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Leadership development for everyone in the blue collar workforce, those who support them, and those who lead them. Leadership is influence. Influence is built daily, not in a day. There are two types of influence: 1) Artificial influence which comes with a title, position, or rank and is reserved for those who have formal authority over others; and 2) Authentic influence which is based on a person's character and the relationships they build, and it's available to anyone with or without a position of authority because it's based on moral authority (who you are and how you do what you do).
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Max Storey connects leadership principles to shop-floor competence, personal conduct, employee development, and the daily work of earning trust.
Max Storey turns leadership development into a practical study of conduct, competence, and responsibility. His solo teaching draws heavily on a series built around his wife's book, The Ladder of Influence, moving from self-control and character toward developing other people and…
From CNC programs to people development: your title can sit this one out.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A plainspoken lesson on why influence gets harder to carry, not easier.
Episode 459 deals with the rougher end of the climb: once influence grows, character has to keep up. Max Storey uses Rhea Storey's Ladder of Influence framework to make that point plain, and the series keeps its eye on character rather than rank or title.
A steady case for leadership beyond title, with service over time framed as the route to legacy.
This episode keeps its focus on a simple idea: success is not the end point, and service over time is what starts to look like legacy. It frames that point through the host's wife's Ladder of Influence series, then connects it to leadership that begins with self-development and…
Leadership here means serving the people in front of you without making the role about yourself.
Episode 457 keeps its focus on chapter 23, part 24 of The Ladder of Influence, and Max Storey frames the fourth step as a check on motive. Development, in his view, should help people do their own work well, not quietly serve the leader's agenda.
A steady coaching lesson about asking better questions before offering answers.
Max Storey keeps the episode grounded in a simple idea: people who want to help others grow at work have to keep learning themselves. His use of Rhea's PATH model feels practical rather than ornamental, especially when he shows how better questions can surface a real problem…
Listening before replying is what lets trust take root.
Max Storey keeps the chapter focused on one plain idea: listening has to come before replying if trust is going to hold. He moves through the fourth step at home, leans on Ria's checklist, and keeps circling the same practical habit: wait for the other person to finish, do not…
Character, growth, and the danger of settling shape this chapter on developing others.
Max Storey keeps the focus on a plain but useful shift: moving from doing the work alone to helping other people do it well. In Chapter 20, actually Part 21, of The Ladder of Influence, he frames the fourth step as a commitment to developing others, with character at the center…
Competency development matters here because character and trust are what keep influence honest.
Blue Collar Leadership treats episode 452 as a stop in a long run through The Ladder of Influence, with competency development as the third step.
A steady reminder that competence still comes down to character, quality, and helping others succeed.
Blue Collar Leadership keeps its focus on the third step at work, where results, follow-through, and helping coworkers succeed carry the load.
Stephen Dubner tests bourbon economics, Alzheimer's research, and money advice against hard data.
Daily business news with Kai Ryssdal, tracking Fed policy, oil shocks, and private credit.
Galloway rotates Office Hours Q&A, Raging Moderates politics, and China Decode geopolitics weekly.
Joel and Matt answer listener money questions weekly in the show's Ask HTM segments.
Brené Brown's long-form conversations linking grief, caregiving, politics, and nonviolence to her vulnerability research.
In this 500th episode, host Max Storey reunites with Derek Brown to discuss authentic leadership in blue-collar industries.
Max Storey and Ria discuss the Blue Collar Leadership book series, providing an overview and roadmap for starting leadership development.
Host Max Dorey honors the late Bob Chapman, a model of high-impact leadership, by sharing 50 quotes from his quote file.
The ladder gets steeper near the top.
Max Storey discusses the fifth step of the Ladder of Influence, focusing on leaving a legacy through lifelong service rather than mere success.
Max Storey discusses Chapter 23 from his wife Ria's book, focusing on mastering the fourth step of influence by narrowing your focus and staying in your lane.
Max Storey discusses how developing yourself enables you to develop others, using Rhea's PATH coaching model from 'The Ladder of Influence' to teach asking questions instead of giving answers.
Max Storey discusses how listening strengthens relationships, focusing on empathic listening, asking questions, and practical steps from Ria's checklist to build trust and influence at home and work.
Max Storey discusses the five requirements for developing others based on his wife Ria's book, emphasizing character over competency.
This episode focuses on mastering competency development as the third step in the Ladder of Influence, emphasizing that character and competency build trust for authentic influence.
Max Storey discusses competency development at work as part of the ladder of influence series, emphasizing that character underpins effective competency.
Max Storey discusses competency development at home using Ria's book, focusing on closing gaps between expectations and reality in family roles.
Host Max Storey discusses step three of the ladder of influence: competency development.
Max Storey discusses the importance of character and authentic influence in leadership, continuing a series on Rhea's book 'The Ladder of Influence'.
This episode discusses developing character at work, using a checklist from the book 'The Ladder of Influence' to improve authentic influence.
Max Storey discusses developing character at home as the second step on the ladder of influence, emphasizing consistency over intent.
Max Storey shares original quotes about character and leadership for blue-collar workers.
Host Max Storey interviews Brandon Cluthie about his leadership journey and the importance of authentic influence in the blue-collar workforce.
Host Max Storey interviews Jim McEwen about leadership and making things happen in a blue-collar context.
Max Storey discusses supporting sales by being there for customers, emphasizing character and influence in blue-collar leadership.