits is the ability to pause, think, and choose a powerful response instead of just reacting. That is where your leadership presence lives.

Your Challenge(s): (there are two this episode!)

First, if you're not meditating, start tomorrow. Find a quiet spot, take a chair somewhere you don't normally sit, set a timer for three minutes, close your eyes, and focus on your breath. When your mind wanders (and it will), just bring it back. That's the whole practice.

Second, identify one ritual you can put into your day. Maybe it's how you transition out of work mode. Maybe it's how you prepare before a high-stakes meeting. Maybe it's something you bring to your team. Keep it simple, keep it repeatable, and let your brain do the rest.

Resources:

-Join the Conversation: Join our Leadership Mindset 2.0 community on LinkedIn or Facebook

-Get Live Coaching: Move from listening to doing inside the Growth Leaders Collective. Start your $1 trial at RMichaelAnderson.com/GLC

Mentioned in this episode:

Join the Strategic Leadership Accelerator here

http://rmichaelanderson.com/strategic

2026 Strategic Leadership Accelerator

You've landed the board position — now what? In Part 2 of this masterclass, Russell Dalgleish and Michael break down what separates a high-performing board from a dysfunctional one, and how to make sure your involvement counts.

In this episode you'll discover:

-How to spot a toxic board before you join one — the behaviours Russell watches for that tell him everything he needs to know

-What board members actually get paid — from monthly retainers to equity to a crate of whisky (yes, really)

-How to assert yourself from day one — why waiting to "fit in" is the biggest mistake new board members make

-The warning signs of a board that's failing — and what a healthy, high-performing board actually looks like in practice

-When and how to exit a board that isn't working — for both the member and the company

If you're about to join a board, already on one, or thinking about bringing someone in — this episode will make sure you get it right.

Resources:

-Join the Conversation: Join our Leadership Mindset 2.0 community on LinkedIn or Facebook

-Get Live Coaching: Move from listening to doing inside the Growth Leaders Collective. Start your $1 trial at RMichaelAnderson.com/GLC

Connect with Russell Dalgleish

Russell is a serial entrepreneur, global ecosystem builder, TEDx speaker and executive coach. He's the Founding Chair of the Scottish Business Network and Founding Managing Partner of Exolta Capital Partners, with a passion for helping entrepreneurs build communities around their brands for international growth.

Website: russelldalgleish.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/russelldalgleish

Email: russell@exolta.com

What if five words could fundamentally change how you show up as a leader — and how your entire team shows up with you?

In this episode executive coach R. Michael Anderson breaks down one of the most deceptively simple — and brutally honest — questions in leadership: Are you 100% in?

Most leaders think they're fully committed...but they're not. There's a world of difference between 99.9% and 100%, and that tiny gap is quietly costing you your focus, your credibility, and your team's performance. Michael explains why holding back even one small amount is holding you and your team back — and how that habit shows up more than you think.

In this episode, you'll learn:

-Why 99% commitment is not "almost there" — it's a leadership liability

-How to honestly audit the areas of your life and career where you're holding back

-What to do when you realize you're not fully in (and when it's time to disengage entirely)

-The exact conversation to have with your team to uncover hidden disengagement

-Why your 100% can't be conditional on what others do first — and what that says about your leadership

Whether it's your job, a project, your team, or a relationship — this episode will challenge you to stop playing it safe and start showing up with your whole self.

Episode Challenge (today you get two!):

Challenge #1 — The Personal Audit: Pick three areas of your life — your job, a project or committee you're on, and one key relationship. Be brutally honest with yourself: are you 100% in on each one? If not, identify the gap and ask yourself — is it closable? If it is, decide what it's going to take to get there. If it isn't, it's time to have a bigger conversation with yourself about whether to disengage.

Challenge #2 — The Team Conversation: Have the "100% in" conversation with at least one person on your team this week. Ask them directly: what percentage are you in, and what would it take to get you to 100%? Then listen. You may uncover something that's been unsaid for months — and that conversation alone could be a turning point for both of you.

Resources:

-Join the Conversation: Join our Leadership Mindset 2.0 community on LinkedIn or Facebook

-Get Live Coaching: Move from listening to doing inside the Growth Leaders Collective. Start your $1 trial at RMichaelAnderson.com/GLC

Mentioned in this episode:

Join the Strategic Leadership Accelerator here

http://rmichaelanderson.com/strategic

2026 Strategic Leadership Accelerator

Do you want to join a board - but not sure where to start? In Part 1 of this masterclass, Michael sits down with Russell Dalgleish, one of the UK's most experienced board strategists, to demystify how boards really work and how you get a seat at the table.

In this episode you'll discover:

-The difference between a Board of Directors and a Board of Advisors — which one you actually need, and why getting this wrong can cost you

-How to land your first board position without paying a recruitment company — the simple, relationship-based approach that actually works

-What value you need to bring to get invited onto a board — it's not about your CV, it's about this one thing

-How to approach a company you want to advise — including the exact LinkedIn strategy Russell uses to get meetings with CEOs

-What to watch out for before you say yes — because not every board is worth your time, and Russell explains how to tell the difference early

If you're a senior professional looking to build a portfolio career, or a business owner who wants to understand how to build a board around your company — this episode is your starting point.

Resources:

-Join the Conversation: Join our Leadership Mindset 2.0 community on LinkedIn or Facebook

-Get Live Coaching: Move from listening to doing inside the Growth Leaders Collective. Start your $1 trial at RMichaelAnderson.com/GLC

Mentioned in this episode:

Join the Executive Coaching Certification here

Executive Coaching Certification - 2026

When someone on your team shuts down in a big meeting, or a client suddenly gets cold, or a colleague comes at you with arrogance and aggression, what is actually happening? And more importantly, what do you do about it?

In this second part of the Ego and Authentic Self series, I am going to show you how to read what is really going on with the people around you and how to use that awareness to become a more powerful, more effective leader.

In this episode, we explore:

-The Intimidated Team Member: How to spot when someone has gone into their ego and what to say to bring out their best

-The Arrogant Attacker: Why aggressive, arrogant people are actually scared, and the specific tools to handle them without losing your ground

-The Influence Principle: Why you can never control whether someone is in their ego, but you absolutely can influence it

💪 Your Challenge This Week: Think about the people in your life right now. A teammate. A client. Maybe someone at home. When do they go into their ego? What does it look like? And what is one thing you can do differently the next time it happens?

And here is the thing - this principle does not stop at the office door. The same ego triggers that show up in your boardroom show up with your partner, your kids, and your friends, because this is psychology, and psychology does not clock out.

Resources:

-Join the Conversation: Join our Leadership Mindset 2.0 community on LinkedIn or Facebook

-Get Live Coaching: Move from listening to doing inside the Growth Leaders Collective. Start your $1 trial at RMichaelAnderson.com/GLC

Mentioned in this episode:

Join the Strategic Leadership Accelerator here

http://rmichaelanderson.com/strategic

2026 Strategic Leadership Accelerator