Leadership Excellence
Leadership Excellence Podcast
Leadership Excellence is a weekly podcast for aspiring and established leaders who want to grow beyond tactics and titles—and develop the habits, mindset, and discipline required for sustained excellence.
Hosted by George Trachilis with Dr. Tom Lawless, the podcast explores the human side of leadership—where purpose, identity, self‑development, and performance intersect. Each episode features real conversations, practical insights, and lived experience from leaders, practitioners, and guests who understand that leadership begins from within.
Drawing from Lean leadership, the Harada Method, continuous improvement, mental fitness, and values‑based leadership, Leadership Excellence goes beyond goal‑setting to focus on daily practice, self‑reliance, and building people who can lead themselves—and others—through change.
Whether you’re leading a team, a business, or yourself, this podcast is designed to help you:
- Develop disciplined daily habits
- Lead with clarity, calm, and purpose
- Build resilient, self‑reliant people
- Navigate burnout, identity shifts, and growth
- Turn personal development into consistent action
🎙️ New episodes are recorded weekly with a live audience.
📅 Join us live every Wednesday at 4:30 PM CST
🌐 Learn more and watch episodes at https://leadershipx.tv
Leadership isn’t about position.
It’s about who you become—and how you show up every day.
Episodes
18 episodes
S2E7 – Integrated Lean Systems
Leadership Excellence PodcastWhat is the true delivery mechanism in your organization?In this episode of the Leadership Excellence Podcast, we explore one of the most misunderstood — yet foundational — principles o...
S2E6 - True North Values: Continuous Improvement, Respect for People & Lean Leadership
In this episode, George and Tom explore the meaning of True North Values through the lens of Toyota’s philosophy and Lean leadership.At the beginning of the episode, Dr. Jeff Liker shares insights from his in-depth study of...
S2E5 - TPS Origins – The Thinking Production System
What if the Toyota Production System was never about efficiency?In this episode, George Trachilis and Dr. Tom Lawless explore the true origins of TPS — and challenge one of the biggest misunderstandings in modern Lean thinking.Tai...
S2E4 - Problem Solving the Toyoda Way: The Toyota Way & True Lean Leadership
🎙 Leadership Excellence with Dr. Liker, Dr. Lawless & George Trachilis Season 2 – Episode 4 Lesson #2 of 75Watch here: 👉 https://youtu.be/6R5fafiT4a4In th...
S2E3 - From Good to Great: Lean Leadership, Gemba & Building a Culture That Lasts
🎙 From Good to Great: Lean Leadership, Gemba & Building a Culture That LastsWhat separates a good company from a truly great organization?In this episode of the Leadership Excellence Podcast, George and ...
S2E2: Beyond the Goal with Mark Fujiwara
Season 2, Episode 2Beyond the Goal with Mark FujiwaraWhat happens when achievement isn’t enough?In this episode of the Leadership Excellence Podcast, George Trachilis and Dr. Tom Lawless are joined by <...
S2E1: Create a Meaningful Goal with Dr. Vance Cooper Jr.
Create a Meaningful GoalSubtitle: Why Purpose-Driven Leadership Begins With How You See YourselfWhat if the key to better leadership—and better results—starts with creating a goal that actually means
Episode 11: The 3 Power Moves of Delegation: How Leaders Stop Carrying Everyone’s Monkeys
In Episode 11 of the Leadership Excellence Podcast, George Trachilis and Dr. Tom Lawless dive deep into one of the most essential skills every leader must master: Delegation. The real kind—the kind that develops people, frees up...
Episode 10 - Leader Burnout – Five Powerful Ways to Beat Burnout Using the Harada Method
In this powerful episode of the Leadership Excellence Podcast, George Trachilis and Dr. Tom Lawless tackle one of the most urgent issues facing today’s leaders: burnout. Contrary to popular belief, burnout is rarely caused by long hours ...
Episode 9: THE CALM LEADER – 5 Powerful Ways to Clear Your Mind Before Every Conversation
THE CALM LEADER – 5 Powerful Ways to Clear Your Mind Before Every ConversationEpisode Description: In this episode of the Leadership Excellence Podcast, hosts Tom Lawless and George Trachilis break down ...
Episode 8 - Engaging People: 3 Inspiring Ways to Build Commitment
🎙️ Leadership Excellence PodcastEngaging People: 3 Inspiring Ways to Build Commitment and Keep People EngagedDescription: In this powerful episode of the Leadership Excellence Podcast, hosts Ge...
Episode 7 - Support Daily Kaizen: 6 Winning Habits that Drive Progress
In this insightful episode of the Leadership Excellence Podcast, Dr. Tom Lawless and George Trachilis dive into the third pillar of the Lean Leadership Development Model — Support Daily Kaizen. They explain how con...
Episode 6 - Cultivate Leaders: Coaching for Continuous Growth
In this powerful episode of the Leadership Excellence Podcast, Dr. Tom Lawless and George Trachilis explore what it truly means to cultivate leaders through coaching and continuous growth.Dr. Lawless begin...
Episode 5 - The Leadership Trap: Why Failing to Commit to Self-Development Holds You Back
In this episode of the Leadership Excellence Podcast, Dr. Tom Lawless and George Trachilis unpack “The Leadership Trap”—the hidden danger leaders face when they stop committing to self-development. Through personal stories, refl...
Episode 4 – Creating True North Values | Leadership Excellence Podcast
In this episode of the Leadership Excellence Podcast, hosts Dr. Tom Lawless and George Trachilis dive deep into the concept of True North values. True North values serve as a moral and operational compass, helping leaders and teams mak...
Episode 3: Aligning Goals to Your Vision
Podcast Description: Episode 3 – Aligning Goals to Your VisionIn this episode of Leadership Excellence, hosts George Trachilis and Tom Lawless explore the critical topic of aligning your team’s goals with your company’s v...
Episode 2: Creating Vision
The Leadership Excellence PodcastEpisode Title: Creating a Vision Hosts: George and Tom Key Discussion Points1. IntroductionGeorge and Tom open the podcast with a discu...
EPISODE 1: Foundations of Leadership – What It Means to Truly Take Care of People
In this debut episode of Leadership Excellence, Tom and George dive into the core question: What is leadership? Welcome to the very first episode of Leadership Excellence with Tom and George! In this debut e...