Most leaders underestimate how much their values shape decisions, trust, and performance, especially under pressure.

In this episode, Paul Ingram, Columbia Business School professor and author of What Do You Really Stand For?, explains why values are not soft ideals but practical tools for better leadership.

He shows how aligning your choices with your core values can strengthen decision-making, improve relationships, build resilient teams, and shape a healthier organizational culture.

You’ll learn why generic value lists often fall flat, how to uncover your real values through simple reflection, and how to turn those values into daily habits, difficult trade-offs, feedback conversations, and moments of pressure.

For leaders, executives, entrepreneurs, and anyone who wants to lead with greater clarity, purpose, integrity, and conviction, this conversation offers a practical roadmap for making your values one of your most powerful leadership assets.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Values and Leadership

04:14 The Importance of Values in Decision-Making

07:04 Practical Tools for Identifying Personal Values

09:44 Reflection Exercises for Value Identification

12:31 Laddering Technique for Deeper Value Understanding

19:21 Embodied Cognition and Values

23:22 Structuring Values for Decision-Making

25:01 Ranking Values for Better Choices

27:25 Value-Based Decision Making: A Case Study

30:53 Activating Values in Daily Leadership

34:38 Building a Values Affirmation Habit

41:09 Understanding Values in Relationships and Conflict

47:41 Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation in Leadership

54:54 Long-Term Value Alignment vs. Short-Term Gains

1:00:21 Key Insights and Takeaways

This episode explores why so many organizations are one departure away from a leadership gap, why succession plans often fail when tested, and what leaders can do to build real bench strength before it is too late.

Drawing on current research, real organizational pain points, and the science of how leaders actually develop, Charles unpacks a better way to think about succession planning.

In this episode, you will learn:

why naming a successor is not the same as preparing one

how weak succession planning creates key-person dependency

why leadership pipelines are often thinner than they look

what stretch assignments, coaching, reinforcement, and deliberate practice have to do with readiness

how to build an organization that gets stronger because of how it develops people

If you are a business leader, HR executive, talent leader, or founder trying to build a stronger future, this episode will challenge how you think about succession planning.

Watch the full episode, then share it with a leader who needs to rethink succession planning before a resignation forces the issue.

Chapters

00:00 The Cost of Leadership Turnover

01:36 Understanding Leadership Bench Strength

03:28 Identifying Pain Points in Succession Planning

07:32 Generational Challenges in Leadership

11:09 Building a Development System

17:20 Proving Leadership Development Through Performance

20:30 The Path Forward in Succession Planning

22:34 Key Insights and Takeaways

In this episode of The Good Leadership Podcast, Charles Good talks with Matt Carstens about what leadership looks like when volatility becomes the norm.Drawing from experience across agriculture, sustainability, finance, and turnaround leadership, Matt explains how strong leaders stay steady when markets shift, headlines intensify, and pressure rises.

The conversation explores how to focus teams, make better decisions under uncertainty, lead change without panic, and distinguish real strategy from noise.

Matt Carstens is a seasoned executive leader with nearly 30 years of experience in the food and agriculture industries. He is known for his strategic vision, transformative leadership, and ability to drive growth in complex, competitive markets. With leadership experience at organizations such as Land O’Lakes, United Suppliers, and Landus, Matt brings deep expertise in innovation, sales growth, mergers and acquisitions, and building high-performing teams.

Chapters

00:00 The Essence of Leadership in Uncertainty

02:01 Identifying Organizational Pain Points

04:23 The Challenge of Change Management

09:08 Navigating External Volatility

12:57 Maintaining Focus Amidst Chaos

15:36 Sustainability: Words vs. Actions

18:44 Understanding Customer Needs for Growth

19:21 The Importance of Face-to-Face Interaction

23:04 Navigating Change in Agriculture

24:50 Adoption of Technology and Innovation

28:15 Hiring for Cultural Fit

30:18 Balancing Change and Pressure

35:08 The Future of Agriculture

36:56 Key Insights and Takeaways

#Leadership #DecisionMaking #StrategicThinking #ChangeLeadership #BusinessStrategy #LeadershipDevelopment #TheGoodLeadershipPodcast