Coaching for Leaders

Dave Stachowiak spent 15 years at Dale Carnegie, rising to senior vice president and running a global leadership academy before leaving to build Coaching for Leaders full-time. He also holds a doctorate in organizational leadership from Pepperdine University, so the advice here comes from both academic rigor and real-world management experience. The podcast launched in 2011 and has grown steadily to over 626 episodes and 50 million downloads, with new episodes dropping every Monday. Stachowiak's format typically pairs him with a guest expert for a focused conversation on a specific leadership challenge. Recent episodes have featured Muriel Wilkins on executive coaching, Vanessa Druskat on team emotional intelligence, and Scott Keller on organizational performance. Episodes generally run 30 to 45 minutes, long enough to get practical takeaways but short enough for a commute. What makes this show stand out in a crowded leadership podcast space is Stachowiak's specificity. He doesn't deal in vague motivational platitudes. Instead, he breaks leadership situations into concrete scenarios: how to handle a first 90 days in a new role, what to do when a direct report pushes back, how to give feedback that actually changes behavior. The show targets people at inflection points in their careers -- new managers, mid-level leaders stepping into bigger roles, experienced executives rethinking their approach. Stachowiak also runs a members-only community with bonus content and weekly discussion notes. If you're looking for leadership guidance that's grounded, practical, and backed by both research and lived experience, this one delivers consistently.