The Leadership Edge: A Podcast on Paradox-Aware Leadership
The Leadership Edge is a weekly podcast for people who don’t just want to manage—they want to lead with clarity, courage, and real impact.
Hosted by Jared Oates, founder of the Leadership Progress Cycle and author of Tension, this show explores a powerful truth: the most influential leaders are the ones who learn to navigate paradox.
Each episode uncovers fresh insights drawn from real-world experience, research, and timeless principles—designed for executives, L&D professionals, coaches, trainers, and team leaders. You’ll learn how to face complexity with calm, turn tension into traction, and engage challenges most people avoid.
This isn’t just professional development. It’s a...Show more
All Episodes
Episode 3: Mastering Paradox-Aware Leadership
What if your biggest leadership flaw was actually your greatest strength—taken too far? In this episode, host Jared Oates shares a powerful personal story of overcommitment and unintended harm, revealing how even the most admirable traits—diligence, empathy, vision—can backfire when disconnected from their complementary opposites. Through the lens of paradox-aware leadership, Jared introduces a critical mindset shift: Great leaders don’t choose between competing virtues. They learn to hold them in productive tension. You’ll learn: Why leadership strengths often operate in paradoxical pairs How to spot the blind spots that come from overused strengths A simple reflective question that shifts you from fear to clarity: What am I fighting for? How to implement SAFEs: Small, Affordable, Fast Experiments that bring your leadership into better balance Whether you’ve been accused of micromanaging or conflict avoidance—or you’ve simply felt like something in your leadership isn’t landing—this episode offers fresh perspective and tangible tools. Tune in to learn how paradox-aware leaders create more trust, clarity, and results—without sacrificing who they are.
Episode 2: Find Your Why—And Let It Change You
What if your why wasn’t fixed? What if your greatest clarity as a leader came not from your past—but from the future you dare to envision? In this episode of The Leadership Edge, host Jared Oates shares a deeply personal story of walking away from comfort to pursue conviction. He explores the evolution of purpose, how visionary leaders use their imagined future to drive present-day decisions, and why real alignment often feels like real risk. You’ll learn: Why a past-focused approach to finding your purpose may be only half the story How future-based purpose fuels motivation and prevents burnout Why your brain resists future-oriented thinking—and how to push through it How to use the “Best Possible Self” exercise to rewire your emotional connection to your goals Plus, you’ll get a practical challenge to help you take your first step toward becoming the leader your future self would admire. This isn’t about slogans. It’s about clarity. Conviction. And transformation.