Episodios

  • Collective Lift: How Leaders Get Teams To Obsess Over Customer and Team Success with Dan Gingiss
    Apr 8 2026
    Most companies say the customer comes first. But in meeting rooms across every industry, business decisions get made every day without a single thought about how they will land on the people paying the bills. Dan Gingiss has spent his career asking one question: what would happen if leaders simply kept the customer in the room? In this episode of Boss Better Now, Joe Mull sits down with Dan Gingiss, a customer experience keynote speaker and author who led digital CX teams at Discover, Humana, and McDonald's. Dan traces his path from Domino's delivery driver to Fortune 500 executive and shares what each step taught him about the irreversible link between how leaders treat their people and how those people treat customers. Dan unpacks why customer experience is not a department but a company-wide discipline, how a manager can build trust with a new team before anyone has earned it, and what he calls "collective lift," the undervalued skill of raising the performance of everyone around you. He also challenges one of the most reflexive assumptions in leadership: that your best individual performer is your best candidate for management. In this episode, you'll learn: 🔹 Why making any business decision with the customer in mind leads to a better outcome, 100 times out of 100. 🔹 What delivering a pizza to Michael Jordan taught Dan about human dignity as a foundational leadership principle. 🔹 What "collective lift" means, and why the employee who makes your whole team better is more valuable than the one who outperforms everyone individually. 🔹 Why the relationship between employee experience and customer experience should be written with an infinity sign, not an equal sign. 🔹 How to start a new leadership role by giving your team full trust on day one, before anyone has done a thing to earn it. To subscribe to Joe Mull’s BossBetter Email newsletter, visit https://BossBetterNow.com For more info on working with Joe Mull, visit https://joemull.com For more info on Boss Hero School, visit https://bossheroschool.com To email the podcast, use bossbetternow@gmail.com #leadership #management #toxicworkculture #teambuilding #workplaceculture #conflictmanagement #employeeengagement #motivation Joe Mull is on a mission to help leaders and business owners create the conditions where commitment takes root—and the entire workplace thrives. A dynamic and deeply relatable speaker, Joe combines compelling research, magnetic storytelling, and practical strategies to show exactly how to cultivate loyalty, ignite effort, and build people-first workplaces where both performance and morale flourish. His message is clear: when commitment is activated, engagement rises, teams gel, retention improves, and business outcomes soar. Joe is the founder of Boss Hero School™ and the creator of the acclaimed Employalty™ framework, a roadmap for creating thriving workplaces in a new era of work. He’s the author of three books, including Employalty, named a top business book of the year by Publisher’s Weekly, and his popular podcast, Boss Better Now, ranks in the top 1% of management shows globally. A former head of learning and development at one of the largest healthcare systems in the U.S., Joe has spent nearly two decades equipping leaders—from Fortune 500 companies like State Farm, Siemens, and Choice Hotels to hospitals, agencies, and small firms—with the tools to lead better, inspire commitment, and build more humane workplace cultures. His insights have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, and more. In 2025, Joe was inducted into the Professional Speakers Hall of Fame (CPAE). This is the speaking profession’s highest honor, a distinction granted to less than 1% of professional speakers worldwide. It’s awarded to speakers who demonstrate exceptional talent, integrity, and influence in the speaking profession For more information visit joemull.com. Timestamps: 0:00 Episode Preview 0:31 Welcome Dan Gingiss 3:22 Delivering Pizza to Michael Jordan 5:00 Early Jobs and Becoming the “Cruise Director” at Work 6:15 First-Time Manager Lessons 10:00 Leading With Trust From Day One 13:23 The Career Pivot Into Digital Customer Experience 15:00 Discovering the Power of Small CX Changes 20:00 Happy Employees, Happy Customers 22:55 "How Does This Impact Our Customers?” 25:00 Become a Customer of Your Own Company 27:16 People Leadership as a Superpower 30:00 Defining and Measuring Collective Lift 33:32 Why the Best Salesperson Shouldn’t Always Be the Manager 34:25 The Most Absurd Workplace Rule 35:00 The One Phrase That Should Be Banned Forever 35:18 Career Advice That Still Matters 36:28 Closing Thoughts
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    38 m
  • How to Keep Leadership Grounded and Connected to Teams with Sondra Davis
    Mar 25 2026
    Leaders often complain about new employees or feel overwhelmed by constant change and employee feedback. But what if the key to retention and engagement is simply changing how we view our team's lives outside of work? In this episode of Boss Better Now, Joe Mull sits down with Sandra Davis, Chief Human Resources Officer for North Mississippi Health Services (NMHS). Sandra shares her incredible insights on sustaining high employee engagement and why she reads thousands of employee survey comments to stay connected to the frontline of the largest non-metropolitan rural hospital system in the U.S.. Sandra shares her journey from working in an assisted living facility as a teenager to leading HR at the highest levels. She breaks down why leaders need to banish generational stereotypes, how to keep your team grounded in their purpose, and practical routines for staying connected with the people doing the work. In this episode, you'll learn: 🔹 Why you should ban the phrase "this younger generation" from your workplace vocabulary. 🔹 How reading up to 6,000 employee survey comments keeps leadership grounded. 🔹 Why work is just a small intersection in an employee's life—and why employers should be grateful they choose to be there. 🔹 Practical habits to stay connected with frontline teams, including 90-day virtual check-ins with new hires. To subscribe to Joe Mull’s BossBetter Email newsletter, visit https://BossBetterNow.com For more info on working with Joe Mull, visit https://joemull.com For more info on Boss Hero School, visit https://bossheroschool.com To email the podcast, use bossbetternow@gmail.com #leadership #management #toxicworkculture #teambuilding #workplaceculture #conflictmanagement #employeeengagement #motivation Joe Mull is on a mission to help leaders and business owners create the conditions where commitment takes root—and the entire workplace thrives. A dynamic and deeply relatable speaker, Joe combines compelling research, magnetic storytelling, and practical strategies to show exactly how to cultivate loyalty, ignite effort, and build people-first workplaces where both performance and morale flourish. His message is clear: when commitment is activated, engagement rises, teams gel, retention improves, and business outcomes soar. Joe is the founder of Boss Hero School™ and the creator of the acclaimed Employalty™ framework, a roadmap for creating thriving workplaces in a new era of work. He’s the author of three books, including Employalty, named a top business book of the year by Publisher’s Weekly, and his popular podcast, Boss Better Now, ranks in the top 1% of management shows globally. A former head of learning and development at one of the largest healthcare systems in the U.S., Joe has spent nearly two decades equipping leaders—from Fortune 500 companies like State Farm, Siemens, and Choice Hotels to hospitals, agencies, and small firms—with the tools to lead better, inspire commitment, and build more humane workplace cultures. His insights have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, and more. In 2025, Joe was inducted into the Professional Speakers Hall of Fame (CPAE). This is the speaking profession’s highest honor, a distinction granted to less than 1% of professional speakers worldwide. It’s awarded to speakers who demonstrate exceptional talent, integrity, and influence in the speaking profession For more information visit joemull.com. Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 1:20 - Finding Meaning in a First Job at an Assisted Living Facility 3:12 - Building Trust and Connection with the Older Generation 5:18 - The Lasting Impact of Early Career Service Roles 6:16 - From Frontline Care to the Executive HR Suite 7:55 - The Secret to Sustaining Award-Winning Employee Engagement 10:00 - Optimizing an Already Great Culture 13:02 - Bridging the Gap Between Executives and the Frontline 15:54 - Reading Employee Survey Comments to Understand "Hassle Factors" 18:43 - Best vs. Worst Bosses 21:31 - The Devastating Impact of a Leader Without Integrity 24:22 - The Best Career Advice Sandra Ever Received 24:50 - The One Workplace Phrase Leaders Need to Ban Forever 29:30 - Why We Need to Stop Complaining About "This Younger Generation" 30:00 - Remembering Your Purpose When Work Gets Hard 32:11 - The Biweekly Ritual That Reconnects Executives to Their "Why" 35:00 - Unpacking the Virtual 90-Day New Hire Check-In 40:00 - Becoming a Change-Adaptive Leader 44:20 - Embracing Ambiguity and the "Next Normal" 45:06 - Closing Thoughts
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    46 m
  • How to Stop Assuming the Worst About People with Dallin Cooper
    Mar 11 2026
    We all make snap judgments about people — coworkers, bosses, even strangers. But what if those assumptions are dead wrong? In this episode of Boss Better Now, Joe Mull sits down with Dallin Cooper, a collaboration expert who learned a life-changing lesson while living in China: the people you disagree with might not be crazy. They might just see the world differently than you. Dallin shares his journey from Pizza Hut team member to leadership speaker, and breaks down how challenging our assumptions about others can transform team dynamics, reduce conflict, and make you a better leader. In this episode, you'll learn: 🔹 Why your brain defaults to assuming the worst about people 🔹 The "They Might Not Be Crazy" framework for understanding different perspectives 🔹 How living in China completely rewired Dallin's view of collaboration 🔹 Practical steps to stop misjudging your coworkers and team members To subscribe to Joe Mull’s BossBetter Email newsletter, visit https://BossBetterNow.com For more info on working with Joe Mull, visit https://joemull.com For more info on Boss Hero School, visit https://bossheroschool.com To email the podcast, use bossbetternow@gmail.com #leadership #management #toxicworkculture #teambuilding #workplaceculture #conflictmanagement #employeeengagement #motivation Joe Mull is on a mission to help leaders and business owners create the conditions where commitment takes root—and the entire workplace thrives. A dynamic and deeply relatable speaker, Joe combines compelling research, magnetic storytelling, and practical strategies to show exactly how to cultivate loyalty, ignite effort, and build people-first workplaces where both performance and morale flourish. His message is clear: when commitment is activated, engagement rises, teams gel, retention improves, and business outcomes soar. Joe is the founder of Boss Hero School™ and the creator of the acclaimed Employalty™ framework, a roadmap for creating thriving workplaces in a new era of work. He’s the author of three books, including Employalty, named a top business book of the year by Publisher’s Weekly, and his popular podcast, Boss Better Now, ranks in the top 1% of management shows globally. A former head of learning and development at one of the largest healthcare systems in the U.S., Joe has spent nearly two decades equipping leaders—from Fortune 500 companies like State Farm, Siemens, and Choice Hotels to hospitals, agencies, and small firms—with the tools to lead better, inspire commitment, and build more humane workplace cultures. His insights have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, and more. In 2025, Joe was inducted into the Professional Speakers Hall of Fame (CPAE). This is the speaking profession’s highest honor, a distinction granted to less than 1% of professional speakers worldwide. It’s awarded to speakers who demonstrate exceptional talent, integrity, and influence in the speaking profession For more information visit joemull.com.
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    47 m
  • An update on the future of the Boss Better Now podcast
    Feb 18 2026
    Boss Better Now 3.0 arrives in March! Joe shares why the podcast is shifting and why he’s excited about what’s coming. After reflecting on what has worked best over the years, the show is returning to conversations that center real leadership experience, encouragement, and practical wisdom for people who lead others. New episodes are on the way, featuring thoughtful conversations with leaders, experts, and practitioners who care deeply about employee engagement, employee relations, and workplace culture. Thanks for sticking with the show. The next chapter starts soon. To subscribe to Joe Mull’s BossBetter Email newsletter, visit https://BossBetterNow.com For more info on working with Joe Mull, visit https://joemull.com For more info on Boss Hero School, visit https://bossheroschool.com To email the podcast, use bossbetternow@gmail.com #transformativeleadership #workplaceculture #companyculture #talentretention #employeeengagement #employeeretention #bossheroschool #employalty Joe Mull is on a mission to help leaders and business owners create the conditions where commitment takes root—and the entire workplace thrives. A dynamic and deeply relatable speaker, Joe combines compelling research, magnetic storytelling, and practical strategies to show exactly how to cultivate loyalty, ignite effort, and build people-first workplaces where both performance and morale flourish. His message is clear: when commitment is activated, engagement rises, teams gel, retention improves, and business outcomes soar. Joe is the founder of Boss Hero School™ and the creator of the acclaimed Employalty™ framework, a roadmap for creating thriving workplaces in a new era of work. He’s the author of three books, including Employalty, named a top business book of the year by Publisher’s Weekly, and his popular podcast, Boss Better Now, ranks in the top 1% of management shows globally. A former head of learning and development at one of the largest healthcare systems in the U.S., Joe has spent nearly two decades equipping leaders—from Fortune 500 companies like State Farm, Siemens, and Choice Hotels to hospitals, agencies, and small firms—with the tools to lead better, inspire commitment, and build more humane workplace cultures. His insights have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, and more. In 2025, Joe was inducted into the Professional Speakers Hall of Fame (CPAE). This is the speaking profession’s highest honor, a distinction granted to less than 1% of professional speakers worldwide. It’s awarded to speakers who demonstrate exceptional talent, integrity, and influence in the speaking profession For more information visit joemull.com.
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    11 m
  • What do employees really want?
    Feb 11 2026
    What employees want most is not what many organizations are built to provide. In this episode, Hall of Fame keynote speaker Joe Mull, CSP, CPAE, reframes a familiar question and explains why employee commitment is rooted less in perks or policies and more in whether work contributes to a joyous, prosperous life. Joe explores how employee engagement, employee relations, and long-term retention are shaped by the daily realities of work, including economic pressure, workload, flexibility, and how people are treated by their leaders. He reflects on why minimizing unnecessary suffering at work and increasing fulfillment through meaningful contribution, belonging, and trust are central to building commitment that lasts. The conversation also highlights the outsized role managers play in shaping the employee experience and why leadership behavior often determines whether a job becomes a stabilizing force in someone’s life or a source of ongoing stress. If you want to strengthen engagement, improve employee relations, and build a workplace where people stay, care, and give their best effort, this episode offers a clear leadership perspective grounded in real workplace experience. To subscribe to Joe Mull’s BossBetter Email newsletter, visit https://BossBetterNow.com For more info on working with Joe Mull, visit https://joemull.com For more info on Boss Hero School, visit https://bossheroschool.com To email the podcast, use bossbetternow@gmail.com #transformativeleadership #workplaceculture #companyculture #talentretention #employeeengagement #employeeretention #bossheroschool #employalty Joe Mull is on a mission to help leaders and business owners create the conditions where commitment takes root—and the entire workplace thrives. A dynamic and deeply relatable speaker, Joe combines compelling research, magnetic storytelling, and practical strategies to show exactly how to cultivate loyalty, ignite effort, and build people-first workplaces where both performance and morale flourish. His message is clear: when commitment is activated, engagement rises, teams gel, retention improves, and business outcomes soar. Joe is the founder of Boss Hero School™ and the creator of the acclaimed Employalty™ framework, a roadmap for creating thriving workplaces in a new era of work. He’s the author of three books, including Employalty, named a top business book of the year by Publisher’s Weekly, and his popular podcast, Boss Better Now, ranks in the top 1% of management shows globally. A former head of learning and development at one of the largest healthcare systems in the U.S., Joe has spent nearly two decades equipping leaders—from Fortune 500 companies like State Farm, Siemens, and Choice Hotels to hospitals, agencies, and small firms—with the tools to lead better, inspire commitment, and build more humane workplace cultures. His insights have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, and more. In 2025, Joe was inducted into the Professional Speakers Hall of Fame (CPAE). This is the speaking profession’s highest honor, a distinction granted to less than 1% of professional speakers worldwide. It’s awarded to speakers who demonstrate exceptional talent, integrity, and influence in the speaking profession For more information visit joemull.com.
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    15 m
  • How can I increase employee motivation?
    Feb 4 2026
    Trying to motivate your employees may be the wrong goal entirely. In this episode, Hall of Fame keynote speaker Joe Mull, CSP, CPAE, challenges one of the most common leadership assumptions and explains why motivation is not something leaders can give to people, but something employees experience when the conditions at work are right. Joe reframes how leaders should think about employee motivation, employee engagement, and employee relations, especially when teams feel checked out or burned out. He explores why perks, incentives, and pep talks rarely lead to sustained effort, and how daily leadership behavior plays a much bigger role in whether people care, try, and stay committed. The conversation focuses on how leaders shape the employee experience through trust, clarity, and attention to the realities of people’s work lives, and why creating the right conditions matters more than trying to energize people directly. If you want to improve motivation, strengthen engagement, and build a workplace where effort comes from within, this episode offers a grounded leadership perspective for today’s workplace. To subscribe to Joe Mull’s BossBetter Email newsletter, visit https://BossBetterNow.com For more info on working with Joe Mull, visit https://joemull.com For more info on Boss Hero School, visit https://bossheroschool.com To email the podcast, use bossbetternow@gmail.com #transformativeleadership #workplaceculture #companyculture #talentretention #employeeengagement #employeeretention #bossheroschool #employalty Joe Mull is on a mission to help leaders and business owners create the conditions where commitment takes root—and the entire workplace thrives. A dynamic and deeply relatable speaker, Joe combines compelling research, magnetic storytelling, and practical strategies to show exactly how to cultivate loyalty, ignite effort, and build people-first workplaces where both performance and morale flourish. His message is clear: when commitment is activated, engagement rises, teams gel, retention improves, and business outcomes soar. Joe is the founder of Boss Hero School™ and the creator of the acclaimed Employalty™ framework, a roadmap for creating thriving workplaces in a new era of work. He’s the author of three books, including Employalty, named a top business book of the year by Publisher’s Weekly, and his popular podcast, Boss Better Now, ranks in the top 1% of management shows globally. A former head of learning and development at one of the largest healthcare systems in the U.S., Joe has spent nearly two decades equipping leaders—from Fortune 500 companies like State Farm, Siemens, and Choice Hotels to hospitals, agencies, and small firms—with the tools to lead better, inspire commitment, and build more humane workplace cultures. His insights have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, and more. In 2025, Joe was inducted into the Professional Speakers Hall of Fame (CPAE). This is the speaking profession’s highest honor, a distinction granted to less than 1% of professional speakers worldwide. It’s awarded to speakers who demonstrate exceptional talent, integrity, and influence in the speaking profession For more information visit joemull.com.
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    10 m
  • How to manage and lead Gen Z in the workplace
    Jan 28 2026
    The fastest way to lose Gen Z at work is to misjudge what they need. In this episode, Hall of Fame keynote speaker Joe Mull, CSP, CPAE, challenges common assumptions about Gen Z in the workplace and explains why labeling early career professionals as unmotivated or unprepared misses what actually drives employee engagement, employee relations, and long-term commitment. Joe explores how professional inexperience, economic pressure, and communication norms shape how young employees show up at work, and why patience, mentoring, and leadership behavior matter more than generational stereotypes. He reflects on how early workplace interactions influence confidence, effort, and willingness to grow, especially in the critical first years of a career. The conversation focuses on how leaders can support development, preserve dignity, and build trust with early career employees in ways that strengthen workplace culture and unlock potential rather than shut it down. If you want to lead Gen Z more effectively, improve employee relations, and build a culture where early career professionals grow into committed contributors, this episode offers grounded perspective for today’s workplace. To subscribe to Joe Mull’s BossBetter Email newsletter, visit https://BossBetterNow.com For more info on working with Joe Mull, visit https://joemull.com For more info on Boss Hero School, visit https://bossheroschool.com To email the podcast, use bossbetternow@gmail.com #transformativeleadership #workplaceculture #companyculture #talentretention #employeeengagement #employeeretention #bossheroschool #employalty Joe Mull is on a mission to help leaders and business owners create the conditions where commitment takes root—and the entire workplace thrives. A dynamic and deeply relatable speaker, Joe combines compelling research, magnetic storytelling, and practical strategies to show exactly how to cultivate loyalty, ignite effort, and build people-first workplaces where both performance and morale flourish. His message is clear: when commitment is activated, engagement rises, teams gel, retention improves, and business outcomes soar. Joe is the founder of Boss Hero School™ and the creator of the acclaimed Employalty™ framework, a roadmap for creating thriving workplaces in a new era of work. He’s the author of three books, including Employalty, named a top business book of the year by Publisher’s Weekly, and his popular podcast, Boss Better Now, ranks in the top 1% of management shows globally. A former head of learning and development at one of the largest healthcare systems in the U.S., Joe has spent nearly two decades equipping leaders—from Fortune 500 companies like State Farm, Siemens, and Choice Hotels to hospitals, agencies, and small firms—with the tools to lead better, inspire commitment, and build more humane workplace cultures. His insights have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, and more. In 2025, Joe was inducted into the Professional Speakers Hall of Fame (CPAE). This is the speaking profession’s highest honor, a distinction granted to less than 1% of professional speakers worldwide. It’s awarded to speakers who demonstrate exceptional talent, integrity, and influence in the speaking profession For more information visit joemull.com.
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    17 m
  • How you can improve retention in high turnover positions
    Jan 21 2026
    Chronic turnover in the same positions is a signal leaders can’t afford to ignore. In this episode, Hall of Fame keynote speaker Joe Mull, CSP, CPAE, explores why some positions are harder to fill and keep than others, and how leaders can improve employee retention, employee engagement, employee relations, and workplace culture in high-turnover roles. Joe introduces practical leadership questions that help organizations stand out in their industry and create jobs people actually want to stay in. He discusses ideas like job crafting, ongoing stay conversations, and rethinking quality of life at work, showing how small adjustments to roles and relationships can significantly improve the employee experience. The conversation also addresses the internal issues that quietly drive people away, including unhealthy dynamics and leadership behaviors that undermine trust, even when pay and benefits seem competitive. If you want to reduce turnover, strengthen employee relations, and build roles that attract and keep great people, this episode offers grounded insight leaders can apply right away. To subscribe to Joe Mull’s BossBetter Email newsletter, visit https://BossBetterNow.com For more info on working with Joe Mull, visit https://joemull.com For more info on Boss Hero School, visit https://bossheroschool.com To email the podcast, use bossbetternow@gmail.com #transformativeleadership #workplaceculture #companyculture #talentretention #employeeengagement #employeeretention #bossheroschool #employalty Joe Mull is on a mission to help leaders and business owners create the conditions where commitment takes root—and the entire workplace thrives. A dynamic and deeply relatable speaker, Joe combines compelling research, magnetic storytelling, and practical strategies to show exactly how to cultivate loyalty, ignite effort, and build people-first workplaces where both performance and morale flourish. His message is clear: when commitment is activated, engagement rises, teams gel, retention improves, and business outcomes soar. Joe is the founder of Boss Hero School™ and the creator of the acclaimed Employalty™ framework, a roadmap for creating thriving workplaces in a new era of work. He’s the author of three books, including Employalty, named a top business book of the year by Publisher’s Weekly, and his popular podcast, Boss Better Now, ranks in the top 1% of management shows globally. A former head of learning and development at one of the largest healthcare systems in the U.S., Joe has spent nearly two decades equipping leaders—from Fortune 500 companies like State Farm, Siemens, and Choice Hotels to hospitals, agencies, and small firms—with the tools to lead better, inspire commitment, and build more humane workplace cultures. His insights have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, and more. In 2025, Joe was inducted into the Professional Speakers Hall of Fame (CPAE). This is the speaking profession’s highest honor, a distinction granted to less than 1% of professional speakers worldwide. It’s awarded to speakers who demonstrate exceptional talent, integrity, and influence in the speaking profession For more information visit joemull.com.
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    15 m