Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast: Fortune 500 Advisor on Why This One Minute Will Change Your Workday | Juliet Funt
Release Date: July 17, 2025
In this compelling episode of the Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast, host Craig Groeschel welcomes back Juliet Funt, the renowned “Tough Love Advisor” to Fortune 500 companies. Juliet, founder and CEO of Juliet Funt Group, shares invaluable insights on enhancing productivity, fostering a healthy work culture, and combating organizational burnout. This detailed summary encapsulates the essential discussions, practical tools, and personal stories that make this episode a must-listen for leaders aiming to optimize their work environment and personal effectiveness.
1. Introduction to Juliet Funt and Her Expertise
Craig Groeschel opens the episode by highlighting Juliet Funt’s impressive client roster, which includes prestigious organizations such as the US Military, American Express, Google, Nike, and Wells Fargo. Juliet’s expertise lies in helping teams elevate their performance and cultivate cultures that retain top talent.
Notable Quote:
"Juliet Funt is a globally renowned keynote speaker... She helps teams grow in their performance and building cultures that retain the best talent." [01:40]
2. Juliet’s Admiration for the Air Force
When prompted to choose her most energizing client, Juliet names the US Air Force, despite having no personal military connections. She praises the Air Force’s mission-oriented culture and genuine care for its people, contrasting it with the often profit-driven corporate environment.
Notable Quote:
"Air Force is people first, mission always." [02:20]
Juliet emphasizes that military leaders prioritize their teams' well-being, fostering a sense of community and dedication that she finds deeply inspiring.
3. Understanding Organizational Burnout
Juliet delves into the pervasive issue of burnout in modern workplaces. She argues that the root cause isn't merely the workload but the systemic prioritization of profitability over people. The corporate focus on quarterly results often leaves little room for genuine care and attention to employees' well-being.
Notable Quote:
"The system is not designed for the person to be the priority. The system is designed for profitability to be the priority." [05:38]
She introduces the metaphor of the lever to illustrate how organizations often try to manage burnout by temporarily turning it off with wellness days, only for issues to resurface later. Instead, Juliet advocates for addressing burnout upstream by redesigning daily work experiences.
4. Practical Strategies to Combat Burnout: The "Wedge"
One of the central concepts Juliet introduces is the "wedge"—a small block of unprescribed time inserted between tasks to provide breathing space. This technique helps improve the quality of interactions and fosters a more humane work rhythm.
Notable Quote:
"The wedge is a little piece of white space... in those 5 and 10 and 15 minute pauses, unbelievably business relevant things happen." [00:00]
By incorporating wedges into calendars, organizations can create a more balanced and productive work environment.
5. Reducing Emails and Meetings
Juliet identifies excessive emails and meetings as primary culprits of workplace burnout. She offers actionable solutions:
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Rolling Dismissal from Meetings: Allow participants to leave meetings once their contributions are complete, reducing unnecessary time spent.
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Push vs. Pull Communication: Encourage the use of repositories like Google Docs for information that team members can access at their discretion, minimizing the need for constant email updates.
Notable Quote:
"If you have a company with the wedge and a company without the wedge, it will be a completely different work experience." [05:07]
6. Executive Gluttony and Prioritization
Juliet introduces the term "executive gluttony", referring to leaders who overcommit to numerous projects, leading to employee burnout and decreased effectiveness. She advocates for disciplined prioritization and reduction of initiatives to focus on what truly matters.
Notable Quote:
"Doing everything at the same time is exciting... but it is a big, big problem." [21:44]
Juliet suggests categorizing tasks into tiers to evaluate and eliminate lower-priority activities, thereby enhancing overall organizational efficiency.
7. Implementing Reduction in Organizations
Juliet emphasizes the importance of reduction alongside prioritization and improvement. She advises leaders to actively identify and eliminate low-value activities rather than merely adding more efficiency to existing processes.
Notable Quote:
"Prioritization is you have 10 things and your task in prioritization is to put them in the right order... reduction is how can we get this list to six." [25:24]
Through executive sessions and collaborative discussions, organizations can unlock the potential to streamline operations effectively.
8. Personal Reflections and Speaking Process
Towards the end of the episode, Juliet shares personal insights into her journey and speaking process. She attributes her problem-solving skills and resilience to her upbringing and personal challenges, including overcoming an eating disorder and developing public speaking skills through improv comedy.
Notable Quote:
"When I have a minute, right action." [52:45]
Juliet’s authentic storytelling and strategic communication techniques position her as an engaging and effective leader.
9. Final Practical Advice
As the episode concludes, Juliet offers a simple yet powerful piece of advice for leaders striving to make meaningful changes:
Notable Quote:
"Somewhere in your office put a little board and put at the top things I can't control... and go back to the things you can control." [52:45]
This practice helps leaders focus on actionable areas, reducing the temptation to rationalize inaction based on uncontrollable factors.
Conclusion
In this insightful episode, Juliet Funt provides a wealth of strategies for leaders to enhance productivity, reduce burnout, and create a more supportive and effective work environment. From the innovative concept of the wedge to tackling executive gluttony, Juliet’s practical tools are designed to transform leadership practices across various organizational structures. Her personal stories and engaging communication style further enrich the conversation, offering listeners both inspiration and actionable steps to implement in their own leadership journeys.
Additional Resources:
- Juliet Funt’s Websites: juliietfunt.com (Corporate) and the efficient team (Military)
- Book Mentioned: A Minute to Think: Reclaim Creativity, Conquer Busyness, and Do Your Best Work
- Giveaway: Listen to this episode and comment “I need a minute” on YouTube for a chance to win one of five copies of Juliet’s book.
This episode serves as a comprehensive guide for leaders seeking to make impactful changes in their workday routines and organizational cultures. Juliet Funt’s expertise and practical advice make it a valuable resource for anyone committed to effective and compassionate leadership.