S2E4 - The Retail Leader Paradox: Leading Through Uncertainty with Steve Worthy
In this episode of Blade to Greatness, we sit down with Steve Worthy, founder and CEO of Worthy Retail Global and host of the Retail Leadership with Steve Worthy podcast, to unpack what he calls the Retail Leader Paradox, the hidden struggle retail leaders face when everyone assumes they’re fine, even when they’re leading through uncertainty every single day.
Steve shares insights from Worthy Retail Global’s 2025 Retail Leadership Development Study, revealing why so many experienced leaders quietly wrestle with doubt, pressure, and the belief that they must always have the answers. We explore why retail leadership often demands certainty even when the environment offers none, and how leaders can build confidence, clarity, and resilience.
From the power of vulnerability to the importance of functional mentorship, Steve breaks down the skills every leader needs to navigate disruption. He also explains why leading through uncertainty is not a weakness but a defining capability of modern retail leadership.
What You’ll Learn:
Why the Retail Leader Paradox affects leaders at every level
How to project certainty while leading through uncertainty
Why vulnerability is a leadership strength
How to build a network of functional mentors
Why self‑investment matters more than organizational training
How clarity before action transforms leadership impact
If you’re a retail leader navigating constant change, this episode gives you the tools to lead boldly, stay human, and grow with intention.
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Guest Spotlight:
Steve Worthy, Founder, Worthy Retail Global. Host of the Retail Leadership with Steve Worthy podcast.
Retail is moving faster than most leaders can process. Steve Worthy teaches them how to slow down their thinking so they can speed up their results because clarity always beats chaos. Steve is the Founder and CEO of Worthy Retail Global, where he helps senior retail leaders simplify growth by focusing on clarity before action and purpose before performance. Through The Campus and The Forge Accelerator, Steve puts his leadership philosophy into practice. He helps retail leaders and founders define reality, lead with confidence, and build cultures where clarity drives results.
He also partners with Competitor IQ to add a human intelligence lens to retail and banking insights. He uses mystery shopping and research programs to connect data to how people actually behave.
Steve believes leadership is not about doing more. It is about seeing more clearly and moving people forward with confidence.
Chapters
00:00 Previews
01:30 Show Intro
03:50 Welcome Steve Worthy
04:45 Understanding the Retail Leader Paradox
07:08 Navigating Uncertainty as a Leader
11:36 The Importance of Vulnerability and Mentorship
16:01 Self-Investment and Continuous Growth
16:45 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
17:39 Show Close
About your hosts
Helping you cut through the clutter and elevate your retail leadership skills!
Ricardo Belmar is an NRF Top Retail Voice for 2025 and a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert from 2021 – 2026. Thinkers 360 has named him a Top 10 Thought Leader in Retail and AGI, a Top 50 Thought Leader in Management, Careers, and Transformation, and a Top 100 Thought Leader in Agentic AI and Digital Transformation. Thinkers 360 also named him a Top Digital Voice for 2024 and 2025. He is an advisory council member at George Mason University’s Center for Retail Transformation and the Retail Cloud Alliance. He was most recently the partner marketing leader for retail & consumer goods in the Americas at Microsoft.
Casey Golden, is the North America Leader for Retail & Consumer Goods at CI&T, and CEO of Luxlock. She is a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert from 2023 - 2026, and Retail Cloud Alliance advisory council member. After a career on the fashion and supply chain technology side of the business, Casey is obsessed with the customer relationship between the brand and the consumer and is slaying franken-stacks and building retail tech!
Includes music provided by imunobeats.com, featuring Swag, Tag and Brag from the album Beat Hype, written by Heston Mimms, published by Imuno.
Transcript
00:00:01 --> 00:00:05 Ricardo Belmar: It's something that you've called the Retail Leader Paradox.
00:00:05 --> 00:00:08 And it's really about leading through uncertainty when everyone around you
00:00:08 --> 00:00:13 just assumes that you're doing just fine, but in reality, maybe not so much.
00:00:13 --> 00:00:19 Steve Worthy: a lot of leaders are, are in position and they are still struggling
00:00:19 --> 00:00:26 with knowing exactly how they need to show up, how they need to actually
00:00:26 --> 00:00:30 provide information because they're in such a, a, a leader or, or such a
00:00:30 --> 00:00:34 position of authority when asked about something, they need to know the answer.
00:00:35 --> 00:00:39 They, they feel that they need to know exactly how to answer X, Y,
00:00:39 --> 00:00:44 and Z, but a lot of them are still struggling with that process because
00:00:44 --> 00:00:47 a lot of 'em don't even have enough, the, the right person or right
00:00:47 --> 00:00:48 individual to actually go and talk to.
00:00:49 --> 00:00:53 there is no better way for you to learn as a leader than to be
00:00:53 --> 00:00:54 wrong in a certain situation.
00:00:54 --> 00:00:55 It's okay.
00:00:55 --> 00:00:56 It is going to happen.
00:00:57 --> 00:00:58 We're gonna, you're gonna get something wrong.
00:00:58 --> 00:01:00 You're gonna get a lot of things wrong.
00:01:00 --> 00:01:05 I've learned to, be vulnerable as a leader when I, I necessarily
00:01:05 --> 00:01:07 didn't think I had that skill.
00:01:07 --> 00:01:11 And when you're vulnerable as a leader, you will find individuals
00:01:11 --> 00:01:14 who will be able to come into your corner and, and actually help you.
00:01:15 --> 00:01:17 You have to make the investment in yourself first.
00:01:18 --> 00:01:24 We get so reliant upon organizations to teach, coach and train us, and we
00:01:24 --> 00:01:27 are expecting them to help us develop into the leader that we're supposed to.
00:01:28 --> 00:01:30 Not gonna happen, not gonna happen.
00:01:37 --> 00:01:39 Ricardo Belmar: Welcome to Blade to Greatness, the podcast where
00:01:39 --> 00:01:43 retail leaders sharpen their edge one critical skill at a time.
00:01:43 --> 00:01:47 As we uncover the essential traits every retail leader needs to thrive.
00:01:47 --> 00:01:48 I'm Ricardo Belmar.
00:01:48 --> 00:01:49 Casey Golden: And I'm Casey Golden.
00:01:50 --> 00:01:53 Each episode we're joined by a guest who brings one leadership skill into
00:01:53 --> 00:01:59 sharp focus, and today we're diving in to a challenge that every retail
00:01:59 --> 00:02:06 leader knows, but rarely talks about the paradox of leaning through uncertainty
00:02:06 --> 00:02:09 when everyone assumes you're fine.
00:02:09 --> 00:02:14 Ricardo Belmar: And that's exactly why we are excited to have Steve Worthy with us.
00:02:14 --> 00:02:19 Steve is the founder and CEO of Worthy Retail Global, where he helps senior
00:02:19 --> 00:02:23 retail leaders simplify growth by focusing on clarity before action
00:02:23 --> 00:02:25 and purpose before performance.
00:02:26 --> 00:02:29 Through The Campus and the Forge Accelerator, he's guided countless
00:02:29 --> 00:02:33 leaders to define reality, lead with confidence, and build cultures
00:02:33 --> 00:02:35 where clarity drives results.
00:02:35 --> 00:02:40 Casey Golden: Steve also partners with Competitor IQ, adding a human intelligent
00:02:40 --> 00:02:42 lens to retail and banking insights.
00:02:43 --> 00:02:47 He's seen firsthand how environment impacts retention, decision
00:02:47 --> 00:02:49 making, and team culture.
00:02:50 --> 00:02:55 From Worthy Retail Global's 2025 Retail Leadership Development Study,
00:02:56 --> 00:03:01 we've seen just how many experienced leaders carry the weight of constant
00:03:01 --> 00:03:07 disruption, quietly, believing they're supposed to already have all the answers.
00:03:08 --> 00:03:11 Ricardo Belmar: We're thrilled to have Steve here today to unpack this paradox
00:03:11 --> 00:03:15 and help us really understand what leaders are struggling with right now.
00:03:15 --> 00:03:18 Casey Golden: Now before we dive in, we have a quick ask for you.
00:03:18 --> 00:03:23 If you like our show, why not give us a five star rating and drop us
00:03:23 --> 00:03:27 a quick review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or Good pods?
00:03:27 --> 00:03:29 We really appreciate your support.
00:03:29 --> 00:03:32 Ricardo Belmar: And of course, if you do like this show, you owe it to
00:03:32 --> 00:03:36 yourself to check out the other shows in our Retail Razor Podcast Network.
00:03:37 --> 00:03:39 The Retail Razor Show, the original, of course, Retail
00:03:39 --> 00:03:41 Transformers and Data Blades.
00:03:42 --> 00:03:44 You can find them in your favorite podcast player or visit our YouTube
00:03:44 --> 00:03:46 channel, where you can find them all.
00:03:46 --> 00:03:47 Now, let's get into it.
00:03:47 --> 00:03:49 Here's our conversation with Steve Worthy.
00:03:56 --> 00:04:00 Casey Golden: Steve, welcome to the Blade to Greatness podcast.
00:04:00 --> 00:04:02 Steve Worthy: I am super excited to be here.
00:04:02 --> 00:04:04 I've been looking forward to this all week.
00:04:04 --> 00:04:07 Ricardo Belmar: Yeah we have, we've been so wanting to have you on the show for, I
00:04:07 --> 00:04:11 don't know how long now, Steve, especially on the Blade to Greatness podcast just to
00:04:11 --> 00:04:16 talk about all the leadership challenges and skills, every leader should master.
00:04:16 --> 00:04:19 If we think of an expert to bring on we immediately gravitate to you.
00:04:19 --> 00:04:21 So this is a thrill, real thrill to have you here.
00:04:24 --> 00:04:25 oh yeah.
00:04:25 --> 00:04:28 I, we, we know this is gonna be an energetic conversation
00:04:32 --> 00:04:33 a hundred percent.
00:04:36 --> 00:04:39 Steve Worthy: episode was, I mean, energy, we could another.
00:04:40 --> 00:04:41 Ricardo Belmar: Yeah, exactly.
00:04:41 --> 00:04:42 Exactly.
00:04:43 --> 00:04:44 Awesome.
00:04:44 --> 00:04:44 Awesome.
00:04:45 --> 00:04:48 So today's topic, we're gonna talk about something I think is really important
00:04:48 --> 00:04:50 for retail leaders to understand.
00:04:50 --> 00:04:53 It's something that you've called the Retail Leader Paradox.
00:04:53 --> 00:04:57 And it's really about leading through uncertainty when everyone around you
00:04:57 --> 00:05:02 just assumes that you're doing just fine, but in reality, maybe not so much.
00:05:02 --> 00:05:05 So talk to us a little bit more about this retail leader paradox.
00:05:05 --> 00:05:06 Steve Worthy: it's interesting.
00:05:06 --> 00:05:08 It came out of a study, right?
00:05:08 --> 00:05:10 So last year we wanted to do a study.
00:05:10 --> 00:05:15 We wanted to actually hear from the retail leaders in the field and not
00:05:15 --> 00:05:18 just in the States, but retailers, retail leaders, all, all over the world.
00:05:18 --> 00:05:22 So, we did a study, 600 and 21 different leaders all like
00:05:22 --> 00:05:23 I said, all over the globe.
00:05:23 --> 00:05:28 And it was interesting because what some of the things that came out of there
00:05:28 --> 00:05:30 was that we realized that didn't matter.
00:05:30 --> 00:05:32 The the geographic location.
00:05:32 --> 00:05:35 Like these leaders, these retail leaders are all still struggling
00:05:35 --> 00:05:37 with, with some of the same things.
00:05:37 --> 00:05:42 And what came out of it was the idea that a lot of leaders are in position
00:05:43 --> 00:05:50 and they are still struggling with knowing exactly how they need to show up.
00:05:50 --> 00:05:55 How they need to actually provide information because they're in such
00:05:55 --> 00:05:59 a, a leader or, or such a position of authority when asked about something,
00:05:59 --> 00:06:00 they need to know the answer.
00:06:01 --> 00:06:05 They feel that they need to know exactly how to answer X, Y, and Z,
00:06:06 --> 00:06:10 but a lot of them are still struggling with that process, because a lot
00:06:10 --> 00:06:13 of 'em don't even have enough the right person or right individual to
00:06:13 --> 00:06:16 actually go and talk to about some of the things that they're needing.
00:06:17 --> 00:06:21 So a lot of the comments that we received was around uncertainty.
00:06:21 --> 00:06:25 There was a lot of comments around, you know what, Steve, I actually
00:06:25 --> 00:06:28 know my job just enough to get by.
00:06:28 --> 00:06:31 But when I'm asked some tough questions, I don't know the answer.
00:06:32 --> 00:06:34 I need to find a solution.
00:06:34 --> 00:06:37 I need to find the right avenue in which I can actually have this answer.
00:06:37 --> 00:06:40 So what we've, we call it the Retail Leader Paradox.
00:06:40 --> 00:06:44 It's actually, being in a position to know, but a lot of times you don't
00:06:44 --> 00:06:46 know everything that you need to know.
00:06:46 --> 00:06:49 Casey Golden: Yeah, it's not like you go to, ex extra training
00:06:49 --> 00:06:50 every time you get a promotion.
00:06:50 --> 00:06:50 Right.
00:06:53 --> 00:06:53 Ricardo Belmar: If only,
00:06:55 --> 00:06:57 Steve Worthy: Yeah, exactly.
00:06:57 --> 00:07:00 Ricardo Belmar: well so how, how should leaders look at this, this uncertainty?
00:07:00 --> 00:07:04 How should you, what would you tell a leader that they should change in how they
00:07:04 --> 00:07:06 show up every day because of uncertainty.
00:07:07 --> 00:07:08 Steve Worthy: that's a great question.
00:07:08 --> 00:07:11 You know, I learned this a long time ago actually when I was in the military, and
00:07:11 --> 00:07:16 it's, it stuck with me is that even in uncertainty as leader has to be certain.
00:07:16 --> 00:07:20 And I remember one of my commanding officers telling me that, and I was like,
00:07:20 --> 00:07:21 I think I was 18 and 18 at the time.
00:07:21 --> 00:07:22 I said, what are you talking about?
00:07:22 --> 00:07:24 What does that, what does that even mean?
00:07:24 --> 00:07:26 How can you be certain in uncertainty?
00:07:26 --> 00:07:30 He said, Worthy, how do, how are you showing up each and every day, even
00:07:30 --> 00:07:34 when you don't have a lot of the information to make a solid decision?
00:07:35 --> 00:07:40 How are you providing reality for yourself and also for those that you're leading?
00:07:40 --> 00:07:41 That's extremely important.
00:07:41 --> 00:07:46 So showing up in uncertain times is really being able initially to define
00:07:46 --> 00:07:48 reality for yourself and for your team.
00:07:48 --> 00:07:49 Don't hold back.
00:07:50 --> 00:07:53 Don't hold any information that's going to be vital.
00:07:53 --> 00:07:55 To, to them as a leader for them to grow.
00:07:56 --> 00:07:58 And so when I heard that I heard that saying, I actually started,
00:07:58 --> 00:08:00 I've been using it my entire career.
00:08:00 --> 00:08:03 Now, even in uncertain times, you have to show up.
00:08:03 --> 00:08:07 You have to be certain partly because your team is looking for you.
00:08:07 --> 00:08:10 They're looking at you, they're looking for you at as that fixed
00:08:10 --> 00:08:13 point to understand where to go.
00:08:13 --> 00:08:17 How do they need to act, what do they need to be doing in this moment in time?
00:08:17 --> 00:08:21 And in the retail space there's no other training ground other than the military
00:08:21 --> 00:08:26 when it comes to being uncertain .When it comes to the changing of the guard.
00:08:26 --> 00:08:29 When it comes to new initiatives coming down from HQ that need to
00:08:29 --> 00:08:31 be implemented within 24 hours.
00:08:31 --> 00:08:34 There are, it's no better training ground.
00:08:34 --> 00:08:38 And so the retail leaders that I've been speaking with understand
00:08:38 --> 00:08:41 now that even when they're in there are uncertain moments.
00:08:41 --> 00:08:44 There have to be a measure of un of certainty as they communicate.
00:08:44 --> 00:08:46 Casey Golden: I think that's like a, that's a great quote.
00:08:47 --> 00:08:50 It's a great reference point also, if you are dealing with, we just
00:08:50 --> 00:08:52 came through like a pandemic.
00:08:52 --> 00:08:56 We've gone through political challenges, we've gone through economic
00:08:56 --> 00:09:03 challenges and it's just felt like 24 7 whiplash, like quarter after
00:09:03 --> 00:09:05 quarter, after quarter after quarter.
00:09:06 --> 00:09:06 Ricardo Belmar: Right.
00:09:07 --> 00:09:11 Casey Golden: And so we, it is a skill that just is flex.
00:09:12 --> 00:09:13 This is what I believe.
00:09:13 --> 00:09:14 This is where we're going.
00:09:14 --> 00:09:16 I'm certain of this, it might be wrong,
00:09:16 --> 00:09:17 Steve Worthy: Hmm.
00:09:17 --> 00:09:20 Casey Golden: But we're executing, and this is, this is the path we're taking.
00:09:21 --> 00:09:23 Steve Worthy: That's such a, that's, that's a, I love that
00:09:23 --> 00:09:25 you said that point around it.
00:09:25 --> 00:09:26 It could be wrong.
00:09:26 --> 00:09:30 I think that's the fear that we see, and I hear it all the time in the
00:09:30 --> 00:09:34 leaders that I coach in the companies that we train in, is that uncertainty,
00:09:34 --> 00:09:36 is that fear of being wrong.
00:09:36 --> 00:09:41 And I got, I gotta tell you, there is no better way for you to learn as a leader
00:09:41 --> 00:09:43 than to be wrong in a certain situation.
00:09:43 --> 00:09:44 It's okay.
00:09:44 --> 00:09:45 It is going to happen.
00:09:45 --> 00:09:47 We're gonna, you're gonna get something wrong.
00:09:47 --> 00:09:48 You're gonna get a lot of things wrong.
00:09:49 --> 00:09:51 I remember I was having a conversation with someone.
00:09:51 --> 00:09:54 I was mentoring and this was probably about 10 years ago.
00:09:54 --> 00:09:57 And we were sitting down having coffee and we're just talking about different things.
00:09:57 --> 00:10:01 And he said this to me, he said, Steve, you know, one of the thing I've realized
00:10:01 --> 00:10:05 is that 85% of the time that you talk and that the things that you give is something
00:10:05 --> 00:10:06 that you, when you got something wrong.
00:10:07 --> 00:10:08 I didn't even realize that.
00:10:09 --> 00:10:11 I didn't even realize that that was the conversation.
00:10:11 --> 00:10:12 Those were the things.
00:10:12 --> 00:10:16 But that once again, that, that conversation stuck with me because
00:10:16 --> 00:10:19 I think it, I think I realized that it was important for me to have
00:10:19 --> 00:10:21 conversations in context of when.
00:10:22 --> 00:10:26 I did fail, or I did get something wrong, or I did have a talent issue, or
00:10:26 --> 00:10:31 something along those lines because the success factors are easy to, you know,
00:10:31 --> 00:10:34 pump your chest out and talk about, but man, when you can get something
00:10:34 --> 00:10:39 wrong, a talent move, a store opening, a market visit, right from the CEO,
00:10:39 --> 00:10:41 all those different things matter.
00:10:41 --> 00:10:44 So being able to, to speak about when you're having a difficult
00:10:44 --> 00:10:47 time, I think it's more important for a leader especially nowadays.
00:10:47 --> 00:10:48 Ricardo Belmar: Yeah, that's a great point.
00:10:48 --> 00:10:50 So, that leads to another question.
00:10:50 --> 00:10:54 So even when you, do get things wrong and you might be inclined to
00:10:54 --> 00:10:56 second guess what your next step is.
00:10:56 --> 00:11:00 How do you think about who to turn to if you want to bounce ideas off, if you
00:11:00 --> 00:11:05 want help, if you want to talk things through, how do you identify who to go to?
00:11:05 --> 00:11:08 Steve Worthy: Yeah, that's a great question actually, our good friend,
00:11:08 --> 00:11:11 Ron Thurston and I were having this conversation a couple of weeks ago.
00:11:13 --> 00:11:15 I have been very fortunate, and I think he's been very fortunate too,
00:11:15 --> 00:11:20 in the context of having really good mentors and coaches in, in our career.
00:11:21 --> 00:11:24 Whether it's from the military or even when we, when I moved into
00:11:24 --> 00:11:27 the retail space, and I've had the same executive coach, Coach Perry
00:11:27 --> 00:11:28 for the last six, seven years.
00:11:29 --> 00:11:33 And I gotta tell you, I'm a, I've been a fan of coaching and
00:11:33 --> 00:11:36 mentoring because of that, because I've been a beneficiary of that.
00:11:36 --> 00:11:43 I think partly it's because, i've learned to be vulnerable as a leader when I
00:11:43 --> 00:11:45 necessarily didn't think I had that skill.
00:11:46 --> 00:11:49 And when you're vulnerable as a leader you will find individuals
00:11:49 --> 00:11:53 who will be able to come into your corner and actually help you.
00:11:53 --> 00:11:56 I also think it's important that you study leaders.
00:11:56 --> 00:11:59 I think it's important that you study those around you, you
00:11:59 --> 00:12:00 study those who are above you.
00:12:01 --> 00:12:04 I also think it's important that you study leaders who are outside of your market.
00:12:05 --> 00:12:10 A large part of the individuals that I've had within my corner to bounce ideas
00:12:10 --> 00:12:12 and things off of were not in a retail
00:12:12 --> 00:12:13 Ricardo Belmar: Mm-hmm.
00:12:13 --> 00:12:16 Steve Worthy: They were just solid leaders in telecommunications,
00:12:16 --> 00:12:18 sales, or whatever it may be.
00:12:18 --> 00:12:22 But I studied them whether they were somebody at church or somebody or
00:12:22 --> 00:12:24 a friend or a mutual acquaintance.
00:12:24 --> 00:12:27 But I really studied them to see how they made decisions and how
00:12:27 --> 00:12:29 they show how they would show up.
00:12:29 --> 00:12:32 And once I was able to determine that, oh my gosh, okay, Ricardo's that guy.
00:12:33 --> 00:12:37 I need Ricardo for X, y, and z. Then I would go to Ricardo for that.
00:12:37 --> 00:12:41 And this is, this leads into what we address with our training and on The
00:12:41 --> 00:12:46 Campus is that we feel that it's important for you to have a functional mentor.
00:12:46 --> 00:12:47 So it's not just a mentor.
00:12:48 --> 00:12:52 You need people who are very specific and geared towards operations,
00:12:53 --> 00:12:56 towards hr, towards diplomacy, right?
00:12:56 --> 00:12:57 Inside of an organization.
00:12:57 --> 00:13:00 We, there are so many different things that you need to know.
00:13:00 --> 00:13:01 How do you need to maneuver?
00:13:02 --> 00:13:03 Who do you need to have a conversation with?
00:13:03 --> 00:13:05 What does that conversation need to look like?
00:13:05 --> 00:13:09 So there needs to be intentionality when it comes to actually reaching out and
00:13:09 --> 00:13:11 having some of those functional mentors.
00:13:11 --> 00:13:12 So I think studying people.
00:13:13 --> 00:13:16 And also being very vulnerable with understanding what you lack
00:13:16 --> 00:13:18 so that you can actually get the right person to help you out.
00:13:19 --> 00:13:20 Ricardo Belmar: Yeah, that is important.
00:13:20 --> 00:13:24 And I love the point about how sometimes you need to look outside, right?
00:13:24 --> 00:13:27 Your immediate, obviously outside your organization, outside your market, just
00:13:27 --> 00:13:31 to get that different perspective from someone from the outside looking in at
00:13:31 --> 00:13:34 where you are, where they may come up with something completely unexpected
00:13:34 --> 00:13:36 that you would never have thought of.
00:13:36 --> 00:13:37 Steve Worthy: A hundred percent.
00:13:37 --> 00:13:39 It's like when you visit a store, right?
00:13:39 --> 00:13:41 Everybody would get amazed when, you fly into town and you walk
00:13:41 --> 00:13:44 a store and they're like you can see things that they couldn't see.
00:13:44 --> 00:13:46 And I was like, this, listen to me I'm not gifted.
00:13:46 --> 00:13:47 It's just the fact that you.
00:13:48 --> 00:13:49 Ricardo Belmar: You're in the middle of it.
00:13:49 --> 00:13:51 Steve Worthy: Yeah, you're in the middle of it every day, so you don't see it.
00:13:51 --> 00:13:55 So you're walking past it Here I come in and I feel like I'm the superstar.
00:13:55 --> 00:13:55 They think I'm the superstar.
00:13:55 --> 00:13:56 It's that's not it.
00:13:57 --> 00:13:59 And I think that's, it's the same thing holds true for mentors
00:13:59 --> 00:14:00 and for people around you.
00:14:01 --> 00:14:02 They can see a lot of things.
00:14:02 --> 00:14:07 Oh my gosh, my coach, he can, oh my gosh, he can, we, before we even sit
00:14:07 --> 00:14:10 down to have a conversation, he's already telling me about myself.
00:14:10 --> 00:14:13 Because he can see things in me.
00:14:13 --> 00:14:16 He understands my patterns, he understands how I think and how I see things.
00:14:18 --> 00:14:19 Say, Steve, let's talk about this.
00:14:19 --> 00:14:20 And I'm like, how did you even know?
00:14:21 --> 00:14:22 So it's so important.
00:14:22 --> 00:14:25 People that are probably outside of your, outside of your, your industry..
00:14:25 --> 00:14:26 Ricardo Belmar: Yeah.
00:14:27 --> 00:14:30 So o one thing I feel like I'm hearing too, from what you're describing, even
00:14:30 --> 00:14:35 in, in getting through uncertainty and having to show up and show certainty to
00:14:35 --> 00:14:38 help other, to lead others through that uncertainty, at what point is it okay
00:14:38 --> 00:14:43 to recognize that maybe you're not fine and, and you need to do something else?
00:14:44 --> 00:14:45 Steve Worthy: That's such a good question.
00:14:45 --> 00:14:47 That's such a good question.
00:14:47 --> 00:14:51 My team, they would often they would say, Steve, I hate when you say this, but it's,
00:14:51 --> 00:14:56 but they realize that it was true, is that you have to change before it's necessary.
00:14:56 --> 00:15:01 I think in do, in that, in, in that scene and in that idea it requires
00:15:01 --> 00:15:05 you to do a lot of introspection, 360 degrees assessments.
00:15:05 --> 00:15:09 All of those different things bevo be available for feedback, all
00:15:09 --> 00:15:10 those different aspects, right?
00:15:10 --> 00:15:14 Because if you're not, then you are not going to see when
00:15:14 --> 00:15:15 it's time for you to change.
00:15:15 --> 00:15:16 And I say that because.
00:15:17 --> 00:15:21 Especially in the retail space things happen so quickly and
00:15:21 --> 00:15:23 we get things get commoditized.
00:15:23 --> 00:15:28 Our leadership style, our communication style, how we talk to people,
00:15:28 --> 00:15:31 how we may see this individual show up and how we show up.
00:15:31 --> 00:15:36 Because we get commoditized because we have to hurry up and change and morph
00:15:36 --> 00:15:40 into the new offerings and into, and the new changes that are taking place.
00:15:40 --> 00:15:45 And so in, in actual, in doing that, we morph into this person.
00:15:45 --> 00:15:49 But before, if we want to grow, if we want to do anything more, we have to figure out
00:15:49 --> 00:15:52 what are the things that we're missing, what are the current gaps that we have?
00:15:53 --> 00:15:56 And you have to be very open and honest with yourself.
00:15:56 --> 00:15:59 You get that information, you get that feedback, and I tell
00:15:59 --> 00:16:01 this all the time to people.
00:16:01 --> 00:16:03 You have to make the investment in yourself first.
00:16:04 --> 00:16:10 We get so reliant upon organizations to teach, coach and train us, and we
00:16:10 --> 00:16:13 are expecting them to help us develop into the leader that we're supposed to.
00:16:14 --> 00:16:16 Not gonna happen, not gonna happen.
00:16:16 --> 00:16:21 They are gonna help you develop and grow according to their parameters,
00:16:21 --> 00:16:24 according to who they are and what they really wanna stand for.
00:16:24 --> 00:16:28 But you as a leader, you need to understand the bigger scope of your
00:16:28 --> 00:16:32 leadership prowess and how you can impact not just the people around you,
00:16:32 --> 00:16:36 but people that are actually outside of your sphere of influence, because
00:16:36 --> 00:16:39 that's the most important parts, not just the people that are around you.
00:16:40 --> 00:16:43 People that are outside just your sphere of influence, how are you addressing that?
00:16:44 --> 00:16:44 Ricardo Belmar: Yeah.
00:16:44 --> 00:16:45 Yeah, that's a great point.
00:16:45 --> 00:16:49 Steve, as I, I knew this would be, this has been such an enlightening discussion.
00:16:49 --> 00:16:52 Oh, thank you so much for highlighting what I think is
00:16:52 --> 00:16:53 an incredibly important topic.
00:16:53 --> 00:16:56 I'm sure almost every retail leader is at some point dealing
00:16:56 --> 00:16:58 with this maybe right now.
00:16:58 --> 00:17:02 And needs to overcome and master their ability to work through that uncertainty.
00:17:02 --> 00:17:03 Steve Worthy: Yeah.
00:17:03 --> 00:17:03 No, thanks.
00:17:03 --> 00:17:04 Thanks for having me.
00:17:04 --> 00:17:05 I'm excited, man.
00:17:05 --> 00:17:07 For people to learn a little bit more about themselves so that they can
00:17:07 --> 00:17:08 move forward to where they need to.
00:17:09 --> 00:17:12 Casey Golden: think it's always a nice thing to, do some looking
00:17:12 --> 00:17:14 in come the end of the year.
00:17:14 --> 00:17:17 I think we can all take a beat for that one.
00:17:17 --> 00:17:20 So, Steve, just great insights.
00:17:20 --> 00:17:22 I have no doubt you'll be a new fan favorite.
00:17:24 --> 00:17:30 Thank you for, for sharing your energy and starting such a inspiring conversation.
00:17:30 --> 00:17:33 One that we should probably be having with ourselves and
00:17:33 --> 00:17:35 finding some mentors around us.
00:17:35 --> 00:17:36 Steve Worthy: Outstanding.
00:17:36 --> 00:17:39 Casey Golden: Ricardo, I'd say that this episode is a wrap.
00:17:46 --> 00:17:50 If you enjoyed today's episode, please give us a five star rating and review on
00:17:50 --> 00:17:53 Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Good pods.
00:17:53 --> 00:17:57 And don't forget to hit subscribe on your favorite podcast player or on
00:17:57 --> 00:18:00 YouTube so you never miss an episode.
00:18:00 --> 00:18:01 I'm Casey Golden.
00:18:01 --> 00:18:03 Ricardo Belmar: We'd love to hear from you.
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00:18:15 --> 00:18:17 more details about our amazing guests.
00:18:18 --> 00:18:21 Blade to Greatness is part of the Retail Razor Podcast Network.
00:18:21 --> 00:18:22 I'm Ricardo Belmar.
00:18:22 --> 00:18:24 Casey Golden: Thanks for joining us.
00:18:24 --> 00:18:27 Ricardo Belmar: Until next time, Stay Sharp, Lead Boldly, and Stay Human.
00:18:28 --> 00:18:30 This is The Retail Razor Blade to Greatness.