About this podcast
Many business owners strategize the purpose and function of their business, but few strive to make it “beautiful.” Each week, listen in as Steven Morris and his guests discuss brand, culture, and business strategies that will create new ways to shape your beautiful business. If you are ready to evolve your business from functional to beautiful, this is the podcast for you.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 75 episodes
- Who's Doing the Listening? · 7 min · Episode 75What happens when our instinct to solve problems gets in the way of truly listening? In this episode, Steven Morris explores how the different parts of ourselves shape what we…
- The Want Behind Ambition · 10 min · Episode 74What are we really seeking when we pursue a promotion, a bigger title, or greater influence? Ambition often begins with the desire for security, recognition, or approval. But…
- The Trouble with Knowing · 9 min · Episode 73What happens when the expertise we've spent years developing begins to limit our curiosity? Steven Morris explores the relationship between knowing, leadership, and lifelong…
- Healthy Heat · 7 min · Episode 72When teams prioritize being nice over being honest, important conversations go unspoken. Steven Morris explores how healthy disagreement strengthens leadership, team culture, and…
- Time Well Spent · 7 min · Episode 71What makes a day at work truly worth the time we give it? After a recent full-day workshop, a VP described it as the best day his team had spent together. That comment stayed…
- Naming Problems · 6 min · Episode 70The labels we use at work can quietly become stories we stop questioning. In this episode, Steven Morris explores how words like “dysfunctional,” “infighting,” or “crazy” can…
- Fresh Corn? · 8 min · Episode 69Why do some things feel more trustworthy than others? This episode explores how lived experience, visible effort, and human imperfection shape what we believe, especially in a…
- The Impeded Stream is the One That Sings · 6 min · Episode 68What can a stream, a field, and the work of Wendell Berry teach us about leadership? A reflection on obstacles, stewardship, trust, and knowing when to push through—and when to…
- Finally. Five Hours of Sleep. · 6 min · Episode 67Why do so many high-performing people feel they have to earn rest? In this episode, I explore burnout, caregiving, and the invisible burdens people carry at work—and why…
- Second-Guessing & Double-Checking · 6 min · Episode 66In this episode, I explore the difference between double-checking and second-guessing—and why knowing which one you’re doing matters. Using the story of Apollo 11’s 1202 alarm…
- Best of…Leadership Essays · 4 min · Episode 65A strong strategy can still fail if the team isn’t ready to execute it. In this episode, Steven Morris introduces the Readiness Triad—Appetite, Capacity, and Skillset—and…
- The Maybe Story · 7 min · Episode 64What if we resisted the urge to decide whether something is good or bad before we know how the story ends? I reflect on the wisdom of “maybe,” and what it can teach us about…
- Let's Get Carried Away · 7 min · Episode 63What we carry into a room shapes what becomes possible inside it. In this episode, Steven Morris explores how joy, play, and pleasure can strengthen creativity, trust…
- The Useful Opponent · 8 min · Episode 62Assigned dissent can reveal risks, but genuine disagreement changes how a team thinks. Steven Morris explores how pre-mortems, red teams, and Devil’s Advocate exercises create…
- Who’s the Fairest One? · 7 min · Episode 61What if one of the greatest leadership lessons comes from a fairy tale? In this episode, Steven Morris explores the enduring metaphor of Snow White’s mirror and what it reveals…
- What Force Won’t Fix · 6 min · Episode 60In this episode, Steven Morris explores why effective leadership isn’t about applying more pressure—it’s about creating the right conditions for people to succeed. Drawing on…
- The 26% Problem · 7 min · Episode 59What does Lionel Messi, Mr. Rogers, workplace engagement, and loneliness have in common? More than it might first appear. In this episode, Steven explores two striking…
- Between “No Longer This” and “Not Yet That” · 6 min · Episode 58Many of us have experienced seasons where we feel stuck, lost, or uncertain about what comes next. We often treat these moments as problems to solve, signs that something has…
- Good For What? · 5 min · Episode 57In this episode, I explore a question from Nietzsche that continues to challenge leaders today: Good For What? Using the story of a CEO who walked away from a seemingly…
- Best of… Essays · 4 min · Episode 56Some essays fade quickly. Others continue to resonate long after they're published. In this episode, I revisit ten of the most-read essays from the past few years and reflect on…
