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Leadership Equation

Leadership Equation

Written by: Roger Francis
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Welcome to The Leadership Equation, hosted by Roger Francis, author of The Integrated Leader. In a world moving at breakneck speed, Roger created this show after noticing a constant pattern: brilliant leaders struggling because they rely entirely on raw analytical intelligence. While IQ gets you in the door, it takes genuine emotional intelligence to actually lead. Each episode explores what it really takes to build deep trust, foster strong cultures, and drive lasting results by balancing both sides of the equation. Through honest, candid conversations with fellow leaders and strategists, Roger moves the conversation past basic performance metrics to focus on what truly matters: the people behind the success. Ready to transform your own leadership approach? Pick up a copy of The Integrated Leader on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H4F5RY8N. Take a moment to reflect on your own balance of IQ and EQ, and join the conversation! Economics Management Management & Leadership Self-Help Success
Episodes
  • Rethinking Intelligence: Dyslexia, Leadership, and Human Potential with James Asher

    Rethinking Intelligence: Dyslexia, Leadership, and Human Potential with James Asher
    Oct 6 2026
    What if someone isn’t struggling because they lack ability, but because they’ve been given the wrong pathway to learn? Roger Francis sits down with longtime friend, entrepreneur, and Kompete Nutrition co-founder James Asher for a personal conversation about dyslexia, resilience, confidence, and learning differently. James shares his experience navigating school with dyslexia, learning to process information in ways that worked for him, and eventually applying those strengths to entrepreneurship and business. Along the way, he reflects on the parents, teachers, coaches, and mentors who helped him recognize that learning differently did not mean lacking potential. Together, Roger and James explore how IQ and EQ work together, why leaders should build on people’s strengths instead of focusing solely on their weaknesses, and how different ways of thinking can bring enormous value to an organization. The bigger leadership question is simple: Are we questioning someone’s potential, or are we willing to question the environment we’ve created for them? Continue the Conversation Leadership doesn’t stop when the episode ends. Connect with Roger Francis for more insights on leadership, growth, and putting IQ + EQ into practice. Get your copy of The Integrated Leader on Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H4F5RY8N Connect with Roger Francis:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rfrancisoneFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/roger.francis.543LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-francis-2a349612 Connect with James Asher:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-asher-99871514/ Follow The Leadership Equation for more candid conversations about what it takes to lead people, execute strategy, and deliver results.
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    37 mins
  • 9/11, Trust, and Leadership Under Pressure with Green Beret Ricky Derring II

    9/11, Trust, and Leadership Under Pressure with Green Beret Ricky Derring II
    Sep 22 2026
    Roger Francis sits down with Ricky Derring II, a former U.S. Army Ranger and Green Beret, for a conversation about leadership forged under pressure. Reflecting on September 11, military service, Special Forces, and the transition into corporate leadership, Ricky shares how competence builds trust, why leaders must get comfortable being uncomfortable, and what it means to put the mission and the team ahead of yourself. Roger and Ricky also explore the connection between the Special Forces philosophy of winning “hearts and minds” and Roger’s IQ + EQ leadership framework, the danger of false confidence, and why strong teams need both the competence to execute and the trust to move together. At the heart of the conversation is a lesson that extends far beyond the military: don’t compete with each other. Compete for each other. Continue the Conversation Leadership doesn’t stop when the episode ends. Connect with Roger Francis for more insights on leadership, growth, and putting IQ + EQ into practice. Get your copy of The Integrated Leader on Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H4F5RY8N Connect with Roger Francis:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rfrancisoneFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/roger.francis.543LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-francis-2a349612 Connect with Ricky Derring II:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricky-derring-ii-ba6111140 Follow The Leadership Equation for more candid conversations about what it takes to lead people, execute strategy, and deliver results.
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    38 mins
  • IQ or EQ? Great Leadership Requires Both

    IQ or EQ? Great Leadership Requires Both
    Sep 8 2026
    Being the smartest person in the room doesn’t make you a great leader. Neither does being the most liked. Roger Francis breaks down the equation at the heart of effective leadership: IQ + EQ. IQ gives leaders the ability to understand the business, analyze complexity, build strategy, and make difficult decisions. EQ gives them the ability to understand the people responsible for bringing that strategy to life. Roger shares a defining lesson from early in his career when a strong strategy and increased accountability weren’t enough to turn around an underperforming team. What finally changed the results wasn’t another report or meeting. It was trust, authenticity, and connection. Great leaders learn to read two systems at once: the capital system and the human system. One tells you how the business is performing. The other tells you whether that performance can last. Continue the Conversation Leadership doesn’t stop when the episode ends. Connect with Roger Francis for more insights on leadership, growth, and putting IQ + EQ into practice. Get your copy of The Integrated Leader on Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H4F5RY8N Connect with Roger Francis:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rfrancisoneFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/roger.francis.543LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-francis-2a349612 Follow The Leadership Equation for more candid conversations about what it takes to lead people, execute strategy, and deliver results.
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    10 mins
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