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Just a couple months ago, Katie and Billy Kim packed up their lives in New Jersey — two careers, two kids, and a mortgage — and moved to Korea.  To make it happen, they navigated a year-long project involving six trips to the South Korean consulate, an unexpected citizenship complication, a possible military draft, a cancer diagnosis, and ultimately, the realization that fear and inconvenience are the worst reasons to not make something happen. Topic Highlights: – Why Katie first shut down the idea of moving across the world – and what changed her mind – The consulate saga that almost derailed everything  – The “excuse test”: how to tell whether something is a real constraint or just discomfort – The three things the Kims agreed on before they even booked a flight and why most teams only get one of them right – Why a shared “why” matters more than a perfect plan when things don’t go as expected Guest Bio: Katie Kim is a marketing executive and former VP of Global Marketing at MillerKnoll. Billy Kim is an independent investor and the family’s designated maverick. Connect with Us: theliftpod.com Let’s stay in touch Subscribe to The Lift Find Ben online: LinkedIn | Instagram See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Your manager has been telling you for three years that your work is excellent. Then one day you're let go. Nobody saw it coming except the person who signed your reviews. James Coyle has watched this play out more times than he can count. His take: that's not a performance problem. That's a leadership failure.  Topic Highlights: – Why avoiding the hard conversation is always more expensive than just having the hard conversation – The ethos behind the “tell me how people get paid” principle  – What basketball taught James about self-awareness (and why most players always think they're one of the best two on the team) – The three-bucket framework for deciding what to do with underperformers – The difference between an average employee and a great employee  Guest Bio: James Coyle is the EVP, President Marketplace of OPENLANE, a leading digital marketplace for wholesale vehicles, and a former senior leader at Amazon during its most aggressive growth years. Episode Links: OPENLANE James on LinkedIn How To Fire People Properly: When Waiting Too Long Goes Wrong Connect with Us: theliftpod.com Let’s stay in touch Subscribe to The Lift Find Ben online: LinkedIn | Instagram See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You know the feeling of researching a hotel for three hours and still not booking it? The Points Guy Brian Kelly has made a career out of knowing exactly when to stop doing research – on flights, on investments, on the decision to quit your job – and just make it happen. For Brian, it's about knowing when you have enough information to move. Topic Highlights: – How Brian made the biggest decision of his life with no mentor, no banker, and no blueprint – Why the worst-case scenario you're afraid of almost never exists – What corporate boardrooms and bad travel decisions have in common – How to take a great leap without burning the bridge you might need later – Why he thinks many executives aren't using AI enough to see what's coming Guest Bio: Brian Kelly is the founder of The Points Guy, New York Times bestselling author of How to Win at Travel, and one of the most-visited travel media personalities in the world. Episode Links: The Points Guy How to Win at Travel point.me seat.aero insuremytrip.com Hetrick-Martin Institute Rainbow Railroad Connect with Us: theliftpod.com Let’s stay in touch Subscribe to The Lift Find Ben online: LinkedIn | Instagram See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ben Brooks usually asks the questions. This week, he's the guest, and The Lift's Executive Producer, Steph Colbourn, takes the host chair to dig into the nitty-gritty of management. Leadership gets the TED Talks while management gets the eye rolls. But here's the inconvenient truth: 70% of the employee experience is determined by one thing - the quality of their manager. Problem is, we've been talking around management for years.  Topic Highlights: – The Pilot Six: Ben’s framework to define what good management actually looks like  – Why “getting promoted to manager” is too often Latin for “I'll make more money” but no one tells you about what you're actually signing up for – The story behind the employee who stuffed papers between the keys of Ben's keyboard just to get his attention  – What Ben's own 360 feedback revealed about where he's still a mediocre manager (and what he's doing about it)  Guest Bio: Ben Brooks is a leadership strategist, career innovator, executive coach, founder of PILOT, and host of The Lift. He loves traveling, making new friends, and of course, his dog, Jetson.  Episode Links: The Lift PILOT Connect with Us: theliftpod.com Let’s stay in touch Subscribe to The Lift Find Ben online: LinkedIn | Instagram See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What do you do when the President of the United States, the Senate majority leader, the Secretary of Energy, and an army of lobbyists all want you to say yes – and your answer is no? Robert Powelson has been in that exact position.  In this conversation, Rob shares what it actually costs to hold the line – and, what it buys you. Topic Highlights: – What Rob said in a three minute 4th of July phone call with the Pennsylvania governor that upended the pressure campaign around Uber  – Why Rob, a lifelong Republican, voted to kill the Trump administration's coal bailout proposal – Why the invisible infrastructure holding your daily life together is more vulnerable than most people realize  – What it means to spend your credibility wisely when you only have a finite amount  – The relationship habit Rob credits for leaning on in the face of the toughest calls  Guest Bio: Rob Powelson is President & CEO of the National Association of Water Companies and a former member of President Trump's Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Episode Links: Rob’s LinkedIn National Association of Water Companies Connect with Us: theliftpod.com Let’s stay in touch Subscribe to The Lift Find Ben online: LinkedIn | Instagram See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ben went to Salzburg for two weeks of “pure PTO” vacation. He ended up spending the first day and a half locked in a hotel room, heart rate elevated, surrounded by sticky notes.  In today’s episode, we cover incompletions: the tasks that haven't been done, the conversations that haven't happened, the decisions still open. And why they are probably quietly costing you, your coworkers, and your organization more than you realize. Topic Highlights: – What "attention residue" is and why your brain stays at work long after you've left the building.  – Why incompletions don't just drain you personally – they quietly stall entire organizations.  – What being on the receiving end of someone else's incompletion actually does to them.  – The 20-minute microdose you should take before any vacation, big deadline, or leadership transition. Guest Bio: Ben Brooks is a leadership strategist, career innovator, executive coach, founder of PILOT, and host of The Lift. He loves traveling, making new friends, and of course, his dog, Jetson.  Episode Links: The Lift PILOT Connect with Us: theliftpod.com Let’s stay in touch Subscribe to The Lift Find Ben online: LinkedIn | Instagram See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When was the last time someone on your team told you something you didn't want to hear? If you have to think about it, you have your answer. Too many leaders have spent their entire careers avoiding conflict, and now they're running teams where nobody tells them anything useful, nothing real gets decided, and everyone is very, very pleasant about it. According to Amy Gallo, this isn't harmony – it's dysfunction with better manners. This is one of our favorite episodes from earlier this year. It originally aired on May 19, 2026. Topic Highlights: – Why the cost of staying silent is almost always higher than the cost of speaking up – The "eight-lane highway to harmony" metaphor about conflict avoidance – How AI is quietly making us worse at disagreeing with real humans – The important difference between being liked and being respected – The practice of "conversational receptivity" Guest Bio: Amy Gallo is an expert on workplace conflict and feedback, a contributing editor at Harvard Business Review, and the author of Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People). Episode Links: Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People) Radical Candor The Five Dysfunctions of a Team Conflict at Work: How to Have the Hard Conversation You’ve Been Avoiding Connect with Us: theliftpod.com Let’s stay in touch Subscribe to The Lift Find Ben online: LinkedIn | Instagram See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Have you ever had this thought? “I have an HR problem. They’re too slow. Too reactive. Too focused on process and compliance.”  Here's an uncomfortable possibility: the HR you're complaining about may just be the HR you bought. If you've only ever funded HR for compliance and recruiting, don't be surprised when that's all you get. Part two in our series about getting the most out of your HR function is about what you're responsible for as a business leader, and how to fix it when it’s broken. Topic Highlights: – The HR-to-employee ratio you should be targeting  – How to make the case to a CFO who only cares about EBITDA  – The three questions to ask to find out if you've got a real HR partner – Why AI is the best argument for investing more in HR, not less  Guest Bio: Trish Steed is CEO and principal analyst at H3 HR Advisors, and a former HR executive across Big Four, healthcare, and IT. Steve Boese is an H3 HR co-founder and a program chair of the HR Technology Conference. Episode Links: Part 1: The Hidden Weight of HR H3 HR Advisors HR Happy Hour Media Network Connect with Us: theliftpod.com Let’s stay in touch Subscribe to The Lift Find Ben online: LinkedIn | Instagram See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Most executives think of HR as an order window. Fire this person. Hire that one. Fix the culture. Improve the managers. But underneath that fictional menu is a function absorbing things no one ever puts on a report: the weight of every employee's hardest moments, handled quietly, while still being expected to move the business forward. In part one of this two-part conversation, we pull back the curtain on what HR actually carries. Topic Highlights: – Why treating HR like an order menu is the most expensive mistake executives make – What HR partnership actually looks like – The value of involving HR in strategy upfront – Why shifts in employee output might not be about performance – The most underused resource in your benefits package Guest Bio: Trish Steed is CEO and principal analyst at H3 HR Advisors, and a former HR executive across Big Four, healthcare, and IT. Steve Boese is an H3 HR co-founder and a program chair of the HR Technology Conference. Episode Links: H3 HR Advisors HR Happy Hour Media Network From Worst to First by Gordon Bethune Connect with Us: theliftpod.com Let’s stay in touch Subscribe to The Lift Find Ben online: LinkedIn | Instagram See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Complacency doesn't feel like standing still. It feels like winning. Right up until it doesn't. That's the trap Snorre Kjesbu has spent his career trying to help his organization escape. As SVP & GM of Collaboration at Cisco, he runs a multi-billion dollar business, holds 20+ patents, and is blunt about where this ends: companies that stop pushing themselves don't just slow down. They go out of business. Topic Highlights: – The window of opportunity: why being four years too early costs you just as much as being four years too late – Why chasing the wave you missed is a losing game (and what to do instead) – The four questions every leader should ask every quarter to stay ahead of complacency – What an effective “AI forward” team actually looks like Guest Bio: Snorre Kjesbu is SVP & GM of Collaboration at Cisco and holder of 20+ patents.  Episode Links: Snorre Kjesbu on LinkedIn Connect with Us: theliftpod.com Let’s stay in touch Subscribe to The Lift Find Ben online: LinkedIn | Instagram See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tom Hardin was a rising hedge fund analyst making good money in New York City when he decided to make a few trades on inside information.  Then the FBI tailed him at 6:30 AM outside his dry cleaner. In the 18 months that followed, he wore a wire more than 40 times as an informant in the largest insider trading investigation in US history. What he learned about getting people to finally share what they've been hiding is something no management book has ever taught. Topic Highlights: – The three meeting sequence that gets people to stop performing and start telling the truth – The 10/80/10 model and why the 80% in the middle will follow what the leading 10% does – How unclear goals create the conditions for ethical drift without anyone noticing – Why not understanding the difference between a mistake and a bad decision is often how cover-ups start Guest Bio: Tom Hardin is “Tipper X,” the FBI's most prolific cooperating informant in Operation Perfect Hedge, and the author of Wired on Wall Street. Episode Links: Wired on Wall Street by Tom Hardin Connect with Us: theliftpod.com Let’s stay in touch Subscribe to The Lift Find Ben online: LinkedIn | Instagram See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Just Ben this week. In our very first solo episode, we go deep on the topic Ben has been teaching inside every PILOT cohort since day one, the one that shows up in almost every coaching conversation he has, the one that he considers the single biggest unlock in a career: self-advocacy.  Knowing what you need, knowing how to ask for it specifically, and being willing to hear no – and knowing when and how to ask again. Topic Highlights: – Why the current moment makes self-advocacy more urgent, not less – The fear of rejection reframe: why if you haven't been told no recently, you're probably not asking enough – What a specific, “shovel-ready” ask looks like – The information asymmetry most people miss: your manager almost certainly doesn't know what you need – The secret menu: why your career’s has more options on it than the one you've been ordering from Guest Bio: Ben Brooks is a leadership strategist, career innovator, executive coach, the founder of PILOT, and host of The Lift. He loves travel, making new friends, and of course, his dog, Jetson.  Episode Links: PILOT Connect with Us: theliftpod.com Let’s stay in touch Subscribe to The Lift Find Ben online: LinkedIn | Instagram See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“Running is my meditation.” Michael Miller hears this a lot.  His response: “Knitting is my rock climbing.”  If you've been telling yourself exercise counts as meditation, this is the episode that gently, convincingly, changes your mind. Topic Highlights – The three types of meditation and why the one most leaders try is the hardest and least effective – How a 20-minute practice twice a day can actually give you more time back, not less – The difference between being a net giver and a net taker (and why it starts with your nervous system, not your calendar) – Why Vedic meditation was specifically designed for people with jobs, families, and actual responsibilities Guest Bio Michael Miller is the founder of New York Meditation Center and London Meditation Centre, a Vedic meditation teacher with nearly 10,000 students worldwide, and the person who taught Ben to meditate 15 years ago. Episode Links: New York Meditation Center London Meditation Centre Vedic Meditation Meditation for Busy Leaders: How Michael Miller Uses Vedic Practice to Reduce Stress and Gain Time Connect with Us: theliftpod.com Let’s stay in touch Subscribe to The Lift Find Ben online: LinkedIn | Instagram See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Most senior leaders got to where they are by being the expert. But Helen Tupper has research showing that the moment you start thinking of yourself as an expert is the exact moment you stop growing.  If you've been coasting on competence, or are quietly terrified of being a beginner again, this episode is for you. Topic Highlights – How expertise quietly kills curiosity, and what to do before it happens to you – Why the career ladder is a limiting model for both individuals and organizations – The “mistake moments” team practice that makes vulnerability a daily habit – The “What? So what? Now what?” reflection loop that turns any meeting into a learning engine Guest Bio Helen Tupper is the CEO of Amazing If, an award-winning company with a mission to make squiggly careers better for everyone. She is the co-author of The Squiggly Career and Learn Like a Lobster.  Episode Links: Amazing If Learn Like a Lobster The Squiggly Career Values Institute Lead Like a Learner: Helen Tupper on “Squiggly Careers” and the Power of Vulnerability Connect with Us: theliftpod.com Let’s stay in touch Subscribe to The Lift Find Ben online: LinkedIn | Instagram See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ask almost any leader if they're self-aware and most will say yes. But research shows only 15% actually are. That gap – between who we think we are and how others experience us – is where most leadership development needs to start.  Unfortunately, it almost never does. Margaret Andrews, who has spent two decades teaching this at Harvard, is here to help close the gap. Topic Highlights – Why the best boss you ever had probably wasn't (always) the smartest person in the room  – Six questions that reveal more about your leadership than any 360 assessment will – The difference between changing your personality (you can't) and changing your behavior (you absolutely can) – Why “if you want to change how people think, you have to change how they feel” is the most underused insight in leadership development Guest Bio Margaret Andrews is a Harvard executive education professor, founder of The MYLO Center, and author of Manage Yourself to Lead Others. Episode Links: Manage Yourself to Lead Others The MYLO Center Managing yourself first: Margaret Andrews on self-awareness and leadership Connect with Us: theliftpod.com Let’s stay in touch Subscribe to The Lift Find Ben online: LinkedIn | Instagram See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.