Welcome to The Leadership Equation, hosted by Roger Francis, author of The Integrated Leader.
In a world moving at breakneck speed, Roger created this show after noticing a constant pattern: brilliant leaders struggling because they rely entirely on raw analytical intelligence. While IQ gets you in the door, it takes genuine emotional intelligence to actually lead.
Each episode explores what it really takes to build deep trust, foster strong cultures, and drive lasting results by balancing both sides of the equation. Through honest, candid conversations with fellow leaders and strategists, Roger moves the conversation past basic performance metrics to focus on what truly matters: the people behind the success.
Ready to transform your own leadership approach? Pick up a copy of The Integrated Leader on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H4F5RY8N. Take a moment to reflect on your own balance of IQ and EQ, and join the conversation!
Are Great Leaders Born or Made? with Mike Safiedine and Betty Carew
Are great leaders born with natural abilities, or are they shaped by experience?
In this episode of The Leadership Equation, Roger Francis sits down with Mike Safiedine, broker and owner of RE/MAX Connections, and Betty Carew, safety executive and author of Your Emergence from Leadership to Heartship, to explore what it really takes to become an effective leader.
Through personal stories of career challenges, difficult decisions, and defining moments, Mike and Betty share how courage, self-awareness, relationships, and learning from mistakes have shaped their leadership journeys.
Together, they discuss the importance of authenticity, developing others, and balancing performance with empathy. Because leadership isn't just about the results you achieve. It's about the people you help grow along the way.
Continue the Conversation
📘 Get your copy of The Integrated Leader:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H4F5RY8N
Connect with Roger Francis
Instagram: www.instagram.com/rfrancisone
Facebook: www.facebook.com/roger.francis.543
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/roger-francis-2a349612
Connect with Mike Safiedine
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-safiedine-45b00447
Website: http://mikesremax.com
RE/MAX Connections: https://sdremaxconnections.com
Connect with Betty Carew
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/bettycarewcrspchsc
20 Oct 2026
Beyond IQ and EQ: The Power of Conscious Leadership with Dr. Darren Stevens
Is emotional intelligence enough to make someone an effective leader, or does true leadership require a deeper understanding of how we think?
Roger Francis welcomes Dr. Darren Stevens, founding member of the Institute for Adult Development (UK), author, and developer of Constructed Development Theory, for a thought-provoking conversation that challenges traditional ideas about intelligence, emotional awareness, and leadership.
Together, they explore the difference between reacting automatically and responding intentionally, why cognitive diversity matters more than organizational hierarchy, and how leaders can develop the awareness needed to make better decisions.
Darren introduces his framework of Intention, Awareness, Choice, and Response, offering a new perspective on Roger's leadership equation of IQ + EQ = Impact.
From workplace dynamics and unconscious bias to the importance of developing independent thinkers, this conversation asks a fundamental question: Are you truly choosing how you lead, or simply repeating familiar patterns?
Continue the Conversation
Leadership doesn't stop when the episode ends. Connect with Roger Francis for more insights on leadership, growth, and putting IQ + EQ into practice.
Get your copy of The Integrated Leader on Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H4F5RY8N
Connect with Dr. Darren Stevens:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdarrenstevens/
Website: https://darrenstevens.co.uk/
Institute for Adult Development (UK): https://www.linkedin.com/company/institute-for-adult-development-uk/
Connect with Roger Francis:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/rfrancisoneFacebook: www.facebook.com/roger.francis.543LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/roger-francis-2a349612
6 Oct 2026
Rethinking Intelligence: Dyslexia, Leadership, and Human Potential with James Asher
What if someone isn’t struggling because they lack ability, but because they’ve been given the wrong pathway to learn?
Roger Francis sits down with longtime friend, entrepreneur, and Kompete Nutrition co-founder James Asher for a personal conversation about dyslexia, resilience, confidence, and learning differently.
James shares his experience navigating school with dyslexia, learning to process information in ways that worked for him, and eventually applying those strengths to entrepreneurship and business. Along the way, he reflects on the parents, teachers, coaches, and mentors who helped him recognize that learning differently did not mean lacking potential.
Together, Roger and James explore how IQ and EQ work together, why leaders should build on people’s strengths instead of focusing solely on their weaknesses, and how different ways of thinking can bring enormous value to an organization.
The bigger leadership question is simple: Are we questioning someone’s potential, or are we willing to question the environment we’ve created for them?
Continue the Conversation
Leadership doesn’t stop when the episode ends. Connect with Roger Francis for more insights on leadership, growth, and putting IQ + EQ into practice.
Get your copy of The Integrated Leader on Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H4F5RY8N
Connect with Roger Francis:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rfrancisoneFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/roger.francis.543LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-francis-2a349612
Connect with James Asher:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-asher-99871514/
Follow The Leadership Equation for more candid conversations about what it takes to lead people, execute strategy, and deliver results.
22 Sept 2026
9/11, Trust, and Leadership Under Pressure with Green Beret Ricky Derring II
Roger Francis sits down with Ricky Derring II, a former U.S. Army Ranger and Green Beret, for a conversation about leadership forged under pressure. Reflecting on September 11, military service, Special Forces, and the transition into corporate leadership, Ricky shares how competence builds trust, why leaders must get comfortable being uncomfortable, and what it means to put the mission and the team ahead of yourself.
Roger and Ricky also explore the connection between the Special Forces philosophy of winning “hearts and minds” and Roger’s IQ + EQ leadership framework, the danger of false confidence, and why strong teams need both the competence to execute and the trust to move together.
At the heart of the conversation is a lesson that extends far beyond the military: don’t compete with each other. Compete for each other.
Continue the Conversation
Leadership doesn’t stop when the episode ends. Connect with Roger Francis for more insights on leadership, growth, and putting IQ + EQ into practice.
Get your copy of The Integrated Leader on Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H4F5RY8N
Connect with Roger Francis:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rfrancisoneFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/roger.francis.543LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-francis-2a349612
Connect with Ricky Derring II:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricky-derring-ii-ba6111140
Follow The Leadership Equation for more candid conversations about what it takes to lead people, execute strategy, and deliver results.
8 Sept 2026
IQ or EQ? Great Leadership Requires Both
Being the smartest person in the room doesn’t make you a great leader. Neither does being the most liked.
Roger Francis breaks down the equation at the heart of effective leadership: IQ + EQ. IQ gives leaders the ability to understand the business, analyze complexity, build strategy, and make difficult decisions. EQ gives them the ability to understand the people responsible for bringing that strategy to life.
Roger shares a defining lesson from early in his career when a strong strategy and increased accountability weren’t enough to turn around an underperforming team. What finally changed the results wasn’t another report or meeting. It was trust, authenticity, and connection.
Great leaders learn to read two systems at once: the capital system and the human system. One tells you how the business is performing. The other tells you whether that performance can last.
Continue the Conversation
Leadership doesn’t stop when the episode ends. Connect with Roger Francis for more insights on leadership, growth, and putting IQ + EQ into practice.
Get your copy of The Integrated Leader on Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H4F5RY8N
Connect with Roger Francis:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rfrancisoneFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/roger.francis.543LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-francis-2a349612
Follow The Leadership Equation for more candid conversations about what it takes to lead people, execute strategy, and deliver results.
25 Aug 2026
Building Teams That Perform with Mark Griffin
Sustainable performance takes more than a strong strategy. It takes people who are trusted, supported, and empowered to bring that strategy to life.
Roger Francis sits down with Mark Griffin, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer of BJ’s Wholesale Club, for a conversation about what decades of leadership have taught him about building teams that perform.
Mark shares lessons from his own leadership journey, including why great leaders need to shift from doing to coaching, have the confidence to use their voice, and create an environment where people feel safe enough to take calculated risks. Roger and Mark also discuss psychological safety, the impact a leader’s behavior can have throughout an organization, and why long-term performance requires balancing the capital system with the human system.
They also look ahead at how AI is changing organizations, what leaders will need as technology continues to evolve, and why career growth doesn’t always mean moving up. Sometimes, a lateral move can provide the experience, perspective, and leadership skills needed to take the next step.
The goal isn’t simply to deliver results today. It’s to build the people, culture, and leadership capabilities that can sustain those results tomorrow.
Continue the Conversation
Leadership doesn’t stop when the episode ends. Connect with Roger Francis for more insights on leadership, growth, and putting IQ + EQ into practice.
Get your copy of The Integrated Leader on Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H4F5RY8N
Connect with Roger Francis:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rfrancisoneFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/roger.francis.543LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-francis-2a349612
Connect with Mark Griffin:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-griffin-3096381/
Follow The Leadership Equation for more candid conversations about what it takes to lead people, execute strategy, and deliver results.
25 Aug 2026
The Human Side of Leadership with David Beamish
What happens when an organization has the right strategy, processes, and technology, but still isn’t reaching its full potential?Roger Francis sits down with counselor and therapist David Beamish, who brings more than 30 years of experience working with people through some of the most challenging moments of their lives. Together, they explore the human system of leadership and why IQ alone isn’t enough to drive results.
David shares what decades of working with people have taught him about motivation, purpose, appreciation, communication, and trust. Roger and David also unpack what happens to leadership under stress, why self-awareness matters, and how leaders can give candid feedback without sacrificing empathy or respect.
The conversation also examines the challenges of leading five generations in today’s workforce, the growing influence of AI, and why human qualities of leadership may become even more important as technology advances.
Great leadership isn’t about choosing between IQ and EQ. It’s about knowing how to use both to create an environment where people can grow, contribute, and deliver.
Continue the Conversation
Leadership doesn’t stop when the episode ends. Connect with Roger Francis for more insights on leadership, growth, and putting IQ + EQ into practice.
Get your copy of The Integrated Leader on Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H4F5RY8N
Connect with Roger Francis:
Instagram: instagram.com/rfrancisone
Facebook: facebook.com/roger.francis.543
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/roger-francis-2a349612
Follow The Leadership Equation for more candid conversations about what it takes to lead people, execute strategy, and deliver results.
25 Aug 2026
IQ + EQ = Outcomes: Introducing The Leadership Equation
Roger Francis introduces The Leadership Equation and the question at the center of the podcast: Why do some leaders inspire extraordinary people and extraordinary results while others struggle, even with the same resources?
Drawing from more than 25 years of leadership experience, Roger breaks down the equation that will guide the conversations ahead: IQ + EQ = outcomes. Strategy, execution, processes, and technology matter, but they only go so far without the human side of leadership needed to bring them to life.
Roger also shares the experiences that shaped the way he leads, from growing up as the son of immigrants and one of three brothers to becoming a husband, father, and executive leader across multiple industries. He reflects on an early career lesson that taught him the importance of culture, authenticity, and understanding the people you are asking to follow you.
The Leadership Equation is about closing the gap between intelligence and impact, balancing the capital system with the human system, and having candid conversations about what it really takes to lead and deliver results.
Continue the Conversation
Leadership doesn’t stop when the episode ends. Connect with Roger Francis for more insights on leadership, growth, and putting IQ + EQ into practice.
Get your copy of The Integrated Leader on Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H4F5RY8N
Connect with Roger Francis:Instagram: instagram.com/rfrancisoneFacebook: facebook.com/roger.francis.543LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/roger-francis-2a349612
Follow The Leadership Equation for more candid conversations about what it takes to lead people, execute strategy, and deliver results.
18 Aug 2026
Welcome to The Leadership Equation
In a fast moving world, high IQ and sharp strategy are no longer enough to lead effectively. Welcome to The Leadership Equation, hosted by Roger Francis, author of The Integrated Leader.
In this quick introduction to the show, Roger shares why he created the podcast and what you can expect from upcoming episodes. You will get a preview of the honest conversations ahead, exploring how the most successful leaders blend analytical intelligence with genuine emotional intelligence to build trust, inspire teams, and drive lasting success.
Subscribe now so you never miss an episode!
Grab your copy of The Integrated Leader on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H4F5RY8N
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