The Athletics Of Business
Let’s face it: AI is changing the game in ways we couldn’t have imagined just a few years ago. As leaders, we’re at a crossroads—do we learn how to use this new technology to our advantage, or do we risk falling behind? In this episode, I sit down with Geoff Woods, #1 bestselling author of The AI-Driven Leader and founder of AI Leadership, to explore how leaders can harness AI not just to automate tasks, but to think bigger, make smarter decisions, and unlock the full potential of their organizations. Geoff shares the journey that took him from asking the right questions in boardrooms...
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In this energizing episode of The Athletics of Business, Ed Molitor welcomes Molly Painter, Vice President of Sales and Strategic Accounts at Takeda. Molly leads Takeda’s U.S. Plasma-Derived Therapies business unit and is renowned for her rare blend of strategic clarity and deeply human-centered leadership. Together, they explore what it takes to lead authentically in high-stakes environments, build trust through vulnerability, and drive results without losing sight of people. Molly shares personal stories from her career, her family, and her life-long belief that leadership should be rooted...
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How does someone rise from stacking pallets in a Pepsi warehouse to leading a billion-dollar brand? In this episode, I sit down with Scott Miller, former Essentia Water CEO and author of Summit Mindset, to unpack the philosophy that turns relentless ambition into meaningful success. Scott brings his book’s principles to life as he shares the four pillars that ground him Faith, Family, Business, and Others, proving that sustainable achievement begins when people come before profit. He walks us through his Failure → Reflection → Persistence cycle, the daily...
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Our Guest Dr. Jerry Lynch first learned about extraordinary performance and excellence as a nationally ranked competitive athlete sponsored by Nike, running world-class times from 5,000 meters to the marathon, setting an American record in the half-marathon, winning a National Championship, and many other races against athletes half his age. He took what he learned about himself and life from his competitive days and parlayed it into a dynamic, successful career helping athletes and coaches in all sports use his performance and leadership strategies to up their game and discover the best...
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In this powerful and thought-provoking episode of The Athletics of Business, Ed Molitor sits down with Liz Wiseman, celebrated leadership researcher, bestselling author of Multipliers, Rookie Smarts, and Impact Players, and CEO of The Wiseman Group. Liz shares transformative insights from her research on leadership effectiveness, accidental diminishing, and how to unlock the full intelligence and potential of teams. She opens up about her early career at Oracle, her rookie mindset, and how feeling like an underdog led to a lifelong pursuit of discovering what truly makes great leaders. This...
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In this milestone episode, former NFL player, acclaimed playwright, and high-performance coach Bo Eason returns to The Athletics of Business podcast to share his insights on the power of personal storytelling and how it can shape leadership, influence, and success. Bo takes us on a journey through his transition from professional sports to Broadway and beyond, discussing how vulnerability, preparation, and relentless commitment define the best in any field. Bo and host Ed Molitor break down why storytelling is the ultimate tool for building trust, inspiring action, and creating meaningful...
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Our Guest Drew Storen is a former Major League Baseball veteran of 8 seasons. Storen was drafted out of Stanford University by the Washington Nationals in the 1st round of the 2009 MLB Draft. He made his MLB debut with the Nationals in 2010 and quickly became a key figure in their bullpen, serving as their closer for several seasons. Storen played for several teams during his career, including the Washington Nationals, Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners, and Cincinnati Reds. Storen retired from professional baseball after the 2020 season. After his baseball career, Drew Storen founded...
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In this engaging episode, Brian Grawer shares his inspiring journey from being a standout basketball player at the University of Missouri to leading successful sales teams in the highly competitive pharmaceutical industry. With a unique perspective shaped by his athletic background, Brian discusses the parallels between sports and business, offering practical insights into leadership, team building, and personal growth. Brian opens up about the values instilled in him through basketball, such as preparation, discipline, and coachability, and how these lessons have guided him in fostering...
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Ed Molitor dives into a recent podcast episode with Matt Painter, Men's Basketball Coach at Purdue University. About Matt Painter One of America's top basketball coaches, Matt Painter enters his 17th year at Purdue. He owns a 355-164 record at Purdue. He has led the Boilermakers to 12 NCAA Tournaments, five Sweet 16s, three Big Ten regular-season championships, a Big Ten Tournament title, an Elite Eight, and an international gold medal. His peers voted him as the NABC National Coach of the Year after leading a team that started with a 6-5 record to the 2019 Elite Eight. Purdue's six...
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In this episode, Larry Levine, author of Selling in a Post-Trust World, dives into the critical role of trust, authenticity, and soft skills in sales. He shares the powerful strategies behind transitioning from transactional to transformational sales, emphasizing the importance of building genuine relationships and truly understanding clients' needs. We explore the "trust formula," a framework for creating meaningful value and cultivating authentic connections that set sales professionals apart in a skeptical world. Larry also highlights the power of continuous learning, networking, and...
info_outlineLet’s face it: AI is changing the game in ways we couldn’t have imagined just a few years ago. As leaders, we’re at a crossroads—do we learn how to use this new technology to our advantage, or do we risk falling behind?
In this episode, I sit down with Geoff Woods, #1 bestselling author of The AI-Driven Leader and founder of AI Leadership, to explore how leaders can harness AI not just to automate tasks, but to think bigger, make smarter decisions, and unlock the full potential of their organizations.
Geoff shares the journey that took him from asking the right questions in boardrooms to co-founding an executive network, The Collective, where 100+ leaders from around the world collaborate to use AI as a competitive advantage. He pulls back the curtain on his “CRIT” framework (Context, Role, Interview, Task) for prompting AI to be more than a tool—it becomes a thought partner that sharpens your vision and reveals the path to 10x growth.
We dig into how Geoff overcame massive imposter syndrome when first stepping into AI leadership, the power of reverse engineering your future, and why he believes trying to “know everything about AI” is the surest way to lose. Plus, he shares a powerful story of how an AI-generated interview turned a real estate flipper’s 10K-per-deal hustle into a million-dollar multifamily investment in a single month.
At the heart of this conversation is a message every leader needs to hear: real transformation isn’t about learning AI for the sake of it—it’s about using it to build the business (and life) that will stand the test of time.
Meet Our Guest: Geoff Woods
Geoff Woods is a visionary business leader, bestselling author, and founder of AI Leadership. He’s the host of The AI-Driven Leader podcast and creator of The Collective, a vetted community of executives who are using AI to create future-ready businesses.
Geoff previously served as Chief Growth Officer of Jindal Steel and Power, where he helped grow the company’s market cap from $750 million to $12 billion in just four years. Earlier, he co-founded the consulting company behind The One Thing, advising businesses from $10 million to $60 billion in revenue.
His book, The AI-Driven Leader, offers a practical guide for leaders who want to harness AI strategically—not to do more busy work, but to think bigger, move faster, and lead in ways that truly matter.
What You’ll Learn in this Episode:
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Why “knowing everything about AI” isn’t the goal—mastery of your strengths is
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Geoff’s “CRIT” framework for using AI as a strategic thought partner
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How The Collective helps leaders turn insights into action and real revenue
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The danger of operational overwhelm vs. strategic clarity
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Why every leader needs to rethink the business that could put them out of business
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The surprising link between “The One Thing” mindset and AI leadership
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How Geoff overcame impostor syndrome to become a global AI thought leader
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Real-world stories of leaders using AI to 10x their businesses
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How to tap into collective knowledge and stay ahead of rapid change
In this episode:
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[00:00:00] Introduction and setting the stage for AI-powered leadership
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[00:01:02] Geoff’s journey from asking questions to driving billion-dollar growth
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[00:03:18] How asking better questions changed Geoff’s approach to AI
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[00:08:45] Building The Collective: a global network of AI-driven leaders
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[00:15:00] Using AI to pressure-test your business plan and rethink your North Star
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[00:21:17] Why AI isn’t about replacing expertise—it’s about amplifying it
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[00:26:23] The connection between The One Thing and Geoff’s AI philosophy
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[00:32:31] How Geoff’s team uses AI to turn human strengths into superpowers
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[00:37:48] Rethinking the business you’re in—and the one that could put you out of business
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[00:40:39] The future of AI-driven insights and continuous strategic updates
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[00:43:51] Where to find Geoff’s work and apply to join The Collective
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[00:44:33] Final reflections on growth, leadership, and staying curious
Resources & Links
Geoff Woods
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Book: The AI Driven Leader
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Get Geoff’s prompt library: Send your book receipt to [email protected]
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Join The Collective: Apply at aileadership.com
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LinkedIn: Geoff Woods
Ed Molitor
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Website: https://www.themolitorgroup.com/