The Climb: Leadership Development and Confident Leader Podcast

Why does AI adoption fail even when companies invest in the latest technology? Businesses are spending money on AI tools, automation, and digital transformation. Yet many struggle with employee adoption, unclear strategies, and disappointing results. What if the biggest challenge isn't the technology, but how leaders implement it? In this episode of The CLIMB: Leadership Development & Confident Leader Podcast, Rahul Karan Sharma sits down with Mykel Saloman, Founder of Human Protocol Group, to explore why AI adoption fails and why keeping humans at the center of AI implementation is critical to business success. Drawing on his experience leading global customer support teams, Mykle explains why AI implementation is a business transformation challenge, not simply an IT project. Together, they discuss how leaders can improve AI adoption, empower employees, protect customer relationships, and use artificial intelligence to create meaningful business value. What You'll Discover Why AI adoption fails when leadership strategy is unclear How poor communication and insufficient training affect employee adoption Why AI implementation is a leadership and change management challenge How to preserve human judgment and empathy in AI-driven customer experiences Why upskilling and reskilling employees matter during AI transformation How AI can help businesses increase revenue, not just reduce costs Why successful AI implementation requires both technology and human involvement About Mykel Saloman Mykel is the Founder of Human Protocol Group, where he advises organizations on AI adoption, customer experience, and human-centered business transformation. 🌐 https://humanprotocolgroup.com About Rahul Karan Sharma Rahul is a Leadership Advisor to Staffing CEOs, organizational development strategist, keynote speaker, and author. Through The CLIMB, he explores leadership development, organizational transformation, and building confident leaders. 🌐 https://www.rahulkaransharma.com Join the Conversation What's the biggest obstacle to successful AI adoption: technology, leadership, or employee readiness? Share your perspective in the comments. 🔔 Subscribe to The CLIMB for conversations on leadership, business transformation, and the future of work. #AIAdoption #AILeadership #BusinessTransformation #ChangeManagement #LeadershipDevelopment

Can a leader deliver exceptional results and still be toxic to their team?Some leaders consistently hit targets, exceed expectations, and earn promotions. But behind those results, employees may experience burnout, declining trust, and emotional exhaustion.What happens when organizations reward performance but overlook leadership behavior?In this episode of The CLIMB: Leadership Development and Confident Leader Podcast, Rahul Karan Sharma sits down with Diana Lowe, Founder and CEO of Blue Light Leadership, to explore the hidden emotional cost of high performance.Drawing on her experience with toxic workplaces and her expertise in emotional intelligence and positive psychology, Diana challenges leaders to ask one important question:"What is it like to be led by me?"What You'll Discover:Why high-performing leaders can create toxic work environmentsThe hidden cost of employee burnout, stress, and turnoverWhy emotional intelligence matters beyond hitting KPIsHow inconsistent leadership behavior damages psychological safetyThree questions leaders can ask to build trust and receive honest feedbackWhen organizations should intervene with a high-performing but damaging leaderWhy emotional intelligence remains essential in the age of AIAbout Diana LoweDiana is the Founder and CEO of Blue Light Leadership, an ICF-certified coach, speaker, and author of Hard to Handle. She helps leaders strengthen emotional intelligence and create healthier workplaces.Connect with Diana- https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianaelowe/The First Three Chapters of Hard to Handle – ⁠https://hardtohandlebook.com/first3free/About Rahul Karan SharmaRahul Karan Sharma is a Leadership Advisor to Staffing CEOs, Organizational Development Strategist, author, and host of The CLIMB and The Staffing Truth podcasts.Through leadership conversations and practical insights, Rahul explores how leaders build stronger teams, develop leadership capacity, and create organizations that can grow beyond individual dependency.Explore more: https://rahulkaransharma.comSubscribe for conversations on leadership development, staffing industry growth, and organizational transformation. #ToxicLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #EmotionalIntelligence #EmployeeBurnout #TheCLIMB

Being great at what you do doesn't guarantee you'll be recognized for it. Some of the most talented professionals remain unnoticed, while others turn their expertise into influence, recognition, and career opportunities. What makes the difference? In this episode of The CLIMB: Leadership Development & Confident Leader Podcast, Rahul Karan Sharma sits down with Antoniette Roze, business and speaking strategist at WPC Speakers Global, to explore why expertise alone isn't enough and how professionals can communicate their value, build credibility, and create meaningful opportunities. Drawing on decades of experience in the professional speaking industry, Antoniette shares why even highly accomplished experts struggle to get noticed, while others build successful careers through clear positioning, strong relationships, and consistent action. What You'll Discover Why talent and expertise don't automatically translate into recognition How communicating your ideas can strengthen your professional influence Why clarity and positioning matter more than impressive credentials How speaking can accelerate career growth and open new opportunities Why relationships and trust matter more than simply promoting yourself What separates successful professional speakers from those waiting to be discovered How organizations can make better decisions when hiring speakers and trainers One powerful takeaway: If people don't understand or remember the value you bring, they are unlikely to recommend you no matter how talented you are. Rahul also reflects on his own journey from corporate leadership to professional speaking, and why sharing what you know can multiply your impact. Your expertise has value. The question is whether the right people can see it. About Our GuestAntoniette Roze is a business and speaking strategist at WPC Speakers Global, helping accomplished professionals transform their expertise into compelling messages and speaking opportunities. 🎙️ Speak Pact Podcast: https://speakpact.com Connect on Linkedin- www.linkedin.com/in/1AntonietteSpeaker Revenue Lab - https://speakerrevenuelab.com/About Your HostRahul Karan Sharma is a Leadership Advisor to Staffing CEOs, organizational development strategist, keynote speaker, author, and host of The CLIMB. Through Steady Steps, he helps leaders and organizations strengthen leadership capacity and build sustainable growth. 🌐 https://www.rahulkaransharma.com What's harder in your experience — building expertise or getting recognized for it? Share your thoughts below. #LeadershipDevelopment #CareerGrowth #ProfessionalSpeaking #LeadershipInfluence #TheCLIMB

You explained it clearly. So why aren't people listening or taking action? For leaders, communicating the message is often the easy part. Getting people to trust it, buy into it, and act on it is much harder—especially when you don't have the authority to simply tell them what to do. In this episode of The CLIMB: Leadership Development & Confident Leader Podcast, Rahul Karan Sharma sits down with entrepreneur, author, and human behavior expert Joe Rocky Jr. to explore how to influence people without authority, communicate with different personalities, build trust, and turn a message into action. And Joe challenges a piece of advice almost every leader has heard: “Treat others the way you want to be treated.” What if that's part of the problem? Leaders can unknowingly communicate based on how they think, what motivates them, and what worked for them. But the person on the other side may think, respond, and make decisions very differently. Rahul and Joe explore: How to influence people without title or authority Why people don't listen—even when your message makes sense Why the Golden Rule can become a leadership blind spot How curiosity and better questions create influence Why assumptions can weaken communication and trust How to communicate with different personalities Why listening can be more powerful than speaking How ownership creates stronger buy-in during change How genuine relationships can strengthen teams and performance One idea captures the conversation: Authority may get you compliance. Influence earns commitment. Because leadership isn't simply about making people hear your message. It's to understand people well enough that the message matters to them. So the next time your team isn't responding the way you expected, instead of asking: “Why aren't they listening?” Try asking: “Do I understand them well enough for my message to land?” About Joe Rocky Jr. Joe Rocky Jr. is an entrepreneur, author, sales and human behavior expert, and owner of Elite Business Cruises. He has built 29 businesses and focuses his work on understanding what motivates people and strengthening relationships with employees and customers. Connect with Joe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joerockey/About Rahul Karan SharmaRahul Karan Sharma is a Leadership Advisor to Staffing CEOs, organizational development strategist, keynote speaker, author, and host of The CLIMB. His work focuses on strengthening leadership capacity, accountability, and the organizational systems companies need to grow. Connect with Rahul: https://linkedin.com/in/rahulkaransharma #LeadershipDevelopment #InfluenceWithoutAuthority #LeadershipCommunication #ConfidentLeadership #TheCLIMB

What if employee turnover isn't the real problem—but a symptom of something deeper inside the organization? When people keep leaving, the typical response is to recruit faster. But hiring more people into the same environment others have already rejected doesn't solve the problem. It simply continues the cycle. In this episode of The CLIMB: Leadership Development & Confident Leader Podcast, Rahul Karan Sharma sits down with Clark Ingram, Founder and President of People Profits and author of CHURN, to challenge some conventional thinking around employee turnover, retention, and leadership. Clark brings an unusual perspective. He began his career in finance before his CEO asked him to take over HR during a serious workforce-retention problem. That experience changed how he thought about people, performance, and the systems behind both. In this conversation: Why you can't recruit your way out of a turnover problem Why turnover needs an organization-specific diagnosis The hidden business cost of an unstable workforce Why people and profits aren't competing priorities What Clark calls the “VP disease” Why industry-average turnover can create false comfort How HR leaders can speak the language of the business Why listening to employees matters only when leaders act One of the most important ideas from our conversation: People don't always leave because of one bad manager. Sometimes they leave because the system around them no longer works. And when leaders stop chasing symptoms and start fixing the system, retention can become an outcome—not another initiative. About Clark Ingram: Founder and President of People Profits, executive consultant, keynote speaker, and author of CHURN: Proven Strategies to Overcome Failing Conventional Talent Management and Achieve Zero Turnover.Connect with Clark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clark-ingram-mba-shrm-scp-cebs-cpcu-06385111/ About Rahul Karan Sharma: Leadership Advisor to Staffing CEOs, organizational development strategist, author, and host of The CLIMB and the Staffing Truth. Connect with Rahul: https://linkedin.com/in/rahulkaransharma 🎙️ What would you fix inside your organization before hiring the next person? #LeadershipDevelopment #EmployeeRetention #TheCLIMB