Mainline Executive Coaching ACT
Steam Locomotives were some of the most powerful machines ever built. They represented vision, ingenuity, collaboration, and extraordinary human achievement. However, to get to the next destination, they had to be directed to the mainline. This required someone directing the train through a series of switches to reach the right destination. Just like these amazing machines, leaders and organizations alike need the right direction and “switching” to reach their destinations—this is the essence of Intelligent Leadership® (IL). IL is a transformational, results-driven leadership growth philosophy and process that ignites, cultivates, and polishes an individual’s heart, mind, and soul in support of creating a truly exceptional leadership and cultural capability in an organization.
At its core, Intelligent Leadership (IL) empowers leaders to unlock their full potential—transforming their leadership capabilities and the organizations they serve. Pioneered by John Mattone, recognized as the world’s #1 executive coach, IL provides a proven roadmap for achieving sustained leadership excellence and organizational success. IL provides the framework that is needed in today’s world for leaders and organizations to set the right direction and execute the required “switching” to reach their goals.
IL is not just a philosophy; it’s a process that addresses the dual dimensions of leadership—the inner core and the outer core. By developing character, values, and beliefs (inner core) alongside strategic competencies like communication, vision, and execution (outer core), leaders can achieve alignment and drive extraordinary outcomes. Intelligent Leadership has impacted the lives of millions of leaders and thousands of organizations across the globe—55 nations and still counting.
The hosts of Mainline Executive Coaching ACT Podcast are Rich Baron—Chief Operating Officer of John Mattone Global (JMG) and IL Master Executive Coach and Maikel Bailey-IL Master Executive Coach. With over 50 years of combined success in executive leadership, cultural transformation, and executive and emerging leader development, Rich Baron and Maikel Bailey bring to light some of the most pressing issues facing leaders and organizations today. Hand-picked and personally mentored by John Mattone, your hosts Rich and Maikel will partner with you to improve your leadership ability and cultural transformation in ways you never thought possible. John Mattone makes frequent guest appearances on the Podcast.
Email: rich@johnmattone.com or mbailey@intelligentleadershipec.com
Websites:
www.johnmattone.com
https://www.richbaronexecutivecoaching.com/
https://maikelbailey.com/
JMG’s Mainline Executive Coaching ACT has been recognized by FeedSpot as the world’s #1 Executive Coaching Podcast. This recognition is based on an evaluation of numerous podcasts on the internet, taking into account factors such as web traffic, social media followers, and timeliness. The podcast enjoys a substantial following in more than 100 countries and 1,000 cities across the globe.
Leaders, Lead Well!
Mainline Executive Coaching ACT
The Death of the Hero CEO: Why Collective Leadership Wins in 2026
For decades, organizations have been built around the idea of the heroic CEO—the singular visionary, chief decision-maker, and ultimate problem solver. But in 2026, that model is breaking down.
In today’s environment of complexity, speed, AI acceleration, and constant disruption, leadership can no longer sit at the top of a single individual. The hero CEO doesn’t scale. It concentrates risk, slows decision-making, and quietly undermines trust and accountability across the organization.
If you’re a senior leader, board member, or executive coach navigating the realities of leadership in 2026, this conversation challenges some of the most deeply held assumptions about power, control, and what it truly means to lead.
Join Rich and Maikel on this episode of Mainline Executive Coaching ACT as we explore why the era of the hero CEO is ending—and why collective leadership is emerging as the only sustainable model for high-performing organizations. We unpack what collective leadership really means (and what it doesn’t), the hidden costs of over-centralized leadership, and the inner shifts CEOs must make to move from being “the answer” to becoming the architect of leadership systems.
Leaders, Lead Well!
Thank you to all of our listeners in over 100 countries and now, 1,000 cities worldwide, we greatly appreciate your support! We truly hope that what we bring to our listeners will improve your ability as leaders.
Mainline Executive Coaching ACT has been recognized by FeedSpot as one of the top Executive Coaching Podcast in the world based on thousands of podcasts on the web and ranked by traffic, social media, followers & freshness.
https://blog.feedspot.com/executive_coaching_podcasts/
John Mattone Global: https://johnmattone.com/
Rich Baron:
rbaron@richbaronexecutivecoaching.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rich-baron/
https://www.richbaronexecutivecoaching.com/
Maikel Bailey:
mbailey@intelligentleadershipec.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/maikelbailey/
https://maikelbailey.com/
