Podcasting used to reward consistency. Now it rewards leadership. When listeners ask for bonus content, green room conversations, meetups, and behind-the-scenes access, they are telling us they want more than a feed. They want a community, and community requires someone who can lead people with clarity and care.

Carl sits down with leadership expert and former Royal Canadian Air Force member Isabelle Fortin to unpack what’s changed and why so many workplaces still confuse management with leadership. We talk about the common trap of promoting the best salesperson or top performer into a leadership role without giving them real leadership skills, then calling it “training” when it is mostly time management and process. Isabel makes a sharp distinction: managers focus on getting the job done, while leaders take care of their people, set clear expectations, and create more leaders over time.

We also connect the dots directly to podcast growth and audience engagement. If you are building a podcast community, you need a clear vision, boundaries around what you will and will not share, and a willingness to empower others to bring their best ideas. We go deep on communication skills too: real communication is not just expressing your point of view, it is adapting to the other person’s language and worldview so they can come with you. And for hosts and guests alike, we cover fit, due diligence, and why the right “no” protects your brand.

Subscribe, share this with a fellow podcaster, and leave a review if it helped. What is one leadership skill you want to build next?

Connect with Isabelle:

Website:
https://www.againsttheordinary.com/

LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabellemfortin/

Got a question about something you heard today? Have a great suggestion for a topic or know someone who should be a guest? Reach out to us:
askcarl@carlspeaks.ca

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