The “sic” Leadership Series Truth. Sarcasm. Leadership Unfiltered.

Pop Culture, Satire, and Unfiltered Lessons for Modern Leaders

The “sic” Leadership Series is where real leadership meets sarcasm, pop culture, and uncomfortable truths. Created by Chris Poyzer, MSW, these stories and rants blend tongue-in-cheek humor with sharp insight, challenging leaders to see what really drives results—and what gets in their way. If you’re tired of sugarcoated management tips, “best practices” that never deliver, or leadership advice that ignores the real human mess of work, this is your corner. Grab a seat, expect a smirk, and get ready for leadership lessons you’ll actually remember (and maybe even laugh about later).

Tolerating Ken: Why Your Culture Needs a Spark Plug

The Cost of Fragile Cultures in High-Performance Organizations

What happens when your team finally gets the high performer you say you want—but can’t stand the friction they bring? This episode of the “sic” Leadership Series uses the story of Ken Miles from Ford v Ferrari to unpack why most organizations struggle to handle true excellence. Ken Miles didn’t fit the mold, didn’t play politics, and didn’t make people comfortable—he just made the car win. If your culture can’t hold tension, forgive outbursts, or accept a little chaos, you’re not building a race team—you’re building a parking lot. Find out why real leadership means making space for the spark plugs, not just the yes-men, and how conflict (done right) is the secret to winning big.

🎧 Listen to the episode: “Tolerating Ken: Why Your Culture Needs a Spark Plug” — Audio Version (MP3)

" It’s Not Personal. It’s Strictly Business."

Why Pretending Work Isn’t Personal Is the Real Fiction

Everyone loves quoting The Godfather: “It’s not personal, it’s strictly business.” But what if that’s the most misunderstood line in leadership? In this sic Leadership Series episode, Chris Poyzer unpacks the myth that business can ever be “just business.” From Cadillac lunch loyalty tests to the reality of bosses who literally hold your livelihood in their hands, this episode serves up sarcasm, smirks, and a heavy dash of reality. Because the workplace is more personal than most leaders want to admit—and if you ignore that, you’re missing the real drama (and the real risk) of leadership.

🎧 Listen to the episode: “It’s Not Personal. It’s Strictly Business.” — Audio Version (MP3)

Leadership Illusion: 45% Reality

Why Leaders Control Less Than They Think

Every leader wrestles with the same delusion—that their decisions, vision, and expensive MBA control outcomes. The research tells a different story: you influence roughly 45% of results, while the remaining 55% belongs to market forces, timing, luck, and whatever curveball the universe decides to throw next. This isn't about diminishing leadership; it's about distinguishing between genuine influence and the dangerous fairy tale that you're the puppet master of every outcome. For executives who've built their identity around being the decisive factor (and have the corner office to prove it), this reality check explores what authentic leadership looks like when you own your 45%, acknowledge the chaos you can't control, and stop letting either success or failure feed your ego's favorite bedtime story. Because the most dangerous leader isn't the one who lacks control—it's the one who thinks they have it all, probably convinced they're calling every shot from their executive perch.

Key Insights: "If you think you're calling all the shots, try living off a forecast of 'partly sunny with a chance of humility.'"

"Sometimes leadership is just as stubborn—refusing what doesn't fit our script, even when it's exactly what the moment calls for."

🎧 Listen to "The Leadership Illusion"

The “sic” Leadership Series Truth. Sarcasm. Leadership Unfiltered.

Cardinal Point Leadership