Executive Commute With Jayson Krause

Most people think motivation is something you either have or you don't. Alec Harrison argues the opposite. In this episode of The Executive Commute, Jayson Krause sits down with Emmy-nominated composer Alec Harrison to unpack what motivation really is, why waiting for it is dangerous, and how action itself creates momentum. Drawing on his experience composing music for Monday Night Football, the FIFA World Cup, film, and television, Alec shares how his relationship with motivation evolved from chasing external validation to reconnecting with the love of the craft itself. They explore why many people quit too early, the danger of tying motivation to outcomes, and why meaningful progress often comes from simply "winning the day." Follow Jayson Krause YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JaysonKrauseLeadership LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayson-krause/

Most leaders think authenticity means "just be yourself." Julie Dupont argues it's much more disciplined than that. In this episode of The Executive Commute, Jayson Krause and executive coach Julie Dupont unpack what authenticity really is, why many leaders misunderstand it, and how authenticity without self-awareness can quickly become destructive. They explore the tension between belonging and staying true to yourself, why emotional intelligence is essential to authentic leadership, and how leaders can stay grounded in their values without becoming rigid or performative. Julie also shares why authenticity takes courage, especially when standing firm comes with discomfort or rejection. Follow Jayson Krause YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JaysonKrauseLeadership LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayson-krause/  

Emotional intelligence gets sold as the soft side of leadership. Most leaders either dismiss it or try to become warmer. Liz Doyle Harmer argues both responses miss the point entirely.   In this episode of The Executive Commute, Jayson Krause sits down with transformational leadership coach and facilitator Liz Doyle Harmer to unpack what emotional intelligence actually demands of leaders and why the conventional approach to developing it is failing.   Liz coaches leaders and teams in fast-moving, high-stakes environments, and her work is built around a counterintuitive premise: what teams need from their leaders isn't a safer space, it's a braver one. In this episode:   Why emotional intelligence is a precision skill, not a personality trait The difference between a "safe" team culture and a "brave" one How leaders mistake warmth for genuine emotional skill What actually unlocks human potential in complex, fast-moving environments   The EQ capacity most leaders systematically underinvest in   Follow Jayson Kr

Most leaders are carrying patterns they know need to change. They see the gap. They want the reset. Then Monday shows up, the old habits walk right back in dressed as obligation, and the door gets opened anyway.   In this episode of The Executive Commute, Jayson Krause synthesizes three conversations he hasn't been able to stop thinking about, with Dr. Nick Egan, Dr. Mike Peters, and Morgan Alexander, and builds them into one question worth sitting with: what part of your leadership needs to die, and are you actually willing to leave it dead?   In this episode:   - Why emotional reactivity is a gamble, not a leadership strategy   -The question that works better than "how do I want to show up?" when you're already triggered   -Why confidence built on competence eventually cracks   -The three words a CEO said that cracked his room wide open   -The values forensics test: what your calendar and bank statements reveal about what you actually value   -Why chasing values you don't hold leaves your real ones sitting

Most leaders think confidence comes from competence Dr. Nick Egan argues the opposite. In this episode of The Executive Commute, Jayson Krause and executive coach Dr. Nick Egan unpack what real confidence is, why many leaders build brittle confidence based on competence, and how authentic confidence comes from internal resourcefulness instead. They explore why panic shuts down possibility, why "fake it till you make it" often backfires, and how leaders can develop confidence that holds up in unpredictable situations. Dr. Nick Egan is an executive coach and the author of Shift: The Art of Transforming Limitations, working with senior leaders across organizations including SpaceX, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta. Follow Jayson Krause YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JaysonKrauseLeadership LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayson-krause/  

  Most leaders say values matter. But very few have actually identified their own. In this episode of The Executive Commute, Jayson Krause sits down with leadership coach Dr. Mike Peters to unpack what values really are, why leaders misunderstand them, and how unclear values lead to drift in leadership and organizations. Dr. Peters draws on 38 years of leadership experience in the Canadian Armed Forces to explain why strong values simplify decision making and why many organizations get values wrong. In this episode: • Why values are not the same as preferences • How leaders drift when their values are unclear • The difference between personal values and organizational values • Why strong values make decision-making easier • The mistake many organizations make when defining values  You can believe honesty and transparency are important. But if you are not willing to pay the cost of living them, they are not values, they are beliefs. In this clip from The Executive Commute, Jayson Krause and Dr. Mike Pet

Welcome back to The Executive Commute. In this episode, we tackle a few leadership lies that sound smart, but quietly do damage. Why do leaders default to removing pressure instead of building capacity? Why do better tools not create better thinking? And what happens when pace becomes a substitute for real leadership? We unpack this and more in this episode of The Executive Commute. Follow Jayson Krause YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JaysonKrauseLeadership LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayson-krause/

Welcome back to The Executive Commute. In this episode, we tackle a problem most teams quietly live with. | Why do smart teams stay silent in meetings? | Is comfort killing your culture? | And what happens when challenge is optional instead of required? We'll unpack this and more in this episode of The Executive Commute. The Executive Commute is a monthly leadership reset that challenges assumptions, sharpens discernment, and equips you to build cultures that perform under pressure. Follow Jayson Krause on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/level52inc/posts/?feedView=all Follow Level 52 on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@level52inc

Welcome back to the Executive Commute. In this episode, I'll explore: Are you helping so much that your team stopped thinking? | Why do smart leaders end up with teams that can't think without them? | Why do so many leaders feel exhausted but not effective? We'll unpack this and more in this episode of The Executive Commute.  Follow Level 52 on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/level52inc/posts/?feedView=all Follow Level 52 on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@level52inc 

Welcome to the January 2026 Meaningful Leader. In this episode, Jayson explores what it means to stop diluting yourself as a leader and step into the year with intention. We unpack questions leaders are asking about culture, change, confidence, and uncertainty, and challenge the patterns that quietly hold leaders back. Follow Level 52 on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/level52inc/posts/?feedView=all Follow Level 52 on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@level52inc

Welcome to the December 2025 Meaningful Leader. In this episode, I'll explore: How do I recharge without disengaging? | What if burnout is really boredom? | Are you leading or just performing? We'll unpack this and more in this episode of The Executive Commute. Follow Level 52 on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/level52inc/posts/?feedView=all Follow Level 52 on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@level52inc.

 Title: #92: The Courage to Get It Wrong (and Grow From It) Description: Welcome back to The Executive Commute. This episode explores how leaders can transform fear into foresight by rehearsing regret before it happens. Most decisions aren't blocked by data, they're blocked by the fear of future you saying, "Why didn't you?" Learn how to borrow tomorrow's wisdom today through a simple practice: anticipate regret, name the smallest reversible step, and act with intention. The Meaningful Leader is a bite-sized disruption that gives insight into challenges other leaders are facing, the latest tools to tackle turbulence, and inputs to innovate your leadership. Follow Level 52 on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/level52inc/posts/?feedView=all  Follow Level 52 on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@level52inc.

Welcome back to The Executive Commute. In this episode, we tackle three invisible derailers that can quietly undermine your leadership. | How do you become truly relevant to your boss? | What does it mean to make yourself replaceable before you become unreliable? | And how can you strengthen trust by observing without evaluating? We’ll unpack these ideas and leave you with a powerful question: When will you compromise your values?   The Meaningful Leader is a bite-sized disruption that gives insight into challenges other leaders are facing, the latest tools to tackle turbulence, and inputs to innovate your leadership.   Follow Level 52 on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/level52inc/posts/?feedView=all  Follow Level 52 on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@level52inc.

Welcome to the June 2025 Meaningful Leader. In this episode, I will explore the question, Could a junior team member be your next mentor? |  Are your meetings too polite to be productive? |  What if “laziness” isn’t real - but a signal you’ve misunderstood? We’ll unpack this and more in this episode of The Executive Commute.   The Meaningful Leader is a bite-sized disruption that gives insight into challenges other leaders are facing, the latest tools to tackle turbulence, and inputs to innovate your leadership.   Follow Level 52 on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/level52inc/posts/?feedView=all  Follow Level 52 on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@level52inc.  

Welcome to the April 2025 Meaningful Leader. In this episode, I’ll talk about: How do you lead after making a bad decision? | Am I moving fast, or am I moving wisely? We’ll unpack this and more in this episode of the executive commute. The Meaningful Leader is a bite-sized disruption that gives insight into challenges other leaders are facing, the latest tools to tackle turbulence, and inputs to innovate your leadership.   Follow Level 52 on LinkedIn Follow Level 52 on Youtube

Welcome to a special episode of the Executive Commute, called Inside the ALP. Jayson Krause is joined by Jared Hagan, senior partner at Level 52 to explore the question: What is mindset, and why does it matter for leaders? | What's the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset? | How do I help my team shift their mindset without doing it to them? All this and more in this special episode of The Executive Commute.  The Meaningful Leader is a bite-sized disruption that gives insight into challenges other leaders are facing, the latest tools to tackle turbulence, and inputs to innovate your leadership.   Follow Level 52 on LinkedIn Follow Level 52 on Youtube

Welcome to the April 2025 Meaningful Leader. In this episode, I will explore the question: Are we truly at full capacity or just avoiding the real problem | Are we working hard on the wrong things? | What would happen if we shifted our energy from frustration to leading and momentum? We’ll unpack this and more in this episode of the executive commute. The Meaningful Leader is a bite-sized disruption that gives insight into challenges other leaders are facing, the latest tools to tackle turbulence, and inputs to innovate your leadership.   Follow Level 52 on LinkedIn Follow Level 52 on Youtube  

Welcome to a special episode of the Executive Commute, called Inside the ALP. Jayson Krause is joined by Jared Hagan, senior partner at Level 52 to explore the question: What's the difference between coach, mentor, and manager? | How do you teach with a coach approach? | How do you accelerate adaptability by using more of a coach approach? All this and more in this special episode of The Executive Commute.  The Meaningful Leader is a bite-sized disruption that gives insight into challenges other leaders are facing, the latest tools to tackle turbulence, and inputs to innovate your leadership.   Follow Level 52 on LinkedIn Follow Level 52 on Youtube

Welcome to the March 2025 Meaningful Leader. In this episode, I’ll talk about: How do we eliminate silos in our business? | Do I need to manage my job better, or do I need to change it? We’ll unpack this and more in this episode of the executive commute. The Meaningful Leader is a bite-sized disruption that gives insight into challenges other leaders are facing, the latest tools to tackle turbulence, and inputs to innovate your leadership.   Follow Level 52 on LinkedIn Follow Level 52 on Youtube