The Walker Webcast: Jon Levy on the Science of Leadership, Trust, and Team Genius

Podcast: The Walker Webcast
Host: Willy Walker (CEO, Walker & Dunlop)
Guest: Jon Levy (Behavioral Scientist, Keynote Speaker, NYT Bestselling Author)
Date: February 5, 2026

Episode Overview

In this dynamic episode, Willy Walker welcomes Jon Levy, acclaimed behavioral scientist and author, for a deep dive into the real drivers of effective leadership, team performance, and the science behind building high-trust, high-impact cultures. The conversation ranges from the flaws of conventional leadership assessments to the secrets of Levy’s infamous Influencers Dinners, and from the role of psychological safety in teams to the promise (and limits) of AI in the workplace. Levy unpacks the myths and realities of what makes companies (and leaders) thrive, mixing research insights with lively anecdotes and memorable moments.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Debunking Traditional Views on Leadership (04:04–11:17)

• Levy challenges the validity of “personality tests” and certain business school teachings for predicting or nurturing true leadership.
• Leadership ≠ Personality Traits: Tools like Myers-Briggs, while popular, have little predictive value for effective leadership.
• The Core Leadership Trait: “The only thing that was common across all leaders... is that you all have followers.” (Levy, 05:56)
• What Inspires Others To Follow: It's not charisma or vision alone, but making people feel “emotionally that there will be a new and better future.” (Levy, 07:45)
• Leadership archetypes vary—there’s no single ‘star CEO’ mold for success.

2. The Crucial Role of Teams—and Psychological Safety (10:31–13:44)

• From Stars to Groups: Exceptional companies are not built by superstar CEOs acting solo, but by well-functioning, diverse teams.
• Team Dynamics: The most effective teams have a mix of complementary skills and a climate of psychological safety—even when led by notoriously tough leaders.
• “Because the smallest unit of effectiveness isn’t leader, it’s team.” (Levy, 12:29)

3. Spotlighting Quiet (But Vital) Contributors: Glue Players (52:06–55:52)

• Multipliers: Some team members, like NBA’s Shane Battier, are “multipliers” or “glue players,” making everyone else perform better despite not racking up flashy stats.
• Three Traits of Glue Players:
  1. High emotional intelligence.
  2. Team-first orientation (e.g., stepping aside when others are better suited).
  3. Forward thinking—acting proactively for the group’s benefit.
• “They multiply everybody else’s results by a factor of 1.6, which is just crazy.” (Levy, 53:50)

4. The Influence Experiment: Lessons from the Influencers Dinner (16:16–27:46)

• Setup: Leaders, Nobel laureates, artists, and more cook dinner together without sharing their names or professions.
• Diversity by Design: No more than two guests from the same industry to maximize unique perspectives and mutual respect.
• Anonymity as an Equalizer: “We tend to have more of an experience of imposter syndrome than arrogance in general.” (Levy, 18:54)
• Leadership Fluidity: Accountability in organizations is fixed, but true leadership during collaborative tasks is “fluid” and emerges situationally.

Memorable Dinner Moments

• The story of Isaiah Thomas, the NBA legend, who sat unnoticed next to a guest until the reveal: “‘I can’t believe I was making guacamole with Isaiah freaking Thomas bragging about my Division 3 basketball career.’” (Levy, 22:40)
• A recurring insight: Even at the top, people feel like outsiders. “No matter who was there, nobody felt like they belonged.” (Levy, 23:10)

5. Belonging and Shared Experience (28:42–30:19; 30:48–37:15)

• Events like Burning Man foster community through shared effort and common ground, erasing status distinctions.
• Human connection boils down to “common interests” and “shared effort.” (Levy, 29:20)

6. Vision, Trust, and the Emotions of Followership (30:19–37:15)

• On Vision: It’s not simply the “charisma” or “substance” of a vision that wins hearts and minds–it’s the emotional resonance and how people feel about a leader’s intent.
• “What people really look for… is a sense of belonging and community.” (Levy, 27:28)
• Trust’s Formula:
  1. Honesty
  2. Competence
  3. Benevolence—valued above honesty and competence (33:26–34:35).

Sales and Trust Example

• “Person B comes in and says, ‘ Willy, your company’s success depends on these servers... here’s my phone number. I will be there figuring it out with you.’ Who do you trust more?” (Levy, 34:15)
• Walker: “... the trust factor between our team and the client is really what better dominates the sale.” (36:07)

7. AI’s Impact on Teams, Trust, and the Workplace (37:15–42:00)

• Short-term Fears vs. Real Potential: AI might replace some efficiency functions, but its promise is in making teams smarter and more emotionally intelligent—not just replacing people.
• AI as Team Coach: Advanced systems can “notice” team dynamics, alert leaders, and increase group effectiveness.
• “We can actually program an agent to increase the emotional intelligence of the group.” (Levy, 41:24)
• Citing DARPA research: AI as a ‘sidekick’ can raise team intelligence measurably.

8. Coaching, Learning, and the Military Model (42:00–51:41)

• Coaching Drives Performance: The main differentiator between improvement and stagnation is having a coach, not just putting in more practice hours.
• “Employees with coaches get more compliments and comments on their improvement, even when... people making the comments had no idea that they were using a coach.” (Levy, 48:20)
• Military vs. Corporate Talent Models: The military recruits individuals, then finds their best-fit role—a strategy that works best with junior positions and fosters development.
• “They have all of these structures built in... [because] their lives depend on it.” (Levy, 48:53)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Leadership Tests:
  “It's like doing a horoscope. They're like fun. But it turns out that they aren't really great at predicting anything.” — Jon Levy (05:30)

• On Visionary Leaders:
  “For human beings, our experience of the present doesn't define how we feel, but rather the future that we believe we have.” — Jon Levy (07:32)

• On Glue Players:
  “They multiply everybody else's results by a factor of 1.6, which is just crazy. Nothing causes a 60% increase in people's performance.” — Jon Levy (53:50)

• On Trust:
  “We value benevolence above honesty and honesty above competence.” — Jon Levy (34:12)
  “If you look at the doctors who get sued, it's not the incompetent doctors, it's the one with the bad side manner.” — Jon Levy (36:08)

• On AI and Teams:
  “If emotional intelligence is such a critical factor, we can actually program an agent to increase the emotional intelligence of the group.” — Jon Levy (41:11)

• On the Impact of Coaching:
  “The thing that we found most consistently improves a person’s skill is having a qualified coach.” — Jon Levy (48:05)

• On Imposter Syndrome:
  “No matter who was there, nobody felt like they belonged.” — Jon Levy (23:10)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 04:04 – Levy calls out the limitations of personality tests and business school approaches to teaching leadership.
• 07:40 – The “Sunday Scaries” analogy and what really motivates followers.
• 12:29 – The centrality of team over individual leader.
• 18:42–22:40 – Stories from the Influencers Dinner and the phenomenon of “fluid leadership.”
• 27:28 – Shared events and belonging.
• 30:48 – The science of vision, trust, and the emotional basis of following.
• 34:12–36:08 – What drives trust in sales and leadership.
• 37:15–41:11 – AI’s potential as a tool for team intelligence and emotional insight.
• 42:56–48:20 – The value of coaching, practice, and personalized development.
• 52:06–53:50 – Glue players and their profound (but overlooked) contribution to high-performing teams.

Tone & Style

Levy's approach is rigorous yet humorous, gently poking fun at status symbols and business fads while grounding his arguments in behavioral research and real-world experience. Walker is a warm, attentive host, who candidly applies Levy's frameworks to his own life and company, creating a conversational, relatable atmosphere while driving at insights.

Conclusion

This episode of The Walker Webcast offers a rich, research-backed, and often surprising perspective on leadership, team building, and human connection—from dinners where no one knows who’s famous to the power of “glue players” and the subtle (and not-so-subtle) forces shaping trust and performance at work. Leaders, managers, and anyone striving to build better teams will find actionable insights, memorable anecdotes, and plenty of food for thought—just don’t expect to ace that Myers-Briggs test.