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Uncommon Leadership

Uncommon Leadership

Written by: Michael Hunter Uncommon Change LLC
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 Ever feel like you are just one more cog in a machine? Ever had a manager treat you as though you were completely interchangeable with someone else on your team? Ever been stuck doing something you absolutely hated while others complained about doing something you would have loved to do? We're not just cogs, nor are we plug-and-play replacements for anyone else. We each have unique talents. The teams I've most enjoyed working with, and the teams who best accomplished their goals, have always been teams who customized their approach to take full advantage of those unique gifts. The Uncommon Leadership interview series will inspire you through the stories of those who have made the shift from struggling to thriving as leaders, individually and in a team environment. Join us as we explore aligning personal fulfillment with business success, creating authentic teams, and cultivating the resilience necessary to move beyond simply surviving today's challenges into thriving.2022–2024 Careers Economics Management Management & Leadership Personal Success
Episodes
  • Why Great Leaders Get Stuck [And What Actually Frees Them] ft. Gary Montalvo

    Why Great Leaders Get Stuck [And What Actually Frees Them] ft. Gary Montalvo
    Jan 7 2026
    Tech leaders are struggling because they're carrying too much— too much pressure to have answers, too much responsibility for outcomes, too little space to be human. And it's exhausting. In the latest episode of the Uncommon Leadership Podcast, I, Michael Hunter from Uncommon Teams, sit down with leadership and mindset coach Gary Montalvo for a deeply honest conversation about what actually blocks leaders from creating healthy teams, resilient cultures, and sustainable results. From his early days as a 22-year-old art director at Sony Music to building his own coaching practice, Gary reveals how success without authenticity led him to burnout and self-doubt—and how learning to "take yourself wherever you go" became his greatest breakthrough. ——— Inside this episode, we'll explore: Why most leadership struggles are identity challenges—not skill gapsHow "being liked" can silently undermine accountability and growthThe difference between authenticity and emotional oversharingWhy reframing experience changes how you lead under pressureHow leaders unintentionally recreate old survival strategies at workHow small internal shifts compound into cultural transformation ——— Who This Episode Is For Founders who feel like the bottleneck in their own businessTech leaders navigating growth, complexity, or burnoutManagers who are tired of "doing everything right" but still feel stuckAnyone leading people through change without a clear map Tune in now and follow the Uncommon Leadership Podcast for more conversations like this. ——— Core Takeaway Leadership doesn't improve when you try harder. It transforms when you become more honest—first with yourself, then with others. ——— Speaker Bios Gary Montalvo Gary Montalvo is a leadership and mindset coach with nearly 20+ years of experience helping solopreneurs, startups, and executives get unstuck and lead with confidence. Also a former CGO and host of The Ownership Game podcast, he combines real talk, practical strategy, and contagious energy to guide leaders through growth and transformation. Known for blending humility, humor, and accountability, Gary meets leaders where they are and challenges them to expand what's possible. Connect with Gary Montalvo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garymontalvo/ Michael Hunter Michael Hunter partners with tech leaders and founding teams to uncover the invisible cultural and emotional dynamics that quietly stall change, drain energy, and block quality. As the host of the Uncommon Leadership Podcast, Michael explores what it really takes to lead with resilience, clarity, and integrity—especially in complex, high-pressure environments. His work helps leaders recover parts of themselves and their teams that may have gotten lost along the way, so they can lead with intention, ease, and impact. Because the most powerful upgrade isn't in your tech stack. It's in you. Connect with Michael Hunter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/humbugreality/ Read more about his work: https://uncommonteams.com/ ——— [ Uncommon Leadership, Authentic Leadership, Tech Leadership, Founder Burnout, Culture Change, Psychological Safety, Accountability vs Approval, Human-Centered Leadership, Executive Coaching, Resilient Leadership, Leading Through Change, Uncommon Teams, Michael Hunter, Gary Montalvo] ——— Was this conversation worth your time? If yes, please give us a thumbs up and subscribe to the Uncommon Leadership Podcast Series. Get notified on YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp9vaDKz5TI7gaWKLc801Dw Prefer audio? Stream here: Apple- https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/uncommon-leadership/id1654637165 Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/show/2BkXGceaZgVWxGQCXcrmgj Presented By: UncommonChange
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    59 mins
  • Uncommon Roundtable: How High-Performing Tech Teams Actually Build Resilience

    Uncommon Roundtable: How High-Performing Tech Teams Actually Build Resilience
    Dec 24 2025
    As leaders, we're taught to push through. Work harder. Focus longer. Stay disciplined. But what if resilience isn't built by endurance at all? What if it's shaped in the small, almost invisible moments—how teams reset, reconnect, and rehumanize their work before exhaustion sets in? In this episode of the Uncommon Leadership Roundtable Podcast, Michael Hunter from Uncommon Teams brings together a group of deeply respected practitioners to explore resilience not as a personal trait—but as a systemic capability. What unfolds is an honest, experience-driven conversation about how leaders, teams, and organizations either preserve or quietly drain energy through everyday choices. This isn't about wellness perks or productivity tricks. It's about how work actually feels—and what helps people stay clear, creative, and engaged in complex environments. In this conversation, you'll learn: Why resilience is built through micro-resets, not heroic recoveryHow short, intentional breaks unlock focus, creativity, and momentumWhy movement and breath restore emotional and cognitive clarity faster than pushing throughHow joy, laughter, and human connection increase performance instead of distracting from itWhat leaders unintentionally do that shuts down energy and initiativeWhy vertical collaboration transforms trust, speed, and decision qualityHow curiosity and play fuel sustainable excellence in complex systemsWhy resilience must be designed into the system, not demanded from people Resilience isn't about pushing harder—it's about creating conditions where people can recover, think, and adapt while doing the work. Meet the Panel of Speakers Paige Watson Technical coach and community mentor focused on building cohesive, high-performing engineering teams through quality-first practices. Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paige-is-xp/ Fortune Buchholtz Business agility practitioner and agile logician who blends systems thinking, emotional awareness, and facilitation to help teams build resilience and cognitive agility. Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fortune-buchholtz-40266229/ Johanna Rothman Author and pragmatic management consultant helping leaders and teams navigate change, collaboration, and adaptive product development. Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johannarothman/ Tim Ottinger Agile coach and Extreme Programming expert known for bringing curiosity, creativity, and human-centered thinking into software delivery. Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/agileotter/ Meet the Host Michael Hunter Michael Hunter went from debugging code to debugging people—and now helps people debug themselves. Through the Uncommon Leadership Podcast and his work with tech leaders, he explores the invisible cultural and emotional dynamics that stall change and drain teams. His work focuses on resilience, clarity, and leading with the whole self. Read more: https://uncommonteams.com/ Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/humbugreality/ Was this conversation worth your time? If yes, give us a thumbs up and subscribe so you don't miss future episodes. For more inspiring conversations like this, sign up for the Uncommon Leadership newsletter at https://uncommonteams.com Watch the Uncommon Leadership Podcast: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp9vaDKz5TI7gaWKLc801Dw Prefer audio? Stream here: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/uncommon-leadership/id1654637165 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2BkXGceaZgVWxGQCXcrmgj Presented By: Uncommon Change
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    45 mins
  • The Hidden Dynamics That Make or Break Tech Teams ft. Keith Klain

    The Hidden Dynamics That Make or Break Tech Teams ft. Keith Klain
    Dec 17 2025
    Most leaders believe their teams go quiet because people fear conflict, don't know what to say, or lack confidence. But that's almost never the real reason. In this episode of Uncommon Leadership, Keith Klain joins me to reveal a harder, more human truth: Teams go quiet when they stop trusting how honest their leaders will be with them. Keith shares the shift that transformed every organization he led—from global banks to fast-paced tech teams. When he stopped treating information as currency and started telling people the real "why" behind decisions, something remarkable happened: People became more candidCritical information finally flowed upwardChange stopped feeling like a threatAttrition fell because people felt represented—not managedPsychological safety grew because honesty wasn't rare anymore This episode is a guide for leaders ready to move beyond performance optics and into real stewardship—the kind that earns loyalty, sharper thinking, and genuine collaboration. -- Your Key Learnings Through This Podcast Why teams lose trust long before leaders noticeHow withholding information quietly collapses decision qualityThe difference between "managing" people and sponsoring themWhy transparency strengthens performance, not fragilityHow to communicate honestly without overwhelming your teamWhy people don't need all the details—they need clear intent If you lead through change, complexity, or uncertainty, this episode will challenge how you show up—and elevate what your team believes is possible with you. -- About the Guest: Keith Klain Keith is a globally recognized QA and testing executive, director at KPMG UK, and past head of Barclays Global Test Center. He's known for building world-class teams, challenging outdated testing standards, and driving business-focused quality across industries. Keith's "Quality Remarks" podcast and writings have helped shape the next generation of tech leaders. Connect with Keith: LinkedIn: Keith Klain Knowledge stack: Quality Remarks About the Host: Michael Hunter Michael partners with top tech leadership teams across six continents to create extraordinary cultures. With 35 years of experience at companies like Microsoft, Salesforce, and Tableau, he helps leaders sustain meaningful change. Michael believes that only by integrating mind, heart, body, spirit, and intuition can leaders truly navigate change safely and build a lasting legacy of impact + human-centered leadership. Connect with Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/humbugreality/ Further Exploration:https://uncommonteams.com/work-with-me/ -- For more inspiring conversations like this, sign up for the Uncommon Leadership newsletter at https://uncommonteams.com Watch the Uncommon Leadership Podcast: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp9vaDKz5TI7gaWKLc801Dw Prefer audio? Stream here: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/uncommon-leadership/id1654637165 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2BkXGceaZgVWxGQCXcrmgj Presented By: Uncommon Change
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    59 mins
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