Grody & UnPrOfEsSiOnAL Podcast By Justin McMenamy cover art

Grody & UnPrOfEsSiOnAL

Grody & UnPrOfEsSiOnAL

By: Justin McMenamy
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Hello and welcome to Grody & UnPrOfEsSiOnAL, my name is Justin McMenamy, and my mission is to share both profitable and painful leadership lessons I have acquired over a twenty-year career as a misfit in corporate America.

Like everyone, I have worked with and for hundreds of leaders across my career. While some leaders are great, and many are good, the vast majority find themselves tossed into leadership and left to figure it out on their own. Grody & Unprofessional seeks to share leadership stories harvested from my own experiences and from the experiences of others through approachable and candid conversations with the aim of educating and shaping your leadership journey.

Grody & Unprofessional episodes will toggle between focused monologue on specific lessons or mindsets I have acquired from my experiences and conversations with other leaders seeking to understand their convictions and strategies for inspiring, motivating, and maybe sometimes cajoling a group into action.

Grody & Unprofessional is not a memoir, it’s not a forum to gripe or complain about the past or present. The rules are simple, I aim to convey leadership lessons through storytelling. If a given story has a hero, we will use proper names, if the story has a villain, a dolt, or if there is the potential for embarrassment, proper names will be removed. While we do NOT aim to embarrass people or organizations, we do intend to embarrass poor leadership behaviors and mindsets common to many leaders and organizations.

My experience has been that demand for talented leaders outstrips supply by at least tenfold, Grody & Unprofessional is my feeble attempt to improve supply.

I hope you will join me as we seek to uncover people, product, and organizational leadership lessons through the musings of a corporate misfit and his friends.Copyright Justin McMenamy Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Innovation: Easier Said than Done w. Jim Weber

    Innovation: Easier Said than Done w. Jim Weber
    Feb 5 2026
    In the first episode of the mini-series entitled “Innovation: Is It More Than a Feeling?” host Justin McMenamy and Jim Weber explore the concept of innovation. The episode delves into defining the necessary components of innovation, contrasting it with being merely clever or even foolish. Jim shares his career experiences as an innovator within a Dow 30 organization and discusses his personal take on innovation, including the idea that there are various levels of innovation. The discussion also touches on the reality that innovation can be seen beyond technology and product development. Justin provides examples from the tech industry, and offers insights from his experience at Precision Planting, particularly on the company's innovative distribution model. The conversation concludes with reflections on how innovation is perceived and executed in different contexts, including manufacturing, marketing, and sales.
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    48 mins
  • Why Teams Rebel & Talent Resigns w. Caleb Schleder

    Why Teams Rebel & Talent Resigns w. Caleb Schleder
    Jan 22 2026
    This episode features host Justin McMenamy and guest Caleb Schleder discussing the Situational Leadership model. They delve into the four leadership styles (L1 through L4) and their applications based on employee competence and confidence. The conversation emphasizes the importance of recognizing and adapting to these styles to enhance team performance.

    They also explore challenges like managing 'comfortable L1s,' handling team dynamics with varying competence levels, and maintaining effective leadership during organizational changes. The episode concludes with a unique twist, examining how Situational Leadership principles can apply to parenting, ultimately comcluding that the aim of both the leader and the parent is to foster autonomy and strong relationships which foster personal growth and maturation.
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    45 mins
  • Situational Leadership w. Caleb Schleder

    Situational Leadership w. Caleb Schleder
    Jan 8 2026
    In this episode, host Justin McMenemy is joined by Caleb Schleder to discuss the framework of Situational Leadership. They delve into the importance of tailoring leadership styles to specific situations and the pitfalls of a one-size-fits-all approach. Justin emphasizes the significance of avoiding the 'because I said so' attitude and introduces Situational Leadership as his go-to advice for new leaders. Caleb shares personal experiences with different leadership styles and highlights the value of empowering employees while avoiding micromanagement.

    The discussion covers various leadership stages, from Directing (S1) to Delegating (S4), explaining the importance of adjusting strategies based on an employee’s competence and confidence. They also touch on the challenges faced by leaders of leaders and the necessity of maintaining good relationships with employees through these transitions.

    The episode concludes with preparation for a follow-up episode to continue the discussion, in which Justin and Caleb will spend time discussing edge cases and real-world examples of utilizing the Situational Leadership framework.
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    52 mins
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