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LeaderNotes is a quick-hit companion to each episode of The Learning to Lead Show. In just 5–10 minutes, Mark Cundiff recaps the top leadership insights, frameworks, and action steps from each interview, designed for busy, growth-minded leaders who want to review and apply the episode’s biggest takeaways on the go. It’s like the highlight reel + playbook—all in one.

#34 Intentional Leadership: Turning Behavior into Results with Dr. Ken Wagner

In this episode of The Learning to Lead Show, Mark Cundiff sits down with Dr. Ken Wagner, founder of Daylight Advisory and a globally respected expert in behavioral science and organizational performance.

Drawing on more than 30 years of experience working with leaders across six continents, Dr. Wagner explains how the science of behavior can transform leadership, culture, and performance. He challenges common leadership myths—especially the idea that motivation comes primarily from praise or financial rewards.

Instead, Wagner explains that positive reinforcement is anything that increases the likelihood a behavior will be repeated. The most powerful reinforcement, he argues, is often natural reinforcement—when people clearly see that their actions make their work easier, more successful, or more meaningful.

Throughout the conversation, Wagner shows how great leaders intentionally design cultures by shaping the behaviors they encourage or discourage within their organizations. He shares practical examples from manufacturing plants and other industries that illustrate how small leadership behaviors—such as what managers write down in meetings or follow up on during the day—can quietly shape culture.

Dr. Wagner also explains why many change initiatives fail, why vague expectations weaken accountability, and why recognition systems like “Employee of the Month” often create unintended competition instead of collaboration.

The key to sustainable performance, he says, is intentional leadership—leaders who clearly define the behaviors that drive success, reinforce them consistently, and create environments where people experience meaning and small wins that build momentum.

If you want to build a culture of accountability, engagement, and consistent high performance, this episode will give you a powerful framework grounded in the science of behavior.

Contact Information for Dr. Ken Wagner:

• LinkedIn
• Website
• Email: kwagner@daylightadvisory.com

Free Learning To Lead Resources

• Free Book: The Trust Gap
• The Learning To Lead Newsletter
• LeaderNotes

🔎 About LeaderNotes

LeaderNotes is a quick-hit companion to each episode of The Learning to Lead Show. In just 5–10 minutes, Mark Cundiff recaps the top leadership insights, frameworks, and action steps from each interview, designed for busy, growth-minded leaders who want to review and apply the episode’s biggest takeaways on the go. It’s like the highlight reel + playbook—all in one.

Contact Mark at: mark@markjcundiff.com

5 Leadership Takeaways from Tim Harmon

Host Mark Cundiff shares key leadership insights from his conversation with Tim Harmon (Episode 32) for Episode 33, highlighting Harmon’s 20+ years of experience from the US Army Rangers to industrial manufacturing with companies like AK Steel, Stanley Black and Decker, and Cooper Tire.

Key takeaways include:

1. Lead By Example
2. Be The Filter, Not The Firehose
3. Build trust through Care, Competence, and Reliability
4. Stop Being the Fixer, Start Being the Listener
5. Influence beats Authority

Free Learning To Lead Resources

• Free Book: The Trust Gap
• The Learning To Lead Newsletter
• LeaderNotes

🔎 About LeaderNotes

LeaderNotes is a quick-hit companion to each episode of The Learning to Lead Show. In just 5–10 minutes, Mark Cundiff recaps the top leadership insights, frameworks, and action steps from each interview, designed for busy, growth-minded leaders who want to review and apply the episode’s biggest takeaways on the go. It’s like the highlight reel + playbook—all in one.

Contact Mark at: mark@markjcundiff.com

LeaderNotes is a quick-hit companion to each episode of The Learning to Lead Show. In just 5–10 minutes, Mark Cundiff recaps the top leadership insights, frameworks, and action steps from each interview, designed for busy, growth-minded leaders who want to review and apply the episode’s biggest takeaways on the go. It’s like the highlight reel + playbook—all in one.

Lead from the Floor: Tim Harmon on Trust, Listening, and Real-World Influence

In this episode, Mark Cundiff sits down with Tim Harmon, a seasoned maintenance and reliability leader and U.S. Army veteran, to unpack what it really takes to lead in high-pressure industrial environments.

Tim shares lessons from his early days in JROTC, through Army and Ranger leadership, into corporate roles at organizations like AK Steel, Stanley Black & Decker, and Cooper Tire, and into consulting in reliability transformation.

This conversation is loaded with practical leadership wisdom for leaders who are trying to build trust, reduce chaos, and influence across departments—especially when you don’t have positional authority.

About Tim Harmon

Tim Harmon is a maintenance and reliability leader with 20+ years of experience building high-performing teams and driving operational excellence.

He served in the U.S. Army, including overseas deployments, and later transitioned into leadership roles in industrial manufacturing and global reliability implementation. Today, he serves as a senior leader in facilities, maintenance, and reliability at Liebherr Logistics USA.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

1) Lead by Example on the Shop Floor

2) The Leader’s Role as a Filter

3) Trust Comes Down to Credibility and Follow-Through

4) Listening Is a Leadership Superpower

5) Influence Matters More Than Positional Authority

6) Change Management Requires Voice + Feedback Loops

7) Continuous Learning for Leaders

Memorable Quotes

• “My schedule should never be so busy that I can’t engage somebody.”
• “If you’re not 100% sure you can deliver, don’t make the commitment.”
• “People don’t leave because they don’t like the work—it’s usually because of bad leadership.”
• “Don’t respond in haste. Digest it first.”
• “It’s not an individual—it’s a team effort.”

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✅ Subscribe to your favorite podcast app
✅ Share the episode with a friend
✅ Leave a 5-star rating to help spread the word

Free Learning To Lead Resources

• Free Book: The Trust Gap
• The Learning To Lead Newsletter
• LeaderNotes

🔎 About LeaderNotes

LeaderNotes is a quick-hit companion to each episode of The Learning to Lead Show. In just 5–10 minutes, Mark Cundiff recaps the top leadership insights, frameworks, and action steps from each interview, designed for busy, growth-minded leaders who want to review and apply the episode’s biggest takeaways on the go. It’s like the highlight reel + playbook—all in one.

Contact Mark at: mark@markjcundiff.com