Stories from the Frontline

About Stories from the Frontline

Stories From the Frontline is a podcast about real leadership, real work, and the lessons that shape our lives. Hosted by Todd Roberts, leadership coach, author, and frontline leader with 33 years of real-world management experience, this show goes beyond leadership theory and corporate buzzwords to explore the human side of growth, work, culture, and success. Each episode features honest conversations, practical wisdom, and real stories from frontline leaders, small business owners, entrepreneurs, graduates, and everyday people learning how to lead, grow, and navigate life with intention. From leadership lessons and mindset shifts to business journeys and personal turning points, there’s a lesson in every story. If you are tired of fake guru advice and want authentic conversations that challenge the way you lead, work, and live, this podcast is for you.

Publisher

Todd Roberts

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

26 May 2026

Latest episode

19 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

13 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   19 Aug 2026

   How to be a Better Manager (Even With No Support)

   What do you do when nobody is teaching you how to be a better manager? When I was a young manager, I wanted to lead better, build trust, handle conflict, motivate people, and get better results — but I did not have a coach or mentor showing me how. So I found mentors in books. In this episode, I introduce you to my “coaching team” and share the leadership lessons I learned from Vince Lombardi, John Maxwell, Stephen Covey, Dale Carnegie, Simon Sinek, Zig Ziglar, and others. You’ll hear four lessons that shaped the way I lead today: Lead yourself first. Stop waiting. Leadership can be learned. How you treat people matters. Most importantly, you do not have to wait for your company, your boss, or HR to decide when you are going to grow. A book sitting on your shelf cannot mentor you. You have to take what you learn and use it. Nobody may be developing you right now. But you can start developing yourself today. What are you reading right now? #HowToBeABetterManager #NewManager #ManagerTraining #LeadershipDevelopment #LeadershipBooks

2. 

   13 Aug 2026

   The Secret To A Team That Actually Shows Up

   Frontline managers and supervisors: if people problems, employee engagement, accountability, turnover, and team performance are making leadership harder than it should be, this video is for you. Learn 3 leadership skills for managers that can improve people management, team management, employee engagement, and team performance: Clarify. Connect. Coach. Most managers eventually feel like people are the problem. Someone calls in. Someone quits. Someone is not trained. Someone is not meeting expectations. Two employees are in conflict. And somehow, it all ends up back on the manager. But strong team leadership starts with understanding how to lead people better. In this video, you’ll learn how to: Clarify expectations so employees know what success looks like Build real connection that improves engagement, effort, and retention Coach employees to solve problems and take more ownership Improve accountability without losing the human side of leadership Build a stronger team without solving every problem yourself One of the biggest lessons in people management is this: People can become your biggest problem or your greatest asset. Leadership determines which one they become. This video is for frontline managers, supervisors, new managers, team leaders, and anyone looking for practical leadership skills for managers. If you want to improve your team management skills, employee engagement, leadership skills, and people management, start with these three: Clarify. Connect. Coach. #LeadershipSkills #PeopleManagement #FrontlineManager #TeamManagement #SupervisorTraining #EmployeeEngagement

3. 

   3 Aug 2026

   Managers, You’re Tired for a Reason: The Turnover Trap No One Talks About

   Many managers start the day tired, work long hours, get very little sleep, and repeat the same cycle the next day. But what if your exhaustion is not just a workload problem? For many frontline managers and supervisors, employee turnover becomes their workload. Every resignation creates another uncovered position, another schedule to change, another employee to train, and another day spent filling gaps instead of leading, developing, and engaging the team. The cycle looks like this: Turnover creates more work. More work leaves less time to lead. Less leadership creates a weaker employee experience. A weaker employee experience creates more turnover. In this episode of Stories from the Frontline, Todd Roberts explains why manager exhaustion and employee turnover are often connected—and how frontline leaders can begin breaking the cycle through four practical leadership actions: Know your people. Engage your people. Develop your people. Delegate responsibility. You do not have to accept being tired as the price of leadership. The goal is to build a team that shows up, grows stronger, gets results, and makes your job and life more sustainable. Join The Frontline Leader Community and start free: https://www.skool.com/frontline-leader-community-5779/about (https://www.skool.com/frontline-leader-community-5779/about) Advanced training, coaching, tools, and practical leadership systems are available for less than the cost of one energy drink a day. Books for frontline leaders: How to Be a Great Leader https://a.co/d/0hbWbFqi (https://a.co/d/0hbWbFqi) Build a Team People Want to Show Up For https://a.co/d/0axIojJy (https://a.co/d/0axIojJy) Follow Stories from the Frontline for practical leadership training, new manager tips, employee engagement strategies, employee retention ideas, and real stories from the frontline.

4. 

   27 Jul 2026

   Managers: The Failure That Never Happened Is Keeping You Stuck

   Managers and supervisors: fear of failure may be keeping you stuck before you ever even try. In this episode of Stories from the Frontline, Todd Roberts uses the SpaceX story to challenge the way managers think about failure, regret, perfectionism, and growth. SpaceX did not expect every early test to work perfectly. The goal was to test, learn, find failure points, and make the next attempt better. The same is true in leadership. You may be avoiding: Applying for a promotion Having a difficult conversation Delegating responsibility Changing a broken process Starting something you have talked about for years Fear may protect you from rejection, criticism, and mistakes. But it may also protect you from growth, opportunity, confidence, and success. Todd also shares how fear affected decisions in his own career and why regret can last longer than failure. The belief shift is simple: If you never try, you may never discover what you were capable of. This episode is for managers and supervisors who know they can do more, but fear, overthinking, or perfectionism keeps making the decision. Stop wondering. Start trying. Join the Frontline Leader Community: https://www.skool.com/frontline-leader-community-5779/about (https://www.skool.com/frontline-leader-community-5779/about) Learn more: https://transformleadershipcoach.com (https://transformleadershipcoach.com) Lead well. Live well.

5. 

   20 Jul 2026

   Make Your Job Easier: The Question Every Manager Should Ask

   What would your job look like if your employees showed up, stayed, knew what to do, and actually wanted to be there? After asking a group of frontline managers what would make their jobs easier, nearly everyone gave the same answer. Their response revealed why so many managers remain trapped in survival mode—covering call-outs, training replacements, correcting repeated mistakes, and putting out fires all day. In Episode 9 of Stories from the Frontline, Todd Roberts explores the leadership choices that can make your job easier tomorrow and six months from now. You’ll hear: Why orientation is not the same as onboarding What new employees need during their first week Why engagement is not a pizza party How small moments of connection influence retention Why strong workplace culture can be felt before it is explained How investing five minutes today may save weeks of replacement hiring later The challenge is simple: What can you do today to make your job easier tomorrow—or six months from now? Stop becoming a better firefighter. Start creating fewer fires. https://www.skool.com/frontline-leader-community-5779/about (https://www.skool.com/frontline-leader-community-5779/about) How to Be a Great Leader https://a.co/d/0hbWbFqi (https://a.co/d/0hbWbFqi) Build a Team People Want to Show Up For https://a.co/d/0hbWbFqi (https://a.co/d/0hbWbFqi) Learn more about Todd Roberts, leadership coaching, workshops, and resources: https://transformleadershipcoach.com (https://transformleadershipcoach.com) #StoriesFromTheFrontline #FrontlineLeader #LeadershipPodcast #Management #EmployeeEngagement #WorkplaceCulture #NewManagers #EmployeeRetention

6. 

   14 Jul 2026

   When You're Finally Tired Enough to Change

   What happens when you finally get tired of waiting for someone else to change your situation? In this episode of Stories from the Frontline, Todd Roberts shares the turning points that changed his leadership, career, and life. From watching other operations receive recognition, to missing the same promotion four times, earning an MBA, writing a leadership book, and starting Transform Coaching, each breakthrough began with the same decision: Stop waiting and take ownership of what happens next. This episode is for the manager or supervisor who feels stuck, overlooked, exhausted, or unsure what to do next. You may not control everything around you, but you are not powerless. You can develop yourself. You can change how you lead. You can take the next step. Join the free Frontline Leader Community for practical tools, real conversations, coaching, and support for managers and supervisors: https://www.skool.com/frontline-leader-community-5779/about (https://www.skool.com/frontline-leader-community-5779/about) What are you finally tired enough to change? #Leadership #Managers #Supervisors #FrontlineLeadership #CareerDevelopment

7. 

   7 Jul 2026

   Managers: Leadership Wasn’t Supposed to Feel Like This | Stories from the Frontline Ep. 7

   Stories from the Frontline, Episode 7: Managers, leadership wasn’t supposed to feel like this. If you’ve ever been promoted into management and thought, “Why does leadership feel this hard?” this episode is for you. Todd Roberts shares his story of becoming a supervisor at 20 years old, being promoted but not prepared, and learning that working harder is not the same as leading better. This episode speaks directly to managers, supervisors, and team leaders who feel overwhelmed, undertrained, and stuck reacting to the same problems every day. Leadership was never meant to feel like survival. You don’t have to figure it out alone. Join the free Frontline Leader Community: https://www.skool.com/frontline-leader-community-5779/about Get the book, How to Be a Great Leader: https://a.co/d/053PPiSQThe Frontline Leader Playbook: Build a Team People Want to Show Up For https://a.co/d/0d4Db9gY #Managers #Supervisors #Leadership #FrontlineLeadership #ManagementTraining

8. 

   29 Jun 2026

   The Leadership Lesson Nobody Warned You About. Every Manager Changes Lives

   Every manager changes lives. Whether you realize it or not, your leadership doesn't end when the shift is over. It follows your team home, and it follows you home too. In this episode, Todd Roberts shares real stories from more than 33 years of leadership to explore the hidden impact every manager has on employees, families, and their own life. You'll discover why burnout isn't a badge of honor, why the best leaders protect people's dignity, and how one simple decision can change the direction of an entire team. If you've ever felt overwhelmed, reactive, or wondered whether leadership is costing you more than it's giving you, this episode will challenge the way you think about leading. Because every manager changes lives. The only question is... which direction? Join the Fronline Leader Community: https://www.skool.com/frontline-leader-community-5779/about Get the book How to Be A Great Leader https://a.co/d/0eyQXzNq

9. 

   22 Jun 2026

   When the Job Gets Posted, It's Already Too Late

   You applied for your dream job. Again. You did everything right. And the call still wasn't for you. In Episode 5 of Stories from the Frontline, Todd Roberts tells the story of the operation that changed his entire career, a building so short-staffed and burnt out it felt like filling a hole full of sand, scooping it out only to watch it fill back in. While other managers worked brutal hours and left nothing changed behind them, Todd made one different decision, and it's the decision that got him noticed before a job ever existed. This episode breaks down the three things that actually get you picked: Stand Out. Get Results. Get Promoted. Real story, real leadership, a lesson you can use starting tomorrow. If you've ever walked out of an interview wondering what else you were supposed to do, this episode is for you. Join the community for Frontline managers:https://www.skool.com/frontline-leader-community-5779/about

10. 

    15 Jun 2026

    Lead Well. Live Well. — The Balance Every Frontline Manager Needs

    Most frontline managers are working 60, 70, sometimes 80 hours a week. Missing their kids. Coming home exhausted. Running on energy drinks and stress. And calling it dedication. It's not dedication. It's a slow disaster. In Episode 4 of Stories from the Frontline, Todd Roberts gets personal. After 30 years of marriage, two kids, and 33 years of leading frontline teams — he shares the philosophy that made him different from almost every manager around him. Your job should fund your life. Not replace it. This episode covers why working more hours makes you a worse manager not a better one, the real cost of getting the balance wrong — marriages, health, and family, why hours are not a badge of honor and what great leadership actually looks like, the Frontline Leader Manifesto and what it means to be a frontline leader, why nobody is coming to develop you and what to do about it, and why you are the most important person in your organization. This is the episode Todd wishes someone had played for him at 22 years old. If you're a frontline manager who wants to lead well and live well — this one is for you. We have a free community built just for you. Check it out. https://www.skool.com/frontline-leader-community-5779/about

11. 

    9 Jun 2026

    The Revolving Door | Stories from the Frontline Ep. 3

    Frontline managers are losing the battle before the shift even starts. High turnover. Constant hiring. Endless training. And the moment you get someone up to speed — they're gone. You're right back where you started. That's the revolving door. And it's the number one reason frontline managers stay short-staffed, reactive, and stuck working two levels below where they should be. In Episode 3 of Stories from the Frontline, Todd Roberts — 33 year frontline leadership veteran, author, and Maxwell certified coach — breaks down exactly why the revolving door keeps spinning and what to do about it. You'll learn why most turnover happens in the first 30 days, the real cost of turnover that never shows up on a spreadsheet, why out-hiring a retention problem never works, and the four step framework to stop the revolving door and build a team that actually stays. This episode is for frontline managers, supervisors, and team leaders who are tired of training the same position over and over — and are ready to build something that lasts. Checkout the community built for Frontline Leaders like you: https://www.skool.com/frontline-leader-community-5779/about

12. 

    1 Jun 2026

    You Can't Fix Anything Until You Fix This First

    You can't fix your culture until you fix this. You can't fix your results until you fix this. You can't fix your career until you fix this. The answer? Your people aren't showing up. And everything else you try to build falls apart without it. In Episode 2 of Stories from the Frontline, Todd Roberts — 33 year frontline leadership veteran and author of How to Be a Great Leader — breaks down the real reason most managers stay stuck in constant firefighting mode. Short staffed. Overwhelmed. Always working a level below where they should be. This episode covers exactly why people stop showing up — and the three things any manager can start doing tomorrow morning to fix it. No theory. No fluff. Real stories from 33 years on the frontline and practical tools you can use before your next shift starts. If you're a frontline manager who's tired of just getting by — this episode is for you.

13. 

    26 May 2026

    Lead Different for Your Team

    Most managers were never trained on the most important part of their job — the people. And it shows. In this first episode of Stories from the Frontline of Leadership, Todd Roberts pulls back the curtain on 33 years of leading frontline teams for one of the largest transportation companies in the world. You'll hear the real story behind how a 20 year old supervisor with no training, no mentor, and a revolving door of bad bosses built one of the most engaged and highest performing operations in his company. How being passed over for promotion four times became the turning point that launched a mission. And why focusing on people first — before results — saved over twelve million dollars and built best in class results year after year. This episode is for the manager who is frustrated, overlooked, and trying to figure it out alone. You don't have to figure it out alone anymore. Topics covered:The real crisis behind low employee engagementWhy 82% of managers fail before they startThe two types of managers — and which one wins long termHow people first leadership saved twelve million dollarsThe moment everything changed Be a part of the Frontline Leader Community https://www.skool.com/frontline-leader-community-5779/about (https://www.skool.com/frontline-leader-community-5779/about) Community discussion, Q&A, Online Courses, Coaching, Mentoring. Home to the Unfair Advantage for managers.

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Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.