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
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 ambition, dominance, influence, and legacy-building.
What You’ll Hear:
- The hidden hunger behind high performance
- Dopamine and the neuroscience of pursuit
- When ambition turns ...
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 case study on how tone, assumptions, power dynamics, and private text messages can escalate everyday workplace tension into public conflict.
Through publicly reported te...
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 professional basketball player, engineer, and full-time parent — for a raw, grounded conversation about leadership, purpose, and becoming who you’re meant to be.
Kristin first...
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 build trust, influence, and real relationships. You’ll learn how curiosity-based questions unlock stories, engagement, and stronger leadership presence.
Key Topics Cover...
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 prefrontal cortex engaged and leaders in solution mode
- How pessimism narrows thinking and elevates stress
- The difference between healthy optimism and toxic positivity
- Why optimists interpret failure...
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 planning, intelligence coordination, discipline, and accountability.
Joining the conversation is Colonel CJ Williams, United States Marine Corps (Ret.), who brings over thr...
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 automation system that favors familiarity over growth. This episode breaks down why willpower isn’t enough, what it actually means to “renew the mind,” and how leaders can build chang...
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 Guinness World Record. Merry Christmas everyone!
Sources:
4Ward Operations.com
Chat Gpt
Co-hosts: Ron Ward and Kristin Sokoloff
Sponsor: 4Ward Operation...
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.
What We Cover:
Fun and nostalgic Christmas questions
How the holidays reveal personality and stress patterns
The unspoken pressures of family and ex...
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 some stay while others walk — Merissa explains the psychology, biology, and communication patterns behind heartbreak. The episode is entertaining, eye-opening, and surprisingly relatable.
...
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.
You’ll learn why people emotionally dump on leaders, how empathy becomes codependency, and the practical boundaries every leader needs to stay healthy and effective.
In this special throwback episode, we get a deeper look into the lives of Ron and Kristin.
Co-hosts: Ron Ward and Kristin Sokoloff
Sponsor: 4Ward Operations
Producer: Stephen Ridley
Facebook Group Administrator: Cassy Roop
Where leadership meets entertainment! This weekly podcast takes both a humorous and intense look at leadership through impactful stories, answers to listener questions, and break...
In this episode, Ron and Kristin sit down with Greg Forest, former U.S. Marshal, former Chief U.S. Probation Officer, and now co-founder of Davis Forest Investigations. Greg shares a rare inside look at federal fugitive operations, the realities of high-risk leadership, and what it’s really like transitioning from government service to entrepreneurship.
Key Topics Covered
1. Greg’s Path Through Feder...
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 Triad at work: narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy.
- How confidence can blur into control.
- Creating psychological safety to shut down manipulation.
- The power of self-awareness — knowing your own shadow.
Dirty Lesson:
The most danger...
In this episode, Ron and Kristin expose one of leadership’s oldest power games — loyalty and betrayal. From ancient betrayals like Judas and Caesar to modern corporate sabotage, they reveal how leaders can spot a hidden opportunist before it’s too late. This episode blends psychology, real-world examples, and neuroscience to explain why betrayal usually comes from inside the circle — and how to test loyalty without br...
In this throwback episode, we're going back to episode 7 where Ron and Kristin discuss qualities of great leaders and how you can apply them to your own life.
Co-hosts: Ron Ward and Kristin Sokoloff
Sponsor: 4Ward Operations
Producer: Stephen Ridley
Facebook Group Administrator: Cassy Roop
Where leadership meets entertainment! This weekly podcast takes both a humorous and intense look at leade...
In this episode of The Dirty Side of Leadership, hosts Kristin Sokoloff and Ron Ward explore the tumultuous journey of John Alite — from organized crime enforcer to redemptive leader — and draw powerful parallels between the psychology of crime-leadership and mainstream organizational, corporate, and faith-based leadership.
Key Themes:
- The structure and raw mechanisms of power in the mafia world.
- The psycho...
In Part Two of Leadership & Parenting, Ron and Kristin welcome Troy Robison, a faith-centered leader, husband, and father who serves as Head of Sales at AI Vector, the parent company of today’s sponsor, Kovo Home. Together, they explore how leadership and technology intersect in modern parenting.
From setting healthy digital boundaries to navigating online influences, Troy offers an inside look at how inn...
In this episode of The Dirty Side of Leadership, Ron and Kristin explore how leadership begins at home. From building trust through daily connection to guiding kids toward strength, kindness, and resilience, this episode reframes parenting as the ultimate test of leadership.
They share practical, real-world lessons — including how to model integrity, manage friendships, teach emotional literacy, and help kids fail safe...
In this episode, Kristin and Ron break down two major stories:
- President Trump’s unprecedented call for hundreds of generals and admirals to meet at Quantico.
- The mass exodus of over 100,000 federal employees.
What looks like crisis is really about leadership, accountability, and culture. From the cost of pulling leaders together, to the fallout of raising workplace standards, we explore the dirty side of leader...
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