#103: Authenticity Isn’t “Just Be Yourself”
Executive Commute With Jayson Krause
Release Date: 05/20/2026
#111: The Practice of Curiosity and Why Leaders Default to Certainty
Executive Commute With Jayson Krause
A 360-degree review told Tyler Chisholm exactly what was wrong with his leadership: he filled every room, jumped to conclusions, and never let his team finish a sentence. His team had stopped contributing. They were just waiting to be told what to do. In this episode of The Executive Commute, Jayson Krause talks with Tyler Chisholm, CEO and author of Curious as Hell, about the moment that feedback forced him to rebuild how he leads. Tyler unpacks the difference between the leader he was in the boardroom and the host he'd become on his own podcast, and how closing that gap turned curiosity from...
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#110: Your Empathy Might Be Making You a Worse Leader
Executive Commute With Jayson Krause
Empathy gets treated like a personality trait: you either have it or you don't. Roxana Radulescu, Level 52 coach and facilitator, argues that's wrong. It's a muscle, and most leaders are either overusing it, avoiding it, or using it to avoid the hard conversation instead of having it. In this episode of The Executive Commute, Jayson Krause talks with Roxana about what empathy actually is (her definition: care plus trust), what it isn't (sympathy, agreement, an excuse to skip feedback), and where it goes wrong at the top of organizations. They dig into a Yale psychologist's argument that...
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#108: Why Burnout Isn't a Workload Problem
Executive Commute With Jayson Krause
Most leaders think burnout comes from too much work. So they respond with wellness programs, lighter workloads, and lunch hour yoga. Then nothing changes. In this episode of The Executive Commute, Jayson Krause sits down with Dr. Tianne Foster, physician, burnout researcher, and author of Reality Check, to unpack what actually drives burnout and why most organizations are solving the wrong problem. Trained across Canada, the US, and the UK, Dr. Foster became obsessed with burnout after a senior physician told her entire class to get out of medicine while they still could. Her conclusion:...
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#109 MML What does high performance actually look like?
Executive Commute With Jayson Krause
Welcome to The Meaningful Leader — July Edition. This month, we’re looking at the invisible forces that shape how leaders and teams actually perform: the standards we fail to define, the belonging we misunderstand, the thinking environments we create, and the warning lights we ignore. Three of this month’s sections were sparked by great conversations I had on with Level 52 coach and facilitator - Jessica Heafey, Flow state advisor - Dr. Murray Heber, and author of Reality Check - Dr. Tianne Foster. Links to each full discussion are below. But the thread running through all of...
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#107 Why Belonging Is Not About Being Nice
Executive Commute With Jayson Krause
Belonging gets mistaken for everyone getting along. But what if a team with no conflict is the clearest sign that belonging is missing? In this episode of The Executive Commute, Jayson Krause sits down with Level 52 coach and facilitator Jessica Heafey to explore belonging, what it is, what it isn't, and the mistakes leaders make trying to create it. Drawing on a career that began in professional theatre, Jessica explains why being hired is not the same as belonging, why the difference between kind and nice matters more than most leaders realize, and why real belonging asks...
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#106: The Science of Flow State and Peak Performance
Executive Commute With Jayson Krause
Most leaders think better performance comes from working harder. Dr. Murray Heber argues that mindset may be a much bigger factor than effort. In this episode of The Executive Commute, Jayson Krause and Dr. Murray Heber explore the science of flow state, why high performers burn out, and how leaders can create the conditions for peak performance without relying on constant pressure. They discuss the difference between playing to win and playing not to lose, why curiosity is one of the most powerful tools available to leaders, and how confusion can sometimes be the pattern interrupt needed...
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#105: Most Leaders Don’t Have a Motivation Problem
Executive Commute With Jayson Krause
Most leaders are waiting to feel ready before they act. That mindset may be the thing keeping them stuck. In this episode of The Executive Commute, Jayson Krause unpacks four leadership ideas from this month’s Meaningful Leader newsletter and explores the deeper patterns underneath them. He breaks down why high-performing leaders struggle to stop carrying other people’s work, why motivation follows action, how leaders mislabel emotions under pressure, and why “just be yourself” is often terrible leadership advice. This episode is about leadership under pressure, internal...
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#104: Motivation Is Not Something You Wait For
Executive Commute With Jayson Krause
Most people think motivation is something you either have or you don’t. Alec Harrison argues the opposite. In this episode of The Executive Commute, Jayson Krause sits down with Emmy-nominated composer Alec Harrison to unpack what motivation really is, why waiting for it is dangerous, and how action itself creates momentum. Drawing on his experience composing music for Monday Night Football, the FIFA World Cup, film, and television, Alec shares how his relationship with motivation evolved from chasing external validation to reconnecting with the love of the craft itself. They explore why...
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#103: Authenticity Isn’t “Just Be Yourself”
Executive Commute With Jayson Krause
Most leaders think authenticity means “just be yourself.” Julie Dupont argues it’s much more disciplined than that. In this episode of The Executive Commute, Jayson Krause and executive coach Julie Dupont unpack what authenticity really is, why many leaders misunderstand it, and how authenticity without self-awareness can quickly become destructive. They explore the tension between belonging and staying true to yourself, why emotional intelligence is essential to authentic leadership, and how leaders can stay grounded in their values without becoming rigid or performative. Julie also...
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#102: Why Emotional Intelligence Isn't About Being Nice
Executive Commute With Jayson Krause
Emotional intelligence gets sold as the soft side of leadership. Most leaders either dismiss it or try to become warmer. Liz Doyle Harmer argues both responses miss the point entirely. In this episode of The Executive Commute, Jayson Krause sits down with transformational leadership coach and facilitator Liz Doyle Harmer to unpack what emotional intelligence actually demands of leaders and why the conventional approach to developing it is failing. Liz coaches leaders and teams in fast-moving, high-stakes environments, and her work is built around a counterintuitive premise: what...
info_outlineMost leaders think authenticity means “just be yourself.”
Julie Dupont argues it’s much more disciplined than that.
In this episode of The Executive Commute, Jayson Krause and executive coach Julie Dupont unpack what authenticity really is, why many leaders misunderstand it, and how authenticity without self-awareness can quickly become destructive.
They explore the tension between belonging and staying true to yourself, why emotional intelligence is essential to authentic leadership, and how leaders can stay grounded in their values without becoming rigid or performative.
Julie also shares why authenticity takes courage, especially when standing firm comes with discomfort or rejection.
Follow Jayson Krause
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JaysonKrauseLeadership
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayson-krause/