The Dirty Side of Leadership
Where leadership meets entertainment! This weekly podcast disrupts the status quo by discussing hot-button topics that most podcasters are afraid to touch. Ron and Kristin apply their combined 50+ years of real leadership experience and take both a humorous and raw look behind closed doors. Often sharing personal experiences both in the workplace and out, they answer listener questions and breakdown 'dirty lessons' from Ron's best selling book, "The Dirty Side of Leadership".
Episodes
168 episodes
How to Tell a Good Story: Anyone Can Do It | Episode 161
In this episode of The Dirty Side of Leadership, Ron Ward and Kristin Sokoloff break down the psychology and neuroscience behind great storytelling—and why anyone can become a better storyteller.Ron explains how the brain is constantly ...
Toxic Loyalty: Why Good People Stay in Bad Systems | Episode 160
In this episode of The Dirty Side of Leadership, Ron Ward and Kristin Sokoloff unpack the dangerous psychology of toxic loyalty—when good, committed people stay loyal to unhealthy systems long after the warning signs appear. Through real-world ...
Cults: Why People Join and Why They Stay | Episode 159
In this episode, Ron and Kristin break down the psychology behind cults—why people join, why they stay, and why these same influence patterns show up in everyday leadership environments.This isn’t just about extreme groups—it’s about hu...
Burnout: Why the Most Important Jobs Are Breaking People | Episode 158
Burnout is rising fastest in helping professions—healthcare, education, and public service. This episode breaks down why it’s happening and how leadership—not workload—is often the real issue.Key Points:Who’s burning ...
Leadership from the NBA to the Campaign Trail with Chris Dudley | Episode 157
In this episode of The Dirty Side of Leadership, Ron and Kristin sit down with former Portland Trail Blazer, businessman, and Oregon gubernatorial candidate Chris Dudley. The conversation explores how leadership principles translate across prof...
The Dirty Side of Fraternities: Brotherhood, Leadership, and the Hidden Risks | Episode 156
In this episode, Ron Ward and Kristin Sokoloff break down the reality of fraternity life—where leadership, connection, and opportunity exist alongside hazing, risk, and tragedy.Key Topics:The Good:Leader...
Dark Psychology at Work: How Manipulation Hides in Plain Sight | Throwback Episode
In this special throwback episode, Ron and Kristin expose how manipulation operates in everyday workplaces — from charm tactics to control games — and how leaders can spot the warning signs.Highlights:The Dark Tria...
Breakdown of the Iran War with Colonel CJ Williams, USMC, Retired | Episode 155
In this episode, Ron and Kristin sit down with returning guest Colonel CJ Williams to break down the rapidly escalating tensions with Iran. CJ provides a clear, strategic lens on what’s happening, why it matters, and how global conflict connect...
Groupthink: When Smart People Stop Thinking | Episode 154
Groupthink isn’t about intelligence—it’s about pressure. In this episode, Ron and Kristin break down how rooms full of smart, experienced people can still make bad decisions when harmony overrides truth. From workplace meetings to politics and ...
EXCLUSIVE: Justin Fulcher DOGE Team Member, and Former Sr Advisor to Secretary Pete Hegseth | Episode 153
Ron Ward and Kristin Sokoloff talk with Justin Fulcher—entrepreneur, former Senior Advisor to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, member of Elon Musk’s DOGE team, and Johns Hopkins doctoral candidate.Justin shares lessons from building a glo...
Oregon's John Dutton; Leadership Lessons from One of Oregon’s Oldest Families with Tripp Dietrich | Episode 152
What happens when leadership isn’t something you pursue—but something you inherit? In this episode of The Dirty Side of Leadership, Kristin Sokoloff and Ron Ward sit down with business owner and eighth-generation Oregonian Howard “Tripp” Dietri...
Leadership Lessons from the Epstein Scandal: Power, Secrecy, and Corruption | Episode 151
In this episode, Ron and Kristin examine the Jeffrey Epstein scandal through a leadership lens—focusing on power, elite networks, secrecy, and institutional failure. This discussion includes sensitive topics involving abuse and exploitation. We...
Hims Under Government Scrutiny: When Super Bowl Marketing Meets DOJ Referral | Episode 150
Hims & Hers returned to the Super Bowl stage with bold messaging around weight-loss treatments — but now faces a formal referral from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to the Department of Justice over concerns tied to the ma...
The Leadership Libido: Power, Drive, and the Hidden Hunger Behind Ambition | Episode 149
In this bold and unfiltered episode of The Dirty Side of Leadership, Kristin Sokoloff and Ron Ward unpack a concept no one talks about out loud — leadership libido. Not sexual desire, but the psychological and biological craving that fuels ambi...
Leadership Lessons From Blake Lively Vs. Justin Baldoni | Episode 148
In this episode, Ron and Kristin unpack the leadership and communication lessons behind the highly publicized legal conflict involving Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. This is not a gossip episode—and not a verdict. Instead, it’s a real-world c...
Will Carr on Purpose Over Performance: Why Success Still Feels Empty | Episode 147
What happens when success stops feeling fulfilling?In this episode of The Dirty Side of Leadership Podcast, Kristin Sokoloff and Ron Ward sit down with Will Carr — founder of Genesee Nutrition, entrepreneur, former college and professio...
Why Small Talk Is Quietly Killing Connection | Episode 146
Small talk feels polite—but it quietly kills connection. In this episode, Ron Ward and Kristin Sokoloff break down the “robotic loop” of predictable conversation starters and explain why leaders who rely on surface-level questions struggle to b...
Extreme Optimism and Its Rewards | Episode 145
In this episode, Ron Ward and Kristin Sokoloff explore extreme optimism—not as blind positivity, but as a brain-based leadership skill that fuels resilience, persistence, and results.They break down:Why optimism keeps the pre...
Lessons from the Arrest of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, with Colonel CJ Williams, USMC, Ret.
In this episode of The Dirty Side of Leadership, Kristin Sokoloff and Ron Ward examine the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro through a leadership lens—not politics. This was a high-risk, high-precision operation requiring elite plan...
New Year, Same Brain (Why New Year's Resolutions Fail) | Episode 143
Why do New Year’s resolutions fail — even for motivated, disciplined leaders? In this New Year special, Kristin Sokoloff and Ron Ward explore the neuroscience behind habit change and resistance, focusing on the basal ganglia, the brain’s automa...
Conversation Matching for the Holidays | Throwback Episode
In this special throwback episode, Ron and Kristin explain methods of communication to help you deepen family bonds, reduce misunderstandings, create memorable moments and strengthen emotional intelligence. Ron even claims to have set a Guinnes...
Christmas With Ron and Kristin | Episode 142
No guest. No deep dives. Just Ron and Kristin in a relaxed, honest Christmas conversation. This special holiday episode blends fun, reflection, and the real “dirty side” of the season—family dynamics, expectations, boundaries, and gratitude.
Romantic Betrayal with Dr. Merissa Ferrara Elisei | Episode 141
Ron and Kristin sit down with award-winning professor and betrayal expert Dr. Merissa Ferrara Elisei to break down one of the most emotionally charged topics: romantic betrayal.From why people cheat to why it hurts so badly — and why som...
The Empathy Trap: Why Leaders Burn Out Trying to Be Everyone’s Therapist | Episode 140
In this episode, Ron and Kristin dig into a hidden leadership crisis: empathy burnout. When high-EQ leaders become everyone’s emotional outlet, they absorb problems that aren’t theirs — leading to exhaustion, resentment, and emotional overload....
Behind the Scenes: Get to Know Ron & Kristin | Throwback Episode
In this special throwback episode, we get a deeper look into the lives of Ron and Kristin.Co-hosts: Ron Ward and Kristin SokoloffSponsor: 4Ward OperationsProducer: Stephen RidleyFacebook Group Administrator: Cassy Roop