A Student of Leadership - Real Leaders. Real Growth. One Table.
Robert Adams
Show overview
A Student of Leadership - Real Leaders. Real Growth. One Table. launched in 2025 and has put out 71 episodes in the time since. That works out to roughly 10 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a weekly cadence.
Episodes typically run under ten minutes — most land between 7 min and 10 min — and the run-time is fairly consistent across the catalogue. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-language Business show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 1 months ago, with 25 episodes already out so far this year. Published by Robert Adams.
From the publisher
Welcome to A Student of Leadership, the podcast for leaders who believe growth is never finished.I'm Robert Adams. Behavioral leadership coach.Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coach.Thirty years in food distribution, multi-unit operations, and leadership development. Ranked #16 in the United States for Management and Leadership on LinkedIn by Favikon.Each episode delivers one idea, one story, and one question worth sitting with. Built for leaders who are actually in the work. Not theorizing about it.The food industry is where leadership gets tested every single day.On the floor. In the kitchen. At the table. In the boardroom.Fast-paced environments, tight margins, diverse teams, constant pressure. Labor shortages, turnover, supply chain disruptions.These are not buzzwords.They are our daily reality.This podcast is built for that reality.The foundation of everything here is the Place Setting Framework, seven dimensions of leadership using a formal table setting as metaphor.The Plate.The Knife.The Fork.The Spoon.The Glass.The Napkin.The Table.Each week maps to one element.Each episode connects to The Leadership Table newsletter on Substack, arriving every Monday at 6:00 AM.Leadership excellence is not built on charisma or natural talent.It is built on intentional behaviors that anyone can learn, practice, and master. Small shifts in how we communicate, recognize effort, handle conflict, build accountability, and show up for our teams create lasting impact. Practical. Proven. Implementable immediately.I am not here pretending to have all the answers. I am here as a fellow student. Someone who believes the moment we stop learning is the moment we stop leading effectively.New episodes every Tuesday at 6:00 AM EST.Listen and subscribe:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-student-of-leadership-real-leaders-real-growth-one-table/id1788679511Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6KdlbKAVbF118b2KhfcpqyWebsite: https://astudentofleadership.riverside.com/The Leadership Table on Substack: https://robertadamsleader.substack.com/Real Leaders. Real Growth. One Table.
Latest Episodes
View all 71 episodesEpisode 70: The Refill Discipline
Episode 69: From Feedback to Feedforward
Episode 68: How to Lead When You Do Not Have the Authority
Episode 67: Leading When Your Team Is Beat Down
Episode 66: Leading Across Generations
Episode 65: The Leader Who Sees the Whole Person
Episode 64: The Feedback That Actually Changes Behavior
Episode 63: Developing People in a Time-Starved Environment
Episode 62 - The Daily Act Is the Leadership Act
Episode 61 - Why Great Leaders Step Toward Conflict
Episode 60 - The leader who broke down so you don't have to
Ep 59Episode 59 - The manager who saved her team by actually listening
The podcast discusses the critical role of empathy in leadership, highlighting the three essential parts of empathy, the cost of an empathy recession, the practical application of empathy at Chick-fil-A, the intersection of AI and empathy, and the importance of practicing empathy in leadership.TakeawaysEmpathy is a crucial aspect of effective leadershipPracticing cognitive, effective, and behavioral empathy is essential for creating a supportive workplace culture.Chapters00:00 The Importance of Empathy in Leadership06:06 Empathy in Action: Chick-fil-A Example
Ep 58Episode 58 - The 3-minute coaching conversation that changed everything
The episode discusses coaching under pressure and the impact of coaching on real-time development. It also highlights the role of technology in coaching and provides an invitation for the week to practice coaching in high-pressure moments.TakeawaysCoaching under pressureReal-time developmentChapters00:00 Coaching Under Pressure05:50 The Role of Technology
Ep 57Episode 57 - Decisions under pressure
In this episode, Robert Adams discusses the challenges of making decisions under pressure and the impact of stress on leadership. He emphasizes the importance of reflection over reaction and provides practical questions and experiments to improve decision-making under pressure.TakeawaysLeaders default to habits under stressGood decisions come from examining how you decideChapters00:00 Leading with Discipline
Ep 56Episode 56 - When leaders run empty
The episode discusses the concept of burnout in leaders, emphasizing the importance of recovery and impact measurement. It provides insights into the signs of burnout and the need for intentional reflection to restore leadership capacity.TakeawaysResilience means recovering intentionallyLeaders who recover measure impact, not effortChapters00:00 Recognizing Burnout in Leaders
Ep 55Episode 55 - The moment before impact
The episode explores the concept of the 'moment before impact' in leadership, highlighting the behavioral nature of impact and the importance of awareness in leadership growth. It delves into the impact of unquestioned habits under pressure, the autopilot gap, and the significance of closing the intention-impact gap to improve leadership effectiveness.TakeawaysImpact is behavioralLeadership growth starts with awarenessChapters00:00 Closing the Intention-Impact Gap
Ep 54Episode 54 - Letting go to level up
In this episode, Robert Adams discusses the concept of letting go to level up and the challenges associated with it. He explores the idea of identity lock and its impact on leadership, providing reflective questions and an experiment for the listeners. The episode concludes with a preview of the next episode and ways to stay connected throughout the week.TakeawaysLetting go to level upIdentity lockChapters00:00 Staying Connected and Next Episode Preview
Ep 53Episode 53 - The Invisible ceiling
The episode explores the concept of invisible ceilings that limit leaders and the importance of asking better questions to break through these limitations. It also discusses the After Action Review, the experience trap, the difference between leading and managing, and the power of asking questions to crack ceilings. The episode concludes with a segment on staying connected and a preview of the next topic.TakeawaysInvisible ceilings limit leadersLeaders who break ceilings ask better questionsChapters00:00 The Invisible Ceiling05:26 Staying Connected
Ep 52Episode 52 - The Leadership gap
In this episode, Robert Adams discusses the concept of the leadership gap, focusing on the difference between leaders' intentions and the actual impact of their behavior. He explores the Google Project Aristotle and the myth of good intent, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness and the impact of behaviors on trust. The episode concludes with a weekly challenge to build self-awareness and stay connected with the leadership community.TakeawaysIntent vs. ImpactBuilding TrustChapters00:00 Weekly Challenge
Ep 51Episode 51 - When success habits stop working
The conversation explores the evolution of leadership behavior, the impact of leadership habits on growth, and the concept of the leadership table as a gathering place for leaders to connect and grow. It emphasizes the idea that leadership habits are tools, not identities, and highlights the importance of recognizing that what got you here won't get you there.TakeawaysLeadership habits are tools, not identitiesWhat got you here won't get you thereChapters00:00 The Evolution of Leadership Behavior05:19 The Leadership Table