In this episode of The Leadership Hustle, Andrea Fredrickson and Michelle Hill challenge the idea that leadership must be complex to be effective. Drawing from real leadership training sessions, Andrea shares a moment when a group of first line managers listed dozens of leadership responsibilities, only to discover that nearly all of them fit into three simple buckets.
Andrea and Michelle outline those three buckets as clarity and expectations, giving people what they need to succeed, and understanding your impact on others. They explain how leaders often believe they are doing these things well, yet unintentionally create confusion, frustration, or disengagement when expectations are unclear, resources are incomplete, or impact goes unexamined.
The conversation breaks down each bucket with practical examples, from ensuring understanding instead of assuming comprehension, to recognizing feedback as a critical resource, to acknowledging how body language, tone, and offhand comments can carry more weight than intended. Andrea and Michelle also emphasize that leadership impact is not measured by intention, but by how others experience a leader’s behavior.
This episode serves as a practical blueprint for leaders who want to simplify their approach, reduce friction, and lead with greater clarity, consistency, and self awareness.
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In this episode of The Leadership Hustle, Andrea Fredrickson and Michelle Hill dive into the concept of a culture audit and why it is essential for organizations that want alignment, trust, and consistency. They challenge the common misconception that culture is defined by mission statements or values alone and instead focus on culture as the byproduct of leadership behavior.
Andrea and Michelle explain that leaders often struggle to accurately assess culture because of blind spots, bias, and good intentions. A culture audit helps uncover what employees are actually experiencing, including the unwritten rules, tolerated behaviors, and patterns that shape how people interact and perform.
The conversation walks through practical ways to conduct a culture audit, including interviews, anonymous surveys, direct observation, and listening with curiosity rather than defensiveness. Andrea and Michelle emphasize that leaders must pay attention to what is rewarded, tolerated, and ignored, especially when leadership is not watching.
The episode concludes with a call for intentionality. Leaders must decide whether their current culture is accidental or deliberate and then align behaviors, expectations, and beliefs to create the environment they truly want.
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In this episode of The Leadership Hustle, Andrea Fredrickson and Michelle Hill get candid about a leadership trap they see all too often: collecting knowledge without applying it. Many leaders listen to countless podcasts, read stacks of books, and attend professional development sessions, yet make little to no change in how they actually lead.
Andrea and Michelle stress that growth happens through action, not just intention. Listening, reading, and learning are only the first steps. The real work begins when you put those lessons into practice, reflect on the results, and seek feedback to improve.
They encourage leaders to focus on one actionable takeaway at a time, track progress, and build accountability into their learning. Leadership, they remind listeners, is a skill that must be practiced deliberately and consistently. Like going to the gym, showing up is not enough—you have to lift the weight.
By the end of the episode, listeners will understand that development without action is just consumption, and that sustainable growth comes from doing, reflecting, and teaching others what you have learned.
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In this episode of The Leadership Hustle, Andrea Fredrickson and Michelle Hill explore the truth that every leader is the standard for their team. What you say matters, but what you do matters more. When leaders promote values like collaboration, accountability, or trust but fail to live them consistently, their actions send a louder message than their words.
Andrea and Michelle discuss how leaders can unintentionally undermine their own expectations through mixed signals, selective accountability, or inconsistent behavior. These gaps can lower trust, damage morale, and drive top performers to leave. The conversation highlights how to close the gap between intention and perception by seeking honest feedback, acting on advice, and aligning daily habits with the standards you expect from others.
Listeners will walk away with tools to improve self-awareness, strengthen trust, and model the behavior they want to see across their teams.
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In this episode of The Leadership Hustle, Andrea Fredrickson and Michelle Hill tackle one of the most common leadership misconceptions — the so-called “attitude problem.” They unpack why leaders often jump to this conclusion and share their simple, three-part framework for uncovering the real issues behind disengagement or poor performance.
Through real-world examples and practical insights, Andrea and Michelle explain how to assess skill gaps, evaluate environmental influences, and approach conversations with curiosity rather than blame. Leaders will walk away with actionable strategies to transform “attitude issues” into growth opportunities for both their people and themselves.
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