EPISODE
[NEW SEASON] Trust at work and how it fits with Reality-Based Leadership
Back by popular demand, Cy and Alex sit down to talk about the latest topics in leadership as they are out speaking on the circuit with the top leaders across the globe. The hottest topic that is coming up is all around trust and how it fits with leading in a Reality-Based way. How does trust fit in? Can you use the tools and principles you are talking about if trust isn't there?
Trust is absolutely important on a team and in a leadership moment when you are calling teams to greatness. However, trust can be layered with so many other things as a way for someone to avoid a call to greatness that could help them evolve.
Cy and Alex do a deep dive into trust in the workplace, some misconceptions with the topic, how it affects the team, and how trust isn't solely the responsibility of the leader to create.
So if you are looking for tips and ideas to:
- Create more trust on your team
- Build more trust in your culture
- Understand how to truly create sustainable trust at work
- Clarify why trust is such a hard thing to build with others
- Become more trustworthy in your life in a variety of work situations
Then this is the podcast for you.
Be sure to share this episode with all of your team members and discuss your biggest insight or takeaway.
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Cy Wakeman is the President and Founder of Reality-Based Leadership. Alex Dorr is VP of People Evolution at Reality-Based Leadership and has been standing side-by-side with Cy for almost a decade. Together, they have been helping leaders modernize their approach to leadership and to ditch the drama in the workplace.
To learn more or to book Cy or Alex to speak at your next event or training be sure to visit Reality-Based Leadership or fill out this form to connect with the team!
Latest episodes
108: Suffering at Work is Optional
In this episode, Alex Dorr tackles a foundational mindset shift that can radically change how leaders experience work: suffering is optional—and often self-imposed. Through relatable stories and practical frameworks, Alex unpacks how most workplace stress doesn’t come from reality itself, but from the stories we attach to it.
He introduces three common patterns—pre-suffering, post-suffering, and group suffering—that quietly drain energy and derail teams. From “Sunday scaries” to reliving past frustrations, these habits keep leaders stuck in cycles of unnecessary stress. Alex challenges listeners to separate facts from the narrative their minds create, using simple tools like asking, “What do I know for sure?” to interrupt reactive thinking. The result? Clearer decisions, better energy management, and more engaged teams.
Episode Highlights:
00:00:00 — The core idea: you can choose to experience work with joy or misery.
00:01:30 — Why suffering at work is often self-imposed, not caused by reality.
00:03:00 — Pre-suffering: stressing about future events before they even happen.
00:04:30 — Post-suffering: reliving past problems that are already resolved.
00:05:45 — Group suffering: how teams normalize negativity and shared frustration.
00:07:00 — The real source of stress: the story you tell yourself—not the situation itself.
00:08:30 — The “tape vs. rat” story: how quickly we escalate harmless situations into crises.
00:10:30 — A practical tool: separating facts from assumptions to reduce emotional reactivity.
00:12:00 — How teams turn simple changes into worst-case scenarios.
00:14:00 — Why energy management—not circumstances—is the real competitive advantage.
107: Stop Judging, Start Helping
In this episode, Alex Dorr zeroes in on one of the most powerful and transformative principles in leadership: “stop judging, start helping.” If there were only one mindset shift to improve culture, collaboration, and results, this would be it.
Drawing from real-world leadership moments, Alex explains how quickly teams fall into judgment—blaming others, telling negative stories, and disengaging from solutions. But the moment leaders interrupt that pattern and redirect toward helpful action, everything changes. From workplace dynamics to personal relationships to innovation, this simple principle unlocks clarity, accountability, and forward momentum. Ultimately, this episode challenges leaders to make “stop judging, start helping” a daily, non-negotiable habit that reshapes how teams think, communicate, and perform.
Episode Highlights:
00:00:00 — The one principle that can transform your team: stop judging, start helping.
00:01:00 — Why leaders default to thinking “someone else needs this” instead of applying it themselves.
00:03:00 — The core truth: the moment you start judging is the moment you stop leading.
00:05:00 — Brain science: why you can’t judge and help at the same time.
00:07:30 — How judgment spreads through teams and shapes culture (“where the leader goes, so goes the team”).
00:10:00 — Coaching in real time: shifting a high performer from judgment to helpful action.
00:12:30 — Breaking silos and conflict by replacing blame with collaboration.
00:15:30 — How removing judgment unlocks creativity and innovation in teams.
00:18:30 — Setting boundaries in life: using “start helping” to redirect negative conversations.
00:20:30 — The practical takeaway: make “stop judging, start helping” a team-wide habit.
106: How to AI-Enhance Your Drama Ditching at Work
In this episode, Alex Dorr explores a forward-thinking leadership topic: how to use AI to enhance decision-making, reduce workplace drama, and unlock better solutions. Drawing from a recent live event, Alex walks through how modern leaders can combine Reality Based Leadership tools with AI to break through stuck thinking and accelerate progress.
Rather than replacing human insight, AI becomes a powerful thought partner—helping teams generate ideas when energy is low, accountability is avoided, or creativity stalls. Alex highlights how tools like “thinking inside the box” and SBAR can be supercharged with AI to move teams from “why we can’t” into “how we could.” The episode ultimately reframes AI as a leadership advantage: not just for efficiency, but for expanding thinking, increasing accountability, and driving next right action.
Episode Highlights:
00:00:00 — Introducing the idea: using AI to enhance leadership and ditch workplace drama.
00:01:30 — Why modern leaders are shifting from managing work to managing energy and thinking.
00:03:30 — The opportunity: combining AI with Reality Based Leadership tools.
00:06:00 — How the “thinking inside the box” framework helps teams move from excuses to solutions.
00:08:30 — When teams get stuck: the role of ego, avoidance, and lack of willingness.
00:10:30 — Using AI as a creative partner to generate breakthrough ideas within constraints.
00:12:30 — The key insight: AI never runs out of ideas—even when teams do.
00:13:45 — Identifying the real blockers: skill gaps, outdated approaches, or lack of willingness.
00:14:45 — Enhancing the SBAR framework with AI to improve analysis and recommendations.
00:15:45 — Why AI should support (not replace) human thinking and collaboration.
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