Right-side Up Leadership Podcast

In this episode, Alan Briggs sits down with Laura Kriska — cross-cultural consultant, speaker, and author of The Business of We — for a conversation about one of the most underestimated challenges in leadership today: the invisible gaps that keep teams from reaching their full potential. Laura was born in Japan, raised in Ohio, and spent her early career as the first American woman working inside Honda's Tokyo headquarters. What started as a fascinating cross-cultural immersion became a three-decade career helping leaders and organizations bridge the us versus them gaps that quietly undermine collaboration — whether those gaps are cultural, generational, geographic, or simply the difference between how two departments approach a problem. If you lead a team of any kind, the frameworks Laura shares in this episode are immediately actionable and long overdue. What You'll Learn in This Episode: Laura's origin story — born in Japan to missionary parents, raised in Columbus, Ohio, and what that unique upbringing t

Making Time for Your Next Chapter — mitchmatthews.com/time (free with code H2LEADERSHIP) In this episode, Alan Briggs sits down with Mitch Matthews — coach, speaker, and host of the Dream Think Do podcast — for a conversation that feels less like an interview and more like two coaches getting honest with each other over coffee. Mitch is the CEO of a training organization focused on helping executives, entrepreneurs, and founders define what success actually means to them — and then build a plan to go after it. What unfolds is a wide-ranging, practical, and genuinely fun dialogue about dreams, the questions that unlock them, the questions that shut people down, and what it looks like to lead well in a moment of historic change. If you've ever locked up when someone asked you what your big dream is — or if you've watched someone else lock up when you asked them — this episode is going to reframe how you think about that conversation entirely. What You'll Learn in This Episode: Mitch's origin story — from a 12-

In this episode, Alan Briggs brings two of his popular Taking Steps video emails to the H2 Leadership Podcast — short, practical teachings he sends to leaders every couple of weeks. Today's focus is space. Not the theoretical kind. The kind you actually have to fight for in a real schedule with real demands pulling on you from every direction. If you're constantly behind, constantly stressed, and never quite present in the moment — Alan has a reframe for you. Space is not a luxury. It is an occupational requirement of leadership. And if you don't fight for it, it is not going to show up on its own. Alan walks through three types of space every leader needs to build into their life, and then zooms in on one of the most powerful practices he's implemented in his own leadership — the quarterly think day. Eight hours, no meetings, no email, just deep thinking on the biggest decisions and opportunities in front of him. The results have been consistently transformative. What You'll Learn in This Episode: Why the w

In this episode, Alan Briggs sits down with Stu Davis, Executive Director of COS I Love You — a Colorado Springs organization that brokers connection between the church, nonprofits, business, and public sector for a candid, practical conversation about what it actually looks like to expand your network without it feeling slimy, transactional, or just plain weird. This one was recorded live in a room full of leaders, and the energy of that conversation comes through. Alan and Stu have both spent years learning, and sometimes failing at the craft of genuine connection, and in this episode they pull back the curtain on how they think about it, how they've had to mature in it, and what separates the connectors who build real trust from the ones who just work a room. If you've ever walked away from a networking event feeling like you needed a shower, this episode is for you. What You'll Learn in This Episode: Why networking feels slimy — and the one thing that makes the difference between transactional and transf

In this episode, Alan Briggs does something he's never done before — he opens by admitting he was wrong. For years as a leadership coach, Alan over-emphasized habits and healthy rhythms while under-selling the power of big, audacious goals. He watched too many leaders get crushed by massive targets they never hit, and he overcorrected. Now he's setting the record straight. The truth is, direction and destination aren't in competition. They need each other. Habits without a destination drift into maintenance. Big goals without daily rhythms become wishful thinking. The mature leader holds the tension between both — and that tension is exactly what this episode is about. Alan shares the personal story behind his upcoming trip to Machu Picchu — a promise made at his grandfather's memorial — and how that destination is anchoring his daily training and health habits right now. He also walks through what thought leaders like James Clear, Jim Collins, Angela Duckworth, and Benjamin Hardy all say on both sides of thi

Most leaders have heard that coaching is valuable. Fewer have seen what it actually looks like from the inside. In this episode Alan Briggs and Jonathan Collier pull back the curtain on a real coaching relationship, using clips from Alan's conversations with Daryl Smith, gathering pastor at The Journey Church in Newark Delaware, to show what Healthy AND High Impact leadership looks like when someone does the work. Daryl stepped into a bigger role with real weight and made a decision: he was not going to just survive it. What happened next is exactly what H2 Leadership is all about. In this episode: Why stepping into a new role is one of the most common entry points into coaching and what separates leaders who thrive in the transition from those who just endure it The counterintuitive move that changes everything: why slowing down is the most high impact thing a fast-moving leader can do The org chart story: how Daryl went from sitting on an idea for six months to presenting it to his lead team in seven days

Sabbatical gets misunderstood, feared, and misused — and most leaders either wait too long to take one or avoid it altogether. In this episode, Alan joins Andrew Estes on the Nexus Church Planting Podcast for a conversation that cuts through the baggage and gets honest about what a sabbatical actually is, why boards resist it, why church planters think they can't afford it, and why the leaders who take it well come back with more vision, more creativity, and more fire than they've had in years. If you've ever thought sabbatical is for someone else, someone further along, someone with a bigger team — this one is for you. What You'll Learn: The difference between micro, medium, and macro rest — and why you need all three to lead sustainably Why sabbatical is not discipline, not a vacation, and not an escape — and what it actually is The abundance vs. scarcity mindset that determines whether a leader can truly rest Why boards and congregations fear sabbaticals — and how to address every one of those fears hones

Why are we winning right now? I've sat with several leaders recently who are honestly asking that question. Not bragging. Not saying they're crushing it. Just genuinely trying to understand why the flywheel is finally spinning — why the fruit is finally showing up. The answer is almost always the same. They've been tending the grove for a long time. They just couldn't see it yet. In this episode, I'm talking about the difference between the grove and the grocery store — and why so many leaders are frustrated not because they're failing, but because their expectations are off. We want grocery store results on a grove timeline. And that gap is where discouragement lives. What You'll Learn: Why the leaders who are winning right now have had things growing below the surface for a long time — and what that means for where you are today The grove vs. the grocery store: two images that will change how you think about growth, results, and timing Why winter seasons in your organization aren't a sign of failure — they

We are leading in one of the most anxious moments in recent history. The attention economy, the age of outrage, nonstop news cycles, and the pressure to have an answer for everything — it's a lot. And most leaders are moving from confusion straight to action without ever stopping to get clarity. In this episode, Alan Briggs shares five necessary skills he believes every leader needs right now. Not hacks. Not productivity tips. These are the deeper practices that keep you grounded, tethered, and leading with conviction instead of anxiety, even when everything around you feels like it's spinning. This is fresh teaching from Alan. He describes it as something that was crystallizing for him in real time. And if you've been feeling the weight of these anxious times in your leadership, this one is for you. What You'll Learn: Why the antidote to overwhelm is not certainty — it's clarity, and how fighting for even 5% of it shifts everything What it really means to listen to understand — and why this skill matters mo

What does a rock legend who's been performing for 50+ years have to teach us about leadership? More than you'd think. Andy Freed has been to 95 Bruce Springsteen concerts. And somewhere along the way, he realized there's a reason they call him "the Boss"—and it's not just because he can put on a three-hour show at age 75. It's because Bruce Springsteen understands something most leaders miss: communication is leadership. And the way you communicate—your preparation, your energy, your intentionality—determines whether people follow you or just show up for the paycheck. Andy is the founder and CEO of Virtual, a company that works with some of the biggest organizations in the world (Google, Meta, Microsoft, Visa, MasterCard) to help them solve multi-company collaboration challenges. And what he's discovered is that even the biggest companies struggle with the same thing: bad meetings, ineffective communication, and leaders who don't realize that every moment is a performance. In this conversation, Andy breaks do

You're not behind. You're just running too fast. Most leaders think the answer to overwhelm is speed—more efficiency, tighter schedules, faster execution. But what if the real problem isn't that you're doing too little? What if it's that you're running at an unsustainable pace that's hurting you, your family, your work, and your team? In this final episode of our Five Spheres of an H2 Leader series, we're tackling pace, how fast you're running, why you're running that fast, and what it's costing you. Most leaders execute from anxiety and shame, not focus and clarity. They're running FROM something instead of running TO something. And when you run too fast for too long, everything suffers—your health, your relationships, your creativity, and your team's culture. Alan breaks down the difference between personal activation (how fast you're running) and communal activation (how fast you're driving your team to run). And he introduces the concept that changes everything: effectiveness over efficiency. What You'll

You can never be them. They can never be you. So stop trying. In a culture obsessed with comparison and counterfeits, most leaders spend their entire lives trying to become someone else. They look at other leaders and think, "How do they do that?" They scroll through feeds, compare themselves to the competition, and slowly lose sight of the one thing that makes them irreplaceable: their unique design. Here's the truth: God put you on this earth with a unique spiritual, practical, relational, and emotional fingerprint. You are uniquely designed for impact. But if you don't understand your design, you'll spend your life getting lived by your circumstances instead of actively living with purpose and agency. In this episode, we're diving into the fourth sphere of an H2 Leader: Design. This is about how you maximize your talents and abilities—not by copying someone else's playbook, but by discovering and unleashing what you're uniquely wired to do. What You'll Learn: Why most people are getting lived by their liv

We're so busy watching everyone else—scrolling feeds, comparing ourselves to other leaders, checking what the competition is doing—that we've become incredibly others-aware and dangerously self-unaware. Self-awareness isn't a buzzword. It's the difference between walking into a meeting grounded or bringing your frustration, anxiety, and chaos with you—and watching it cascade to everyone around you. Here's the truth: as goes the leader, so goes the team. Your mood changes rooms. Your anxiety creates anxiety. Your groundedness brings clarity. In this episode, we're diving into the third sphere of leadership that most people ignore: how your emotions, your wiring, and your weaknesses are impacting the people you lead. Whether you realize it or not. Since Daniel Goleman published his work on emotional intelligence, self-awareness has been everywhere. It's in every leadership book, every conference, every corporate training. But here's the irony: we're at an all-time high for talking about self-awareness and an al

Most leaders understand the importance of health—but few actually live it out consistently.  In this episode, we're continuing our series on The Five Spheres of an H2 Leader with a focus on the second sphere: Health. This isn't just about eating better or working out more. It's about living integrated and aligned to your values and needs. Here's what we unpack: The Definition of a Healthy Leader A healthy leader lives integrated and aligned to their values and needs. Integrated means what you say matches what you do. Aligned means nothing is wearing down in the background—no misalignment that causes pain elsewhere in your life or leadership. Aspirational vs. Actual Values Most organizations have values on the website. But are they aspirational (who we want to be) or actual (who we really are)? If you say you value rest but never take a day off, that's an aspirational value—not an actual one. This episode challenges you to audit the gap between what you say and what you do. Understanding Your Needs: Heart, Sou

Leader, welcome back to 2026. We're going straight at it. Instead of starting the year with goal setting alone, we're going beneath the surface to who you are as a leader. Because here's the reality: you have way more influence than you think — and how you wield that leadership influence shapes everything around you. This episode kicks off our new series on The Five Spheres of an H2 Leader, starting with Influence. Over the next five episodes, we'll unpack the foundational areas every Healthy + High Impact leader must pay attention to: Influence, Health, Self-Awareness, Design, and Space. Today, we're tackling the first sphere: how to use your influence to build empowering cultures instead of toxic leadership environments. The Tale of Two Leaders One leader I coach lives under the shadow of an insecure boss who constantly needs attention and affirmation. This sharp, competent leader has been slowly diminished over time — beaten down by someone who doesn't comprehend their own influence. The other leader I coa

January is loud. Everywhere you look, leaders are being told to set bigger goals, move faster, and start strong. But what if the reason you feel stuck, unclear, or overwhelmed right now isn’t a motivation problem or a discipline problem? What if it’s a season problem? In this New Year–focused episode, Alan Briggs helps leaders slow down just enough to ask a better question before setting goals for 2026: What season of leadership am I actually in right now? Because when goals don’t match seasons, leaders burn out, teams get frustrated, and momentum stalls. This conversation reframes New Year goal-setting through the lens of leadership awareness, helping you name where you’ve been, where you are, and what kinds of actions actually make sense in this season of life and leadership. And stay to the end — Jonathan tees up a brand new series launching next week: The Five Spheres of an H2 Leader, designed to help you lead with both health and high impact in 2026. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why January goal-sett

Feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or like everyone needs you all the time? You're not actually stuck, you just need a way out. Alan Briggs shares 4 practical pathways to break free and lead with clarity in 2026. Happy New Year—and welcome to Episode 500! When we started this podcast, it was just a wild idea. 500 episodes later, we're more convinced than ever: leadership doesn't have to cost you everything. You can lead well and live well. To kick off 2026, Alan tackles something most leaders are feeling but few are naming: leadership claustrophobia—that squeezed, stuck sensation where everyone needs you all the time and there's no way out. Here's the truth: You feel stuck. But you're not actually stuck. Alan walks through the four feelings that keep leaders trapped—overwhelmed, myopic, exhausted, and behind—and gives you a clear, practical pathway out of each one. This isn't theory. It's the same framework Alan uses with the leaders he coaches every day. If you're heading into 2026 saying "everyone needs me all the

Merry Christmas!!!!! This episode is Part 2 of our year-end series. Last week, we walked through the internal shifts our team made this year. Today, we hand that same framework to you — so you can reset, simplify, and refocus your leadership as you prepare for 2026. This conversation is a practical guide to finishing well, regaining clarity, and building momentum without burning out or carrying unnecessary weight into the new year. You’ll learn: Why real momentum begins with subtraction, pruning, and clarity — not doing more How to create simple decision filters so every choice doesn’t drain your energy The “dance floor vs. balcony” mindset — working on your leadership, not just inside the grind Why mature leaders practice necessary endings instead of clinging to what used to work How clarity leads to freedom, focus, and healthier impact Use these reflection prompts as you reset for 2026: What is slowing you down right now? What is one change that would increase your momentum heading into 2026

We practice what we preach. Here's proof. Alan and Jonathan pull back the curtain on H2 Leadership's biggest moves of 2025: restructuring, rebranding, and the roots work nobody sees. If you've ever wondered whether we actually live out what we teach, this episode is your answer. If you've ever wondered whether we live out what we teach, this episode is your answer.  In This Episode: Why healthy organizations run toward problems, not away The "awkward in-between" of restructuring (and why it's worth it) How to build systems that elevate your team and clients The difference between survival questions and flourishing questions Why the best moves feel worse before they feel better Timestamps: 00:00 — Year-end reflections 01:07 — Two types of organizations in uncertain times 06:51 — Restructuring and the awkward in-between 12:25 — Elevating through systematization 14:44 — Brand clarity: H2 Leadership rebrand 22:00 — Integration: aligning systems and values 24:44 — Advancement: taking new ground Resources: AntiB

As we continue our Best of series, we wanted to highlight a very timely conversation. Gordon MacDonald—author, longtime pastor, and former Chancellor of Denver Seminary—joins us to share hard-won wisdom on calling, mentoring, and spiritual friendship. Gordon’s voice has shaped generations of leaders, and this episode captures why. Through stories, insights, and honest reflection, he gives leaders a practical roadmap for building resilient lives and ministries that last. Whether you’re a pastor, organizational leader, or simply someone seeking deeper impact, this conversation offers clarity, perspective, and hope. What You’ll Learn Why spiritual friendship is essential for healthy leadership How to cultivate intergenerational mentoring relationships The stages of a leader’s calling—and how they develop over a lifetime Why older leaders must invest in younger leaders How to build communities that encourage resilience rather than burnout The hidden dangers leaders face in midlife and beyond What Go