Stop Waiting for a Title: How to Influence Any Manager
Fri Feb 06 2026
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Leadership is not a promotion, it is a practice you start where you are. In this episode, we break down John Maxwell’s five levels of leadership and connect them to David Graddy’s three phases of leadership growth, so listeners can see exactly how to move from “good employee” to “go-to leader” without waiting for permission. Expect spicy takes on bad managers, late leadership training, and why some “leaders” never grow past positional power, plus concrete steps to increase your influence in the next 30 days.
Speaker Bio
Imagine rising through the ranks of an aerospace giant like Boeing, not by waiting for a promotion, but by leading in the trenches, long before anyone handed you the title.
That’s David Graddy. With 40 years mastering IT, retail, and leadership across industries, this John Maxwell Certified Trainer and author of Leading in the Trenches reveals the blueprint for anyone to build unstoppable influence.
No fancy degrees required — just empathy, communication, and adaptability to decode any manager, outshine your peers, and become the go-to leader your team needs. From Wichita’s front lines to tomorrow’s AI-powered workplaces, David proves: true leadership isn’t promoted. It’s chosen.
Speaker Links
https://amzn.to/4jGoCey
https://davidgraddy.com/
Thanks for listening to ProductiviTree! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and share.
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Connect with me:
Website: santiagotacoronte.com LinkedIn: Santiago Tacoronte Have questions or suggestions? Email us at info@santiagotacoronte.com
Connect with the host:
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/santiago-tacoronte/
• https://santiagotacoronte.com/
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Send us a text Leadership is not a promotion, it is a practice you start where you are. In this episode, we break down John Maxwell’s five levels of leadership and connect them to David Graddy’s three phases of leadership growth, so listeners can see exactly how to move from “good employee” to “go-to leader” without waiting for permission. Expect spicy takes on bad managers, late leadership training, and why some “leaders” never grow past positional power, plus concrete steps to increase your influence in the next 30 days. Speaker Bio Imagine rising through the ranks of an aerospace giant like Boeing, not by waiting for a promotion, but by leading in the trenches, long before anyone handed you the title. That’s David Graddy. With 40 years mastering IT, retail, and leadership across industries, this John Maxwell Certified Trainer and author of Leading in the Trenches reveals the blueprint for anyone to build unstoppable influence. No fancy degrees required — just empathy, communication, and adaptability to decode any manager, outshine your peers, and become the go-to leader your team needs. From Wichita’s front lines to tomorrow’s AI-powered workplaces, David proves: true leadership isn’t promoted. It’s chosen. Speaker Links https://amzn.to/4jGoCey https://davidgraddy.com/ Thanks for listening to ProductiviTree! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and share. 🟢 Spotify 🟣 Apple Podcasts 🟡 Amazon Music 🔴 YouTube Take the New Productivity Test: https://links.santiagotacoronte.com/Productivity-Assessment Connect with me: Website: santiagotacoronte.com LinkedIn: Santiago Tacoronte Have questions or suggestions? Email us at info@santiagotacoronte.com Connect with the host: • https://www.linkedin.com/in/santiago-tacoronte/ • https://santiagotacoronte.com/