Leadership Launchpad

Most companies say they’re developing leaders.
But when you look at what actually happens on the floor, or inside a new manager’s first real team, it doesn’t line up.
Craig Coyle spent years as an Army aviator and now works with frontline leaders in manufacturing and defense environments. What he saw in both worlds is the same gap, people are promoted into leadership, then left to figure it out in real time, without the structure they were used to as operators.
In aviation, that doesn’t happen. You don’t just become a pilot in command and get told to figure it out. There’s progression, there’s repetition, there’s instructor pilots inside the mission, not outside of it.
That contrast is what drives this conversation.
We talk through what changes when leadership is treated like a skill that needs structured training instead of something people just “grow into.” And why most development programs fall short, not because the content is wrong, but because it’s removed from the environment where the work actually happens.
There’s also a deeper problem underneath it all, most organizations don’t have a clear definition of what “good” looks like for a manager. So people default to whatever worked for them personally, or whatever their last boss did. That inconsistency is what creates the gap between intent and execution.
Craig breaks down what he’s building now, a model that treats leadership development less like theory and more like progression inside a system, similar to how pilots are trained over time, not in isolated workshops.
If you lead people, or you’re responsible for people who lead people, this episode is really about one thing, what it would take to make leadership actually show up on the floor, not just in training materials.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
[00:00] Introduction
[00:01:00] Most people don’t know what training actually is
[00:02:33] Military vs corporate leadership development gap
[00:06:46] “Figure it out” leadership in the Army
[00:09:35] Learning leadership the hard way after promotion
[00:10:05] Why pilot training builds a different standard
[00:15:28] Procedure vs technique in decision making
[00:17:00] Science vs art of leadership
[00:22:20] Why classroom training fails on the floor
[00:29:00] The bandwidth problem in leadership roles
[00:32:00] Why prioritization decides everything in leadership
[00:35:03] Why most leadership training doesn’t move the needle
[00:37:00] Closing the “back door” in workforce development
[00:39:00] Minimum Viable Manager concept
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Most leadership training fails because it’s removed from the environment where work actually happens
“Figure it out” is not a leadership system, it’s a gap in one
Aviation builds leadership through progression, not one-off training
Good management requires structure, not just experience
Instruction needs to exist inside operations, not outside them
Procedure creates consistency, technique creates flexibility
Most organizations don’t define what “good manager” actually means
Context is what makes training stick, not content alone
Bandwidth is one of the biggest hidden limits in leadership
You don’t fix leadership by adding content, you fix it by changing the system

If this episode resonates with you, subscribe to the show, share it with someone who leads a team, and leave a review so more people building in complex environments can find it.
Links & Resources
Craig Coyle
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-coyle/
Website: https://operationlead.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OperationLead

Matt Gjertsen
Website: https://www.bettereverydaystudios.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewgjertsen/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BetterEveryDayStudios

Most technical training programs fail before the first technician ever sets foot in the room. Not because the content is wrong. Because the entire design is wrong.
Traditional training asks: did they understand it? Technical training asks something harder: can they actually do it? And in aerospace, where it takes a million things to go right and one thing to go wrong.
In this first ever live episode of the Leadership Launchpad, Matt sits down with Roy Samson, a technical training veteran from the aerospace industry. Together they break down what it actually takes to build a training program for a technical team.
What you'll learn:
Why "passing the course" isn't the same as being ready — and how to handle the gap
How to decide how much theory a technician actually needs (and when to skip it entirely)
What "building an OS for quality" means and why it matters more than any curriculum
How to build credibility with subject matter experts when you don't have a technical background
Why training will happen in your org whether you plan it or not — and why that should scare you

For engineering managers, technical leads, and L&D professionals trying to build real capability in hard tech environments.
New episodes weekly. Subscribe and drop a comment if you want us to go deeper on any of these topics.
Learn more at BuiltLeaders.com

Most leaders talk about speed. Ian Walsh doesn’t.
In this conversation, he separates speed from what actually matters in leadership: velocity, meaning speed with direction. Ian has spent his career in aerospace and defense, from flying Marine Cobra attack helicopters to leading companies through scale and transformation. Now as CEO of FDH Aero, he is operating inside an industry that is growing fast and getting more complex.
He starts every new role in listen and learn mode. No immediate changes, no playbook, just understanding how the business actually works. That mindset carries through how he thinks about scaling. Fixing a business is about rebuilding capability. Scaling is about making sure the core can support growth without breaking when conditions change.
A big part of his approach is how decisions move through an organization. Push them closer to the work, but keep clear guardrails and one accountable owner for each outcome. He also focuses on a few simple questions: do people know where they are going and how fast, are decisions stuck at the top, and do people actually feel accountable.
At the center of it all is communication. When people are guessing, alignment breaks. And when alignment breaks, everything slows down, even if it looks like progress. This episode is a grounded look at leadership inside complex environments where clarity and ownership matter more than anything else.
If you are early in your career, this is a blueprint for how leaders think. If you are more experienced, it is a check on whether you are still getting the basics right.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
[00:00] Speed is dangerous, velocity requires direction
[00:02:49] Aerospace as a constantly evolving global industry
[00:06:36] Starting any new role in listen and learn mode
[00:10:24] The difference between fixing and scaling a business
[00:14:45] Speed versus velocity in decision making
[00:18:22] Communication as the foundation of alignment
[00:22:53] Why delegation fails without training and support
[00:27:13] Values versus performance in leadership decisions
[00:28:53] Lessons on risk and judgment from aviation
[00:31:27] Building better risk awareness through experience
[00:32:54] Sustaining a high performance culture over time

KEY TAKEAWAYS
Speed without direction creates risk rather than progress
Every new organization requires time spent listening and understanding
Leadership playbooks rarely transfer cleanly between companies
Scaling requires leveraging fixed systems, not only adding resources
Decentralization only works when paired with clear guardrails
Accountability breaks down when ownership is unclear
Most bottlenecks are caused by misalignment, not lack of effort
Communication needs to match the pace of change in the organization
Values can be identified, performance can be developed
High performance cultures are built through consistent behavior over time

If this episode resonates with you, subscribe to the show, share it with someone who leads a team, and leave a review so more people building in complex environments can find it.
Links & Resources
Ian Walsh
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-walsh-76864a2b/
Website: https://fdhaero.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FDHAero

Matt Gjertsen
Website: https://www.bettereverydaystudios.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewgjertsen/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BetterEveryDayStudios

Most people think leadership starts when someone gives them authority.
I don't think that's true.
One of the ideas that kept coming up in my conversation with Keith Ferrazzi is that leadership is rarely granted before it's demonstrated. The people who create outsized impact inside organizations aren't waiting for the title, the promotion, or the perfect moment. They're already acting like leaders long before anyone officially calls them one.
That matters more today than ever.
The pace of change is accelerating. Industries are being reshaped by AI, supply chain volatility, shifting markets, and entirely new ways of working. In that environment, technical expertise alone isn't enough. The people who continue to grow are the ones who know how to learn faster, build stronger relationships, challenge ideas constructively, and bring others with them.
Keith has spent decades studying high-performing teams and advising some of the world's largest organizations. What stood out to me most wasn't a complicated leadership framework. It was how much of great leadership comes down to simple, repeatable practices that most teams never adopt.
The uncomfortable reality is that most teams are mediocre. They avoid conflict. They don't challenge each other when it matters. They don't hold each other accountable. They don't create the kind of trust that allows great work to happen.
The good news is that you don't need permission to change that.
This conversation explores what it means to lead without authority, how high-performing teams are built through practice rather than personality, and why taking responsibility for your own growth is still one of the highest leverage decisions you can make.
If you're early in your leadership journey, this episode is a blueprint. If you've been leading for years, it's a reminder that the fundamentals still matter.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
[00:00] Intro
[04:28] Is the MBA Still Worth It in an AI-Driven World?
[07:48] Why Relationships Drive Opportunity, Learning, and Execution
[12:08] Why Most Teams Never Reach High Performance
[15:09] The Stress Test Framework for Better Team Decisions
[19:58] Building Teams That Care About Each Other's Energy
[21:53] The Three Types of Trust Every Leader Must Understand
[26:00] Why Most Leaders Are Still Mediocre
[29:37] Building a Peer Group That Won't Let You Fail
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Leadership begins before you receive a title or formal authority
The fastest learners build relationships with people already doing what they aspire to do
Everything meaningful in your career happens with and through other people
High-performing teams are built through practice, not personality
Most teams avoid the difficult conversations that create trust and accountability
Trust is not one thing; it includes personal, professional, and structural trust
Changing behavior is often easier than changing mindset
Simple collaboration practices can dramatically improve team performance
The bar for exceptional leadership is lower than most people realize
Taking responsibility for your own development is a competitive advantage

Links & Resources
Keith Ferrazzi
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/keithferrazzi
Website: https://ferrazzigreenlight.com/
Book: https://shop.givingtons.com/products/never-lead-alone

Matt Gjertsen
Website: https://www.bettereverydaystudios.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewgjertsen/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BetterEveryDayStudios

Most teams don’t fail because they lack talent. They fail because they lose their ability to operate under discomfort.
In this solo episode of Leadership Launchpad, I look at why the ability to stay effective when things get uncomfortable has become a defining factor in how modern teams perform.
I draw a distinction between pressure that sharpens performance and pressure that overwhelms it, and why the difference between the two shows up in how teams are built, led, and developed over time.
This matters because most organizations are operating in environments where change is constant, expectations shift quickly, and comfort is no longer a reliable indicator of stability or success.
The real question for leaders is not whether their teams can avoid pressure, but whether they can function inside it without losing clarity or speed.
That is what this episode is ultimately about.
Episode Highlights:
[00:00] Why uncomfortable teams outperform comfortable ones
[03:19] Why the Body Only Grows Under Pressure
[06:48] What Discomfort Looks Like Inside Organizations
[07:50] Accountability vs Committee Culture
[10:50] The Leadership Challenge of Pushing People
[12:12] Why AI and Rapid Change Are Increasing Organizational Stress
[15:08] Building Trust Before Raising Standards
[17:31] The Key Question Every Manager Should Ask
Key Takeaways:
High-performing teams expand their capacity for discomfort over time
Not all pressure reduces performance, some of it improves it
Growth comes from exposure, not avoidance
Feedback and accountability shape how teams respond under stress
Fast-changing environments reward adaptability over stability
Leadership is often about deciding what level of pressure a team can sustain
The future belongs to teams that can stay clear and effective under uncertainty

If this resonates with how you think about leadership and performance, subscribe for more conversations on building teams that operate well in complex environments.
Links & Resources
Website: https://www.bettereverydaystudios.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewgjertsen/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BetterEveryDayStudios