351: Navigating Leadership in the Age of AI

351: Navigating Leadership in the Age of AI

351: Navigating Leadership in the Age of AI

What if you had to step into a CEO role at just 22, with no formal business training? That’s exactly what Thiago Da Costa did, and he quickly discovered that leadership is best learned on the job. In this episode, Thiago shares what it was like to build and grow a company that Autodesk later acquired, leading teams of up to 300 people and adapting to constant organizational change. He reflects on the lessons learned about authenticity, cultural alignment, and the compromises leaders must navigate to stay true to their values while driving results.

You’ll also hear how Thiago is now leveraging AI to shape the future of work. From hiring and skill development to automating routine tasks, Thiago offers a fascinating look at how AI can enhance—not replace—human leadership. He shares practical insights about using AI for personalized guidance, preparing for tough conversations, and freeing leaders to focus on what matters most: engaging meaningfully with people. His vision of AI as a partner in leadership offers a compelling roadmap for today’s leaders who want to stay relevant in a rapidly changing world.

Thiago is a product visionary, an AI futurist, and a serial entrepreneur. He sold his first company to Autodesk and is now building the future of work with Datagrid, where he’s Founder and CEO. Datagrid is an AI platform that turns your company’s data into intelligent agents. These agents automate workflows, surface real-time insights, and supercharge decision-making.

You’ll discover:

  • The hard-earned lessons Thiago acquired as a first-time CEO at 22.
  • Why aligning with an organization’s culture and DNA is essential.
  • How AI agents are transforming routine business tasks.
  • Ways AI can enhance communication and feedback for leaders.
  • The future of hiring in an AI-driven workplace.

Watch the episode:

Connect with Thiago

Thiago’s Website

Datagrid.com 

Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Apple Podcasts
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Leader-team communication and character skills

Grow Strong Character

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.

Connect with Your Team Book - Grow Strong Leaders

Connect with Your Team

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.,
and Meredith M. Bell
Connect with Your Team Book - Grow Strong Leaders

Peer Coaching Made Simple

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.,
and Meredith M. Bell

348: Transforming from Manager to True Leader

348: Transforming from Manager to True Leader

348: Transforming from Manager to True Leader

 

What’s the real difference between managing and leading? Mark Hinderliter, former C-suite executive, business owner, and consultant, explains how shifting from managing processes to inspiring people can transform both your leadership and your organization. Drawing from his book From Manager to Leader: 6 Practices that Accelerate Transformation and his own journey, he shares practical lessons on growing through mistakes and focusing on what matters most.

You’ll also hear why trust is the foundation of strong teams and how leaders can show character, competence, connection, and consistency. Mark shares practical insights on balancing accountability with support, giving clear feedback, and creating clarity through active listening. His stories and strategies will help you reflect on your own leadership and take steps to strengthen both relationships and results.

Mark is the creator of Diamond Quality Leadership©, a workshop designed to help managers lead today’s workforce. As a senior leader in the corporate arena, Mark has taught and coached hundreds of leaders at all levels in eight countries. In his own business, Mark has coached leaders from the Director level up to the CEO.

You’ll discover:

  • The key distinction between managing tasks and leading people
  • How trust impacts culture, engagement, and performance
  • Why accountability is a vital part of servant leadership
  • Ways to improve clarity in giving feedback and instructions
  • Six practices that accelerate your growth as a leader

Watch the episode:

 

Connect with Mark

Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Apple Podcasts
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Spotify
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Amazon
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Pandora
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on YouTube
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on iheartradio
Leader-team communication and character skills

Grow Strong Character

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.

Connect with Your Team Book - Grow Strong Leaders

Connect with Your Team

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.,
and Meredith M. Bell
Connect with Your Team Book - Grow Strong Leaders

Peer Coaching Made Simple

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.,
and Meredith M. Bell

344: Leading with Love and Service at the Arizona Diamondbacks

344: Leading with Love and Service at the Arizona Diamondbacks

344: Leading with Love and Service at the Arizona Diamondbacks

What if the most powerful thing you could do as a leader is to see greatness in others that they can’t see in themselves? That’s the philosophy that has guided Ken Crenshaw, longtime Director of Sports Medicine and Performance for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Drawing on values learned from his small-town ranch upbringing and a pivotal mentor in high school, Ken has built a leadership approach centered on service, humility, and love. His stories remind you that even the simplest principles, when applied consistently, can transform lives and teams.

In this conversation, you’ll hear how Ken integrates self-awareness, vulnerability, and authentic listening into his work with athletes and staff. He explains how culture is a living, breathing force that requires daily care, and why crucial conversations rooted in love are essential for growth. Whether you lead a business, a sports team, or a family, Ken’s wisdom will inspire you to slow down, listen deeply, and commit to helping others reach their full potential.

You’ll discover:

  • How a high school coach’s tough love shaped Ken’s leadership philosophy.
  • Why self-awareness and feedback are game-changers for leaders.
  • The role vulnerability plays in accelerating personal and professional growth.
  • Practical ways to build a culture rooted in love, trust, and shared purpose.
  • How to recognize and call out the hidden potential in others.

Watch the episode:

Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Apple Podcasts
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Spotify
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Amazon
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Pandora
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on YouTube
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on iheartradio
Leader-team communication and character skills

Grow Strong Character

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.

Connect with Your Team Book - Grow Strong Leaders

Connect with Your Team

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.,
and Meredith M. Bell
Connect with Your Team Book - Grow Strong Leaders

Peer Coaching Made Simple

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.,
and Meredith M. Bell

338: The Inner Shift That Changes Everything

338: The Inner Shift That Changes Everything

338: The Inner Shift That Changes Everything

What if everything you experience—stress, conflict, even judgment—is not about what’s happening out there, but what’s going on within you? That’s the powerful lens Townsend Wardlaw offers as he guides us into a deeper understanding of consciousness and how it shapes every aspect of our lives. Through personal stories, vivid metaphors, and hard-won lessons, he shares how shifting your perspective can completely transform how you lead and live.

You’ll walk away with a new awareness of how unconscious scripts and internal projections influence your decisions, relationships, and company culture. Townsend draws a clear distinction between traditional consulting and true coaching, where the goal is not to give answers, but to help others access their own wisdom. His insights offer practical ways to release control, lead from higher consciousness, and move from judgment to curiosity. This is a conversation that has the power to change how you see the world—and yourself.

Townsend began his professional journey at 27, rapidly rising from outbound cold-calling for a small, long-distance reseller to the role of vice president of a Fortune 500 technology company in under six years. In 2002, he ventured into entrepreneurship, founding a sales consulting and outsourcing company that grew to $3 million in revenue.

After closing the company in 2009, Townsend dedicated himself to serving founders on their journey to growth and exit. He has coached 100s of leaders, and his efforts have generated over $1.5 billion in revenue and created more than $1 billion in generational wealth for their founders. What Townsend holds in the highest regard is his role in mobilizing over $7.5 billion in capital and contributions towards social and environmental organizations.

Currently, Townsend serves as the trusted advisor to a select group of founders and the world’s top coaches. In his spare time, he leads The Coach’s Operating System, a community that serves the top 5% of coaches in the world.

You’ll discover:

  • Why stress often comes from your perspective, not your circumstances
  • How unconscious scripts quietly shape your choices and relationships
  • The difference between giving answers and creating transformation
  • How leaders can release control and build more resilient cultures
  • A fresh way to see challenges as invitations for growth

Watch the episode:

Connect with Townsend

    

Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Apple Podcasts
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Spotify
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Amazon
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Pandora
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on YouTube
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on iheartradio
Leader-team communication and character skills

Grow Strong Character

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.

Connect with Your Team Book - Grow Strong Leaders

Connect with Your Team

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.,
and Meredith M. Bell
Connect with Your Team Book - Grow Strong Leaders

Peer Coaching Made Simple

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.,
and Meredith M. Bell

336: Tools to Tackle Tough Conversations

336: Tools to Tackle Tough Conversations

336: Tools to Tackle Tough Conversations

What if you could navigate even the most challenging conversations with calmness, clarity, and confidence? This in-depth conversation with David Wood explores just that, diving into how to communicate more effectively in high-stakes moments, whether at work or in life. David shares his unique approach to coaching and communication, combining emotional awareness with practical tools. His latest innovation, WhisperLead AI, helps leaders role-play difficult conversations, receive coaching prompts, and even get real-time support during live interactions.

Our discussion goes beyond mechanics to emphasize authenticity and vulnerability as leadership strengths. David unpacks common pitfalls in conflict—like poor framing, making assumptions, or avoiding others’ perspectives—and offers techniques for building trust and achieving shared outcomes. Whether you’re leading a team or seeking better communication in your personal life, this conversation delivers practical wisdom and fresh ideas you can start using immediately.

David left behind a high-powered career as a Consulting Actuary for Ford, Sony Music, and Chanel—trading Park Avenue boardrooms for a mission to transform lives and businesses. He didn’t just start a coaching business; he built the world’s largest coaching business at the time, ranking #1 on Google for “life coaching”, serving 150,000 coaches globally.

But David’s story is about more than success—it’s about resilience. He’s survived a paraglider collapse and a fractured spine, battled anxiety and depression, and most recently, took on acting in Hollywood! Today, he helps leaders 4X their clarity AND productivity, and to love their life.

You’ll discover:

  • A powerful method for framing difficult conversations with positive intent
  • Why asking for the other person’s perspective first can shift everything
  • How AI tools like WhisperLead can coach you in real-time
  • The link between vulnerability and stronger leadership
  • A practical model for brainstorming solutions collaboratively

Watch the episode:

Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Apple Podcasts
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Spotify
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Amazon
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Pandora
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on YouTube
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on iheartradio
Leader-team communication and character skills

Grow Strong Character

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.

Connect with Your Team Book - Grow Strong Leaders

Connect with Your Team

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.,
and Meredith M. Bell
Connect with Your Team Book - Grow Strong Leaders

Peer Coaching Made Simple

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.,
and Meredith M. Bell