Episode 11

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Published on:

21st Jan 2026

Interview with Michael: Healthy vs Unhealthy Vulnerability & Authenticity - Part 1

Does being an "authentic" leader mean you have to share every fear with your team? Absolutely not.

In this special episode, the script is flipped. Michael is interviewed by Hugo Dahlbom of the Executive Network Presidents Institute. They dig into the "Doer to Leader" transition and challenge the modern obsession with vulnerability.


Michael introduces the "Pilot in the Cockpit" analogy: If the engines fail, you want the pilot to be honest, but you don't want them screaming in panic. True leadership requires a specific balance of honesty and authority.

In this episode, you will learn:

-The Pilot Analogy: Why "authentic" leadership does NOT mean sharing your panic with the team (and what to do instead).

-The "Doer" Programming: Why your brain is wired to jump in and fix problems yourself, and how to break that addiction.

-The Experiment Frame: How to get a perfectionist team to take risks by changing one word in your vocabulary.

-Auditing vs. Doing: How to find your team's blind spots without doing their work for them.

The Challenge The Vocabulary Audit: This week, stop asking your team to take "risks." Start asking them to run "experiments." Notice how the energy in the room shifts when the fear of permanent failure is removed.

Resources

-Join the Conversation: Join our Leadership Mindset 2.0 community on LinkedIn or Facebook

-Get Live Coaching: Move from listening to doing inside the Growth Leaders Collective. Start your $1 trial at RMichaelAnderson.com/GLC

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About the Podcast

Leadership Mindset 2.0
Transform From Tactical Doer to Strategic Leader: The Psychology of Scaling for Executives & Entrepreneurs
Leadership Mindset 2.0 is the definitive playbook for executives and entrepreneurs ready to break free from the "Doer Trap" and scale their business using psychology and strategy.

Host R. Michael Anderson has scaled multiple software companies to the Inc. 5000 list and was named Social Entrepreneur of the Year. Now, as a 2x Executive Coach of the Year, he uses that experience to help high-performers transform from Tactical Operators into Strategic Leaders.

In this podcast, Michael blends cutting-edge neuroscience, emotional intelligence (EQ), and battle-tested business strategy to help you overcome burnout, imposter syndrome, and the "Leadership Incompetence Trap" so you can lead with clarity and confidence.

Two New Episodes Every Week which include a mix of:
• Strategy: Neuroscience frameworks & leadership tactics to start your week.
• Mentorship: Live Q&A and specific answers to your leadership challenges.
• Coaching: A fly-on-the-wall look at real, unscripted executive coaching sessions as Michael helps leaders break through their blind spots live.
• Masterclasses: Listen in as Michael and guests teach valuable leadership and management skills to a real-life audience.

Topics include: The Psychology of Scaling, Burnout Prevention, Strategic Planning, Executive Coaching, and Emotional Intelligence.

About your host

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R. Michael Anderson

R. Michael Anderson, MBA, MA has a striking combination that creates truly impactful transformation in leaders – he has the real-life business success of founding, scaling and exiting three software companies, plus the educational background of a Masters Degree in Psychology.



This combination gives him the unique ability to connect to other leaders as a peer, then teaches evidence-based leadership skills that genuinely drive behaviour and performance.