The Manager Lab
by Dr. J. Gregory Gillum, CPCC
Latest episode
Vintage Series: The Hidden Teams That Actually Drive Engagement
Vintage Series: The Hidden Teams That Actually Drive Engagement
About this podcast
Welcome to The Manager Lab, where we delve into the increasingly dynamic world of talent management. In each episode, we will unravel key insights, breakdown the most relevant books and articles, and provide actionable tips to optimize your approach in developing and retaining top talent. Stay tuned for a deep dive into the art, science, and strategy of unlocking your team’s full potential. Let’s enter…The Manager Lab.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 100 episodes
- Vintage Series: The Hidden Teams That Actually Drive Engagement · 7 min · Episode 188Based on the HBR piece "The Power of Hidden Teams," this episode explains why only about 16% of workers are fully engaged and how most work happens in teams that don’t appear on…
- BookNotes: Five Dysfunctions of a Team #4 (Lack of Commitment) · 6 min · Episode 187This episode explores the third dysfunction from Patrick Lencioni’s model: lack of commitment. Greg Gillum explains that commitment requires clarity (everyone knows what was…
- Are You Pulling the Wrong Levers? The Engagement Gap Managers are Missing · 7 min · Episode 186This episode examines a Harvard Business Review study showing managers often misjudge what drives employee engagement. Researchers surveyed employees and managers to identify the…
- Managing (AI) Intelligence: When You Stop Turning to a Colleague First · 6 min · Episode 185Research shows that when people turn to AI instead of colleagues, team trust and coordination slowly erode — a process the authors call "relation slipping." Teams where members…
- BookNotes: Five Dysfunctions of a Team #3 (Fear of Conflict) · 6 min · Episode 184This episode explores the second dysfunction from Patrick Lencioni—fear of conflict—and why avoiding debate leads to artificial harmony, boring meetings, and poor decisions. Host…
- Executive Team Dynamics: Lead Better by Inviting Conflict · 6 min · Episode 183Greg Gillum breaks down Rebecca Newton's HBR piece arguing that a silent leadership team is often more dangerous than a quarrelsome one, and that CEOs must design conditions for…
- BookNotes: Five Dysfunctions of a Team #2 (Absence of Trust) · 6 min · Episode 182Episode two explores the foundation of effective teams: vulnerability-based trust. Greg Gilliam breaks down Patrick Lencioni’s idea that true trust means teammates feel safe…
- Managing (AI) Intelligence: How Leaders' AI Messages Shape Adoption · 7 min · Episode 180New research shows that how leaders talk about AI — clarity, growth framing, and clear expectations — strongly predicts whether employees actually use AI tools and whether…
- Are You the Bottleneck? When There is More Work Than Your Team Can Do · 6 min · Episode 181When teams are overloaded, managers often become the bottleneck by absorbing work or pushing staff harder. This episode summarizes Melody Wilding’s Harvard Business Review advice…
- BookNotes: Five Dysfunctions of a Team #1 (Introduction) · 7 min · Episode 179In this episode Greg Gillum introduces Patrick Lencioni’s Five Dysfunctions of a Team using a business fable about a tech company whose talented leaders can’t work together. The…
- Reluctant to Lead? When Saying 'Not Sure' Signals Leadership Potential · 7 min · Episode 178This episode challenges the idea that eagerness equals readiness and argues that hesitation can be a sign of maturity, not a red flag.It explains why people hesitate, how to…
- BookNotes: Resilient Optimism: Lead With Realism, Not Fake Positivity · 7 min · Episode 177Host Greg Gillum explores Michelle Geelan’s new book Resilient Optimism and explains how optimism is a behavior, not a feeling. The episode breaks down five practical manager…
- Managing the Untouchable: 5 Moves to Fix Protected Underperformers · 7 min · Episode 176This episode explains how to handle a team member who underperforms but is protected by relationships, legacy, or embedded knowledge — creating an accountability gap where you…
- Managing (AI) Intelligence: When AI Speaks for Your Team - The Hidden Signal You’re Missing · 6 min · Episode 175Somewhere on your team, someone may be using AI to surface concerns they don't feel safe raising directly — a phenomenon called "safety by proxy." This episode explains how that…
- Don't Let Documentation Become a Lawsuit: Master Progressive Discipline · 7 min · Episode 174This episode explains how managers should use progressive discipline as a tool for correction, not just a checklist toward firing. It walks through the four steps—verbal…
- Managing (AI) Intelligence: When AI Adds Work, Not Time · 7 min · Episode 173New research tracking 200 employees at a tech company shows AI often increases workload rather than freeing time. Workers moved faster and took on more tasks, leading to longer…
- Leadership Behaviors: What Inspires (and Infuriates) People About Managers · 4 min · Episode 172This episode summarizes Harvard Business Review research identifying three behaviors that make leaders inspirational: the Visionary (connect work to a meaningful future), the…
- How Charisma Hides Toxic Leaders — Interview Questions That Reveal the Truth · 7 min · Episode 171This episode explains why charismatic candidates can still become toxic leaders and shares a practical six-step hiring process to expose unsafe leadership before you hire.Learn…
- How to Get Things Done Without Authority: 5 Ways to Wield Influence · 8 min · Episode 170This episode breaks down Pamela Meyer’s HBR piece "Five Ways to Wield Influence When You Lack Authority," showing how managers can get results from people who don’t report to…
- Managing (AI) Intelligence: Redesign Work with AI, Don’t Cut Roles · 7 min · Episode 169This episode argues that many so-called "AI layoffs" are actually cost-cutting rebranded as innovation and that true AI transformation requires redesigning work, not merely…
