For a long time, I believed that being a strong leader meant being the one who could do it all.

Execute quickly. Solve problems. Step in when needed.

In this conversation, I sit down with Jim Brown, a consultant who has spent over 30 years working with boards and senior leadership teams to build healthier, higher-performing organizations. Jim shares his own leadership evolution from being the "go-to" leader who drove results, to realizing that his competence was actually limiting his team. We talk about what it really looks like to shift from being the doer to the leader who develops others and why that shift is essential if you want a team that performs without depending on you for everything.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why high-performing leaders often become the bottleneck (without realizing it)

• The real reason leaders struggle to delegate

• What it means to move from "hero leader" to "supportive leader"

• Why avoiding hard conversations quietly erodes team culture

• How accountability and care work together not against each other

• Why asking better questions builds stronger, more capable teams

• The role of psychological safety in driving performance

Jim also shares insights from his book, The Imperfect CEO, and why letting go of perfection and control is one of the most powerful things a leader can do. If you're leading a team and feeling the weight of being the one everyone depends on, this episode will challenge how you think about leadership and give you a clearer path forward.

Here are the some great resources I wanted to share with you:

Book a Free Clarity Call

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Connect with Jim on LinkedIn

https://imperfectceobook.com/

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If this message resonated with you, I'd be so grateful if you'd leave a rating and review—it helps the show reach more high achievers who are ready to do life and work differently.

And if you're listening today, take a screenshot of this episode & tag me on Instagram @molly.asplin so I can personally thank you and cheer you on!

If this episode really hits your high-achieving heart, I would really love to chat with you. Book a free clarity call HERE.

In this episode of The Modern High Performer Podcast, I'm pulling back the curtain on the conversations I've been having every week with high-achieving leaders whether you are a business owner, executive, founder, and senior manager and sharing the themes that keep coming up again and again.

What's interesting is that the questions leaders are asking right now are different than they were even a year ago. The conversation has shifted from "How do I grow faster?" to "How do I build success that actually fits into my life?"

More and more leaders are asking:

• How do I stay ambitious and still be present for the people who matter most?

• How do I build a business or team that doesn't depend on me for everything?

• How do I manage my energy so I don't burn out halfway through my career?

• Do I really need to be highly visible online to grow, or is there another way?

• How do I stay valuable and relevant as my company changes, restructures, or adopts AI?

Across the board, leaders are thinking more about sustainability, energy, team development, and aligned growth, not just more revenue, bigger titles, or faster promotions. If you're in a season where you're redefining success, rethinking growth, or trying to build a career and life that actually work together, this episode will feel very familiar.

Here are the some great resources I wanted to share with you:

Book a Free Clarity Call

https://www.mollyasplin.com/subscribe

molly@mollyasplin.com

Follow Me on Instagram

Growth Day App - 7 Day Free Trial

Are you looking to improve performance and team effectiveness across your team?

Book A Team Effectiveness Consult Here

If this message resonated with you, I'd be so grateful if you'd leave a rating and review—it helps the show reach more high achievers who are ready to do life and work differently.

And if you're listening today, take a screenshot of this episode & tag me on Instagram @molly.asplin so I can personally thank you and cheer you on!

Leadership isn't just about strategy—it's about people.

In this episode, I'm joined by Amy Jacobson, emotional intelligence and human behavior specialist and author of The Emotional Intelligence Advantage. We talk about why emotional intelligence is often dismissed as a "soft skill," when in reality it's one of the most practical advantages leaders have, especially when navigating change and difficult conversations.

Amy also introduces the idea of "change intelligence," the emotional readiness teams need before change can actually succeed.

In this conversation, we cover:

• Why emotional intelligence is a critical leadership skill

• How the rise of AI is increasing the importance of human EQ

• The difference between blame-based teams and ownership-driven cultures

• Why change often triggers a sense of loss for people

• What happens in the brain during difficult conversations

• Amy's practical "Ask, Ask, Tell" framework for leading hard conversations with clarity
  
  

If you lead people, manage change, or regularly navigate high-stakes conversations at work, this episode offers practical insight you can apply immediately.

Here are the some great resources I wanted to share with you:

Apply for 1:1 Coaching

https://www.mollyasplin.com/subscribe

molly@mollyasplin.com

Follow Me on Instagram

Growth Day App - 7 Day Free Trial

Connect with Amy Jacobson:

Emotional Intelligence Books

https://amyjacobson.com.au/

Connect on LinkedIn

Are you looking to improve performance and team effectiveness across your team?

Book A Team Effectiveness Consult Here

If this message resonated with you, I'd be so grateful if you'd leave a rating and review—it helps the show reach more high achievers who are ready to do life and work differently.

And if you're listening today, take a screenshot of this episode & tag me on Instagram @molly.asplin so I can personally thank you and cheer you on!

What if your career stayed exactly the same for the next 10 years, (same title, same compensation, same trajectory) but your relationships quietly eroded in the background?

Would you notice? Or would you call it a "busy season"?

In this episode of the Modern High Performer podcast, I'm unpacking a question that has challenged me deeply which is inspired by Clayton Christensen's book How Will You Measure Your Life? and applying business strategy thinking to something far more personal: how we measure success in our lives. As high performers, we are wired to optimize. We track what moves. We invest where we see immediate returns and work gives us clear metrics, fast feedback, and visible progress.

Relationships don't.

In this episode, I walk through three powerful ideas:

• Why money, status, and achievement can quietly masquerade as fulfillment

• How we unintentionally allocate our best time and energy to what pays off now — while underinvesting in what matters long-term

• The subtle way lifestyle expansion can make income feel "required," leading to giving our families less of us

I also share a personal regret about friendships I didn't protect the way I should have — and the hard truth about how relationship drift doesn't happen loudly. It happens slowly.

You'll hear journaling prompts to help you reflect on:

• What are you currently measuring your life by?

• Where is your time going and why?

• If nothing changed professionally, would you be proud of how you showed up personally?
  
  

This episode isn't about abandoning ambition. It's about ensuring your ambition doesn't cost you the life you're building it for. If you're a senior leader navigating responsibility, growth, and the tension between success and presence, this conversation is for you.

Here are the some great resources I wanted to share with you:

Apply for 1:1 Coaching

https://www.mollyasplin.com/subscribe

molly@mollyasplin.com

Follow Me on Instagram

Growth Day App - 7 Day Free Trial

Are you looking to improve performance and team effectiveness across your team?

Book A Team Effectiveness Consult Here

If this message resonated with you, I'd be so grateful if you'd leave a rating and review—it helps the show reach more high achievers who are ready to do life and work differently.

And if you're listening today, take a screenshot of this episode & tag me on Instagram @molly.asplin so I can personally thank you and cheer you on!

This conversation is for the woman who's accomplished a lot on paper, but still feels that quiet nudge that something's missing.

In this episode of Modern High Performer, I'm joined by Whitney Faires, a leadership advisor and mom of three who made a bold pivot from her high-powered corporate career into work that's far more aligned with who she truly is. We unpack what it means to feel unsettled in your success, and how to respond to the silent dream that keeps tapping you on the shoulder. Whitney shares what it really looked like to shift her identity as a leader, honor her ambition without burning out, and redefine what she wants her life and career to feel like especially in the season of motherhood.

We talk about:

• Why the "dream job" might stop feeling like a dream

• How to build magnetic leadership rooted in authenticity and self-awareness

• What to do when you're stuck between stability and a deeper calling

• How Whitney manages her time, energy, and household with intention

• The messy, but necessary, parts of letting go of who you were to become who you're meant to be
  
  

This is a must-listen if you're craving more meaning in your work, wondering what comes next, or navigating the in-between.

Here are the some great resources I wanted to share with you:

Apply for 1:1 Coaching

https://www.mollyasplin.com/subscribe

molly@mollyasplin.com

Follow Me on Instagram

Growth Day App - 7 Day Free Trial

Are you looking to improve performance and team effectiveness across your team?

Book A Team Effectiveness Consult Here

Connect with Whitney Faires:

Follow on Instagram

www.whitneyfaires.com

Connect on LinkedIn

If this message resonated with you, I'd be so grateful if you'd leave a rating and review—it helps the show reach more high achievers who are ready to do life and work differently.

And if you're listening today, take a screenshot of this episode & tag me on Instagram @molly.asplin so I can personally thank you and cheer you on!

What does it really mean to be "successful" as a high performer… and still feel well?

In this episode, I'm joined by Cherylanne Skolnicki — founder and CEO of Brilliant Balance, speaker, and former Procter & Gamble executive — for a rich, honest conversation about ambition, energy, and the seasons of life we all move through.

We talk about how the pursuit of more can leave high performers feeling maxed out, even when things look good on paper and how redefining success through the lens of energy, relationships, and life alignment is key to building something sustainable. Cherylanne shares the pivotal moments that took her from corporate leadership to entrepreneurship, how she teaches women to curate their calendars (instead of letting them run the show), and how perfectionism and outdated expectations are silently draining us.

You'll hear us explore:

• What it looks like to honor your current life season

• Why many women feel disconnected, overextended, or stuck

• How to manage your energy with clarity and intuition

• The role of ambition, rest, and recovery in high performance

• Permission to rewrite what success looks like for you in this season
  
  

If you've been feeling out of sync or wondering why success doesn't feel the way you hoped, this episode will help you reconnect to what matters most and move forward with more purpose, peace, and clarity.

Here are the some great resources I wanted to share with you:

https://www.mollyasplin.com/subscribe

molly@mollyasplin.com

Follow Me on Instagram

Growth Day App - 7 Day Free Trial

Connect with Cherylanne

Follow on Instagram

Brilliant Balance Podcast

The Momentum Playbook

Are you looking to improve performance and team effectiveness across your team?

Book A Team Effectiveness Consult Here

If this message resonated with you, I'd be so grateful if you'd leave a rating and review—it helps the show reach more high achievers who are ready to do life and work differently.

And if you're listening today, take a screenshot of this episode & tag me on Instagram @molly.asplin so I can personally thank you and cheer you on!

If you've ever felt like you're doing too much for your team or you have to this episode is for you.

In today's conversation, I'm walking through one of the most common challenges high-performing leaders face: unintentionally becoming the bottleneck. Even when your intentions are good (and they usually are), it's easy to slip into habits that limit your team's growth and drain your time and energy.

We'll dig into:
✔️ The difference between empowering your team and rescuing them
✔️ What it actually looks like to build ownership and accountability
✔️ How to shift from "I'll just do it" to sustainable delegation
✔️ Simple language swaps that create more buy-in and less burnout
✔️ Why psychological safety is the secret to better performance
✔️ And how to align your vision so the team isn't always waiting on you

This is about reclaiming your time for higher-level thinking while developing a team that owns the mission, not just their to-do list. Whether you're leading one person or a team of 50, these strategies will help you stop doing it all and start leading in a way that's sustainable, effective, and energizing.

Here are the some great resources I wanted to share with you:

Apply for 1:1 Coaching

https://www.mollyasplin.com/subscribe

molly@mollyasplin.com

Follow Me on Instagram

Growth Day App - 7 Day Free Trial

Are you looking to improve performance and team effectiveness across your team?

Book A Team Effectiveness Consult Here

If this message resonated with you, I'd be so grateful if you'd leave a rating and review—it helps the show reach more high achievers who are ready to do life and work differently.

And if you're listening today, take a screenshot of this episode & tag me on Instagram @molly.asplin so I can personally thank you and cheer you on!

If you've ever felt a little restless or wondered, "Is this still it for me?" This conversation is for you.

In this episode, I'm joined by Stephanie Ross — entrepreneur, educator, and author of Seasons of a Solepreneur — and we dive deep into how to know when it's time to evolve your life or career. Stephanie shares her own journey of pivoting out of the fitness industry after years of teaching classes and running her own studio, and how she stepped into a new chapter as a mentor and community builder for women in small business.

We talk about:

• The very real signs that you're outgrowing something

• What it looks like to lead with authenticity (especially online)

• How to build real, collaborative community

• The seasons of entrepreneurship: planting, growing, weathering, and harvesting

• Navigating motherhood while staying connected to your purpose

• Why daily rituals (even simple ones) help bring clarity and momentum
  
  

This is a grounded, honest conversation that will meet you right where you are, especially if you're in between chapters, craving more alignment, or simply need the reminder that it's normal to evolve.

Here are the some great resources I wanted to share with you:

Apply for 1:1 Coaching

https://www.mollyasplin.com/subscribe

molly@mollyasplin.com

Follow Me on Instagram

Growth Day App - 7 Day Free Trial

Connect with Stephanie Ross:

Follow on Instagram

Soul Driven with Steph

Small Business Sister Circle

Seasons of Solepreneur Book on Amazon

Are you looking to improve performance and team effectiveness across your team?

Book A Team Effectiveness Consult Here

If this message resonated with you, I'd be so grateful if you'd leave a rating and review—it helps the show reach more high achievers who are ready to do life and work differently.

And if you're listening today, take a screenshot of this episode & tag me on Instagram @molly.asplin so I can personally thank you and cheer you on!