Episodes

This episode of the Good Leadership Podcast recaps the October 2026 Good Leadership Breakfast featuring Kelly Hansen, Senior Vice President of People & Culture, and Tim Reimann, President of Veit. Good Leadership CEO Paul Batz is joined by Heidi DeSautel of Growth Operators, the conversation explores why accountability works best when leaders help one another succeed, not simply hold one another accountable. Hear how their partnership has helped drive growth, strengthen strategic planning, and c...

In this episode of the Good Leadership Podcast, Paul Batz and Nancy Weidenfeller reflect on the inspiring message shared by University of St. Thomas President Rob Vischer at the September Good Leadership Breakfast. Rob explores how leaders create healthy accountability by becoming carriers of culture and fostering a “culture of encounter” where people feel seen, known, and valued. The conversation highlights the importance of lifting our gaze beyond achievement to focus on who we are becoming, e...

In this episode of the Good Leadership Podcast, Paul Batz sits down with Patience Ferguson, Chief Human Resources Officer of Ramsey County and recipient of the inaugural Empower HR Award. Patience shares her remarkable leadership journey and reflects on how mentors, community, and a commitment to service shaped her career in human resources. Listeners will gain insight into the evolving role of HR leaders as strategic business partners who help organizations navigate uncertainty, strengthen cult...

What does innovation in HR really look like—and how can it transform both employee experiences and business performance? In this episode, HR THRIVE Innovator Award winner Krystal Holmes, VP of Talent at All In One Accounting, join Good Leadership CEO Paul Batz to share how creative thinking, technology, and a people-first mindset are helping her organization scale. From reinventing the candidate journey to streamlining systems and driving strategic growth, Krystal offers practical insights on tu...

What does it take for HR to move from a support function to a strategic force that drives business success? In this inspiring conversation, HR THRIVE Good Leadership Award winner Kelly Hansen shares how she helps shape strategy, lead change, and put people at the center of business decisions at Veit, a nearly 100-year-old construction company. Kelly offers practical insights on building trust with executive teams, developing future leaders, and using innovation and technology to strengthen workf...

AI is transforming how organizations work—but the real challenge isn’t the technology, it’s the leadership. In this episode of the Good Leadership Podcast, Paul Batz sits down with Mark Rehborg, Thong Nguyen, and Corey Ruff to explore how leaders can navigate AI-driven change, build trust, reduce fear, and strengthen cultures of healthy accountability. Discover why curiosity, discernment, and human judgment may become the most valuable leadership skills in the age of AI—and why goodness still pa...

Why do so many people fear accountability when it has the power to strengthen teams, improve performance, and drive business results? In this episode, Good Leadership CEO Paul Batz sits down with All In One Accounting Founder and CEO Heide Olson to explore how healthy accountability starts with clarity, trust, and shared ownership. Drawing on lessons from entrepreneurship, leadership, and years of building a thriving organization, Heidi shares practical strategies for creating a culture where f...

Discover why most large technology projects fail—and what it really takes to beat the odds. In this episode, Paul Batz welcomes Monte Nuckols, former Chief Information Officer at Johnson Controls, to unpack the critical mistakes leaders make before a project even begins and how a “Good Start” can change everything. From redefining accountability to building the right team and focusing on what truly matters, they share practical insights from decades of experience leading complex initiatives. If ...

Paul Batz welcomes Danielle Kirkwood, Senior Process Engineering Director – Community Services at Sevita Health. In the fall of 2025, Danielle purchased one of the Healthy Accountability Team Learning Bundles from the Good Leadership Shop to use with her team. They read the book and used the provided guide to have spark meaningful conversations about what they read, deepen their understanding of the topic, and accelerate building a culture of healthy accountability among her team - where taking ...

In today’s episode, Paul Batz is joined by Luke Witt, Managing Director of Professional Recruiting with Versique. Paul and Luke discuss the learnings and key take-aways from the May 2026 Good Leadership Breakfast featuring Andrea Walsh, CEO of HealthPartners – an integrated health care and health plan system headquartered in Minnesota. Andrea is at the helm of an organization with over 27,000 employees that care deeply about the vision - health as it could be, affordability as it must be, throug...

In this episode, Paul Batz is joined by Whitney-Lehr Koening, Publisher at Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal in the Good Leadership podcast studio. Together they reflect on spectacular Good Leadership Breakfast on April 10, 2026, which featured Anne Hed, CEO of HED Cycling Products. Together, they discuss Anne’s leadership journey – lessons learned early not making the swim team, having the courage to support Lance Armstrong long before he was famous, unexpectedly losing her husband and inst...

Paul Batz welcomes three current AI Leaders to the Good Leadership Podcast for this episode discussing how best to coach leaders who are stepping into, or have been in, an AI Leadership role. Guests include: Steve Gordon - Global Business Services at Merck Dan Mallin - Co-Founder of Equals 3, IBM Watson’s Lucy Monte Nuckols - retired CIO, pursuing PhD in AI and Theology Together they explore the role of AI Leaders, the impact that AI is having on corporate, and what their coaching advice wou...

Paul Batz welcomes Allan Katz, Chief Financial Officer at The Hanley Foundation in West Palm Beach, FL. At the suggestion of Good Leadership Senior Associate Coach, Kim Pheasant, Allan purchased the Healthy Accountability book. While reading, Allan was captivated by the message, and took ten pages of notes! On the podcast, Paul interviews Allan about the concepts that really resonated with him, and what is changing at Hanley Foundation to create a culture of healthy accountability. Get a copy o...

Paul Batz welcomes Angelique Obiri, a Senior Coaching Associate at Good Leadership and founder of Angelique Obiri Coaching. Together, they discuss what makes the Good Leadership coaching model different, Angelique’s personal philosophy for executive coaching, and how recent coaching engagements are not only positively effecting the executive, but the entire organization, for the better.

In this episode, Paul Batz is joined by Matt Swenson, Director of Corporate Communication at Cargill. Together they reflect on key insights from the February 2026 Good Leadership Breakfast, which featured Steve Grove, CEO and Publisher of The Minnesota Star Tribune. Together, Matt and Paul think back on the key moments from the morning: Steve’s fascinating career journey growing, his candid responses to questions about the viability of local news, and how he and his staff at the “Strib” have nav...

Paul Batz, Founder and CEO of Good Leadership, welcomes Dan Mallin, entrepreneur and certified EOS Implementer with EOS Worldwide. Together, they discuss the intersections of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) and the Pathway to Healthy Accountability.

Paul Batz, Founder and CEO of Good Leadership, welcomes back Dr. Mark Sannes, Chief Medical Officer at HealthPartners, and Cynthia Whitfield-Story, his Good Leadership Executive Coach to discuss the method for how leaders can artfully plan for, manage, and lead change within organizations.

Paul Batz and Kevin Sensenig share practical ways to apply the Healthy Accountability book—whether you're an individual contributor, a manager, or a senior executive. Learn how to turn personal ownership and team support into a winning formula. Get tips you can use today to build a culture where people thrive.

Paul Batz, Founder and CEO of Good Leadership, welcomes Gulsah Mattson, Area President at Gallagher, to discuss the vision behind the HR THRIVE Awards and why this recognition is so important for today’s HR leaders. The conversation highlights the award categories and the growing response from the HR community. You can nominate an HR leader here: https://tcbmag.com/26-mn-thrive-awards/

In this episode, Paul Batz, Founder and CEO of Good Leadership, welcomes guest co-host Shawn Moren, Executive Partner at Gartner's CHRO Practice, to introduce the HR THRIVE Awards. These awards are about recognizing exceptional leaders across the HR profession. Together, they explore why this moment calls for celebrating HR, what makes each award category unique, and how these awards reflect a renewed standard of excellence in people leadership. You can nominate an HR leader here: https://tcbma...

In this Good Leadership Podcast episode, Paul Batz (Founder and CEO of Good Leadership) and Kevin Sensenig (Senior Coaching Associate at Good Leadership) discuss the highlights from the November 14 Good Leadership Breakfast featuring Sun Country Airline's CEO, Jude Bricker.

This episode recaps key insights from the recent CIO / CTO Luncheon, co-hosted with AvidEdge. Guests Monte Nuckols and Juliet Fox explore how IT leaders can drive business value through ownership, ROI clarity, and data-ready accountability, plus what it takes to lead responsibly in the age of AI.

In this episode, Paul Batz and guest co-host Jim Horn reflect on key insights from the October Good Leadership Breakfast featuring Shawn Moren, Executive Partner to the Chief Human Resource Officer practice at Gartner. They explore the power of healthy accountability and introduce the new HR THRIVE Awards, celebrating excellence in human resources leadership. Nominate for the HR THRIVE Awards here: https://tcbmag.com/26-mn-thrive-awards/

In this podcast episode, Paul Batz and Kevin Sensenig discuss the power of a tool to measure healthy accountability in your organization: the Healthy Accountability Survey. This survey measures the five elements on the Pathway to Healthy Accountability: Individuals Seek Accountability, Positive Role Modeling at the Top, Teams Committed to Disciplined Follow Through, Find the Growing Edge, and Select and Promote for Accountability.