It's Not a People Problem, It's a System Problem ft. Melissa Appel
Release Date: 10/01/2025
Debugging the Leader: A Framework for Internal Alignment ft. Jon Bach
Uncommon Leadership
You’ve spent your career mastering the technical. You know how to debug a system, optimize a workflow, and drive efficiency with data. But as you move higher into leadership, you realize your most reliable tools, logic and evidence, often fail when applied to the most complex system of all: the human one. In this milestone 100th episode of Uncommon Leadership, Michael Hunter and Jon Bach step away from standard people management advice to investigate the person behind the leader. Together they explore: What happens when you start paying attention—not just to systems, but...
info_outline
Why Team Problems Aren’t What They Seem ft. Todd Hanson
Uncommon Leadership
Are you constantly putting out fires but feeling like your team still isn't moving forward? This might be happening because you might be solving the wrong problem. In this episode of the Uncommon Leadership Podcast, I, Michael Hunter sits down with Todd Hanson, founder & inventor of Compass Carts. In this episode, Todd shares his incredible journey from corporate banking to building a hardware company and the counterintuitive leadership lessons he learned along the way. Whether you are managing a massive corporate department or a small team of external contractors, Todd...
info_outline
3 Questions Leaders Should Ask Before Shipping Code ft. Radhika Dutt
Uncommon Leadership
Why are so many tech startups struggling even after hitting their quarterly goals? In this episode, I, Michael Hunter, invite Radhika Dutt, an MIT alum and the author of Radical Product Thinking, to the Uncommon Leadership Podcast. Together, we debunk the classic Silicon Valley mantra: Build→Test → Learn →Scale The problem with the traditional goal-setting approach is that it often pulls teams away from the vision and legacy for which the business was originally built. To help lean startups make the difficult trade-offs between the things that keep the...
info_outline
Discovery to Innovation: A Physicist's Leadership Manual ft. Garrick Villaume
Uncommon Leadership
Are you expecting predictable outcomes in a non-deterministic world? When you are a tech leader, your instinct is to rely on systems and logic to drive results. But when an organizational change stalls, your team resists a new direction, or you find yourself exhausted by constant pivots—logic alone won't bridge the gap. In fact, ignoring the fundamental physics of human systems is one of the most expensive operational mistakes a company can make. In this episode of the Uncommon Leadership Podcast, I, Michael Hunter, sit down with Dr. Garrick Villaume. With a Ph.D....
info_outline
Stop Trying to Solve Human Problems with Spreadsheets ft. Melissa Franks
Uncommon Leadership
Are you trying to solve human problems with spreadsheets and logic? When you are an analytical leader in the tech space, your instinct is to rely on data. But when a project stalls, a client becomes contentious, or your top performers start disengaging—no amount of logic or data will fix the friction. In fact, ignoring the squishy emotional reality of your team is one of the most expensive operational mistakes a company can make. In this episode of the Uncommon Leadership Podcast, I, Michael Hunter, sit down with Melissa Franks—Founder of On Call COO. As someone who...
info_outline
How to Find Your Purpose When You're Ready to Quit ft. Patrick Farran
Uncommon Leadership
It is easy to spend an entire career in tech scaling products, hitting deadlines, and climbing the ladder-- only to wake up one day feeling completely misaligned. Your body starts keeping score. You experience burnout. Self-sabotage. And the quiet realization that you are leading in a system that wasn’t built for who you truly are. In this episode of the Uncommon Leadership Podcast, Michael Hunter sits down with Dr. Patrick Farran, Founder of Ad Lucem Group, TEDx speaker, and expert in organizational transformation, to discuss the profound difference between simply managing a...
info_outline
How Leaders Spot Team Problems Before They Explode ft. Oksana Kovalchuk
Uncommon Leadership
As a leader (especially in tech), you’re constantly expected to have every answer, fix every issue, and carry the full weight of decisions. But what if you don’t need to solve every problem or know everything to lead effectively? Real leadership means recognizing when questions reveal deeper issues, using vulnerability to ease tension, and encouraging your people to find their own solutions. In this episode of the Uncommon Leadership Podcast, I, Michael Hunter, talk with Oksana Kovalchuk — Founder & CEO of ANODA (a top-rated UX design agency recognized by Clutch...
info_outline
How Do You Lead When AI Is Changing Everything? ft. Gila Lee Adato
Uncommon Leadership
In a world where the old playbooks no longer apply — where artificial intelligence is reshaping how we think, work, and lead — what is the real competitive advantage for a tech organization? It’s not more data. It’s not a better tech stack. It’s emotional clarity. Because in a world where no one has the full answers, certainty is an illusion. And the leaders who thrive aren’t the ones with all the answers — they’re the ones who can discern. In this episode of the Uncommon Leadership Podcast, I sit down with Gila Lee Adato — attorney, AI leadership advisor, and...
info_outline
Work Doesn’t Need a Different You ft. Jordan Stone
Uncommon Leadership
Early in his career, Jordan Stone sat in a consulting workshop where the idea of a work self and a home self was presented as normal. The premise made sense on paper. But something about it felt off. Why should the experiences, preferences, and perspectives that shape who we are outside of work suddenly become irrelevant once we step into it? As Jordan’s career progressed, he saw firsthand how the parts of people that didn’t neatly fit into job descriptions often produced the most meaningful outcomes. In this episode of the Uncommon Leadership Podcast, Michael...
info_outline
Beyond the Title: What Leadership Really Means ft. Mary Kennedy Thompson
Uncommon Leadership
Leadership isn’t defined by title or authority. It’s revealed in presence — how you listen, how you respond, and how your behavior shapes the space around you. In this episode of the Uncommon Leadership Podcast, Michael Hunter sits down with Mary Kennedy Thompson, CEO of BNI, for a thoughtful conversation on what it really means to lead. From an early Marine Corps lesson that reshaped her understanding of service to leading global teams today, Mary reflects on leadership as a lifelong practice grounded in curiosity, authenticity, and care. Together, they explore how...
info_outline- Solve Your Biggest Leadership Challenge: Learn the real reason behind a stagnant team and how a simple culture fix can help.
- Find Clarity in Chaos: Get a simple two-step framework to handle overwhelm and uncertainty by focusing on what's in your control.
- Fix Broken Communication: Discover the key to getting through to everyone on your team by adapting your communication style to theirs.
- Make Better Decisions: End pointless debates by learning the secret to making objective decisions: aligning on an obvious goal first.
Melissa Appel is an expert at untangling complex, "gnarly" problems across various industries. As a product coach, author, and speaker, she helps CPOs and executive teams deliver real value by getting the right people in the room and asking the right questions. Melissa focuses on the underlying people and process issues that are often the root cause of product problems. Her coaching and advisory work greatly help product leaders improve their organizations and build high-quality, effective teams.
I'm Michael Hunter, the founder of Uncommon Teams. All my work is driven by a single mission: to help leaders, CXOs, and founders build uncommon teams.
These are the teams where every person feels valued, psychologically safe, and confident to bring their authentic selves to work.
Drawing from my experience with leaders across six continents, I've developed a battle-tested framework that is always precisely customized for you, helping you greet change like an old friend.
My deepest satisfaction comes from helping leaders not just envision their legacy, but truly inhabit it. By integrating your whole self into everything you do, you can discover ease, freedom, and a resilient leadership journey that creates a safe organizational culture for everyone.