Ep. 601 - Your First Team

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 COO Alliance. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.

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