Episode Details

What if the most important team you lead is not the one you actually run?

In this solo episode, Cameron Herold tells the story of coaching a 400-person company that had become the best place to work in its state, then watched politics spread through the leadership team like black mold. Silos, turf wars, and finger-pointing crept in right as the company scaled.

His fix starts with one shift: your leadership team is your first team, not the department you run. Cameron breaks down the exact systems he used at 1-800-GOT-JUNK to keep leaders aligned, from weekly shout-outs and a shared dashboard to a rallying cry, offsite quarters, and even a giant Monopoly board.

If your leaders are protecting their own turf instead of winning together, this one is for you. Listen now.

Sponsored by:

Cadre AI – Helping business leaders identify the highest-impact opportunities for AI and implement strategies that drive greater efficiency, profitability, and revenue.

Learn more: https://cadreai.com

Timestamped Highlights

• [01:04] - The leadership idea Cameron spent years figuring out before sharing it
• [01:27] - The Florida company he grew 10x, then watched get infected
• [01:56] - The black mold that spreads across even the best places to work
• [02:34] - Why a wide receiver's most important team is not the offense
• [02:59] - The first team rule every 1-800-GOT-JUNK leader lived by
• [03:44] - The 15-second weekly habit that quietly kills silos
• [05:05] - The rallying cry that pulls leaders out of their own turf
• [05:55] - The death zone between 30 and 100 employees, and the trap inside it
• [07:23] - Why your best quarterly planning never happens in the office
• [08:07] - Why one simple dashboard beats sixty scattered metrics
• [09:29] - The giant Monopoly board that turned projects into a team game
• [11:30] - Flip your org chart upside down, and see who lands at the bottom

Mentioned Resources

• 1-800-GOT-JUNK (the company Cameron helped build and scale)
• BlueGrace Logistics (the Florida company in the coaching story)
• YPO (Young Presidents' Organization)

Important Links

• Connect with Cameron: Website | LinkedIn
• Explore the COO Alliance - The World’s Leading Community for Seconds in Command
• Get Cameron’s book: Second in Command, Unleash the Power of Your COO Book
• Claim your FREE copy: Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO Book
• Take his course: Invest In Your Leaders Online Course (Use promo code PODCAST10 before the end of the month for 10% off)
• Chat or video call with AI Cameron via Delphi

The Second in Command Podcast is an original production hosted by Cameron Herold. Brought to you by