186: Take Ownership: The #1 Mindset Shift New Managers Must Make | Damon Lembi

Release Date: July 2

Winning teams—and thriving careers—are built by those who take charge of their own growth.

In this solo episode, host Damon Lembi, two-time bestselling author and CEO of Learnit, shares the three essential truths for taking complete ownership of your career development. Drawing on real stories from mentees and colleagues, Damon unpacks why waiting for training, promotions, or happiness to arrive just doesn’t work—and how proactive planning, building a business case, and courageous conversations can change everything. Whether you’re new to leadership, battling resource constraints, or feeling stuck in the wrong role, this episode delivers practical strategies and mindset shifts to help you get unstuck and start thriving on your own terms.

From designing your own learning plan to making big, strategic asks (and having tough talks!), Damon empowers you with the tools and inspiration to own your path, champion your team, and rediscover your passion at work.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why no one cares about your growth as much as you do—and why that’s empowering
• How to proactively build and present your own learning and development plan
• The art of crafting a business case and ROI to advocate for your team’s resources
• The importance of having honest conversations if you’re miserable in your role—and how to transition back to work you love
• Why leaders often want to help, but need you to step forward first
• Tangible next steps: how to move from frustration to action, starting today

In This Episode:

• 00:00 – Introduction: The myth of waiting for help
• 01:05 – Taking responsibility for your own learning plan
• 03:22 – Mentee story: Designing a custom leadership curriculum
• 06:05 – What to do if your company won’t pay for training
• 07:05 – The importance of biographies and self-driven learning
• 08:10 – Build a business case and ROI for your team’s success
• 10:24 – Sales leader story: Conferences and proven results
• 14:30 – Leaders are busy—why you need to help them help you
• 15:30 – The power of proactive initiative (Carly Lutz example)
• 16:35 – The hardest story: Getting stuck in the wrong management role
• 19:50 – How honest dialogue can transform your job satisfaction
• 21:55 – Lessons for “getting out of your comfort zone” and loving your work
• 23:30 – Damon’s final challenge: Take action now
• 25:00 – Damon’s book, Learn it All Leader, and goodbye
  

About Damon Lembi

Damon Lembi is a 2x bestselling author, the host of The Learn-It-All Podcast, and CEO of Learnit – a live learning platform that has upskilled over 2 million people. Drawing from his prior baseball career, Damon brings an athlete’s perspective to leadership. Through his journey, he has gained invaluable insights into what helps organizations grow, how great leaders learn, and why learn-it-all companies outpace their competitors every time.

Resources Referenced:

• The Learn-It-All Leader: Mindset, Traits, and Tools by Damon Lembi: https://a.co/d/azzNKWM

• Good Decisions Equals Success by Damon Lembi & Kandis Porter: https://a.co/d/hJhnRJU

• Damon Lembi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damonlembi

• Coach Your Team (Learnit Course): https://www.learnit.com/courses/coach-your-team

• Make Listening Your Superpower (Learnit Course): https://www.learnit.com/courses/make-listening-your-superpower

• Run Better Meetings (Learnit Course): https://www.learnit.com/courses/run-better-meetings

• Think Critically (Learnit Course): https://www.learnit.com/courses/think-critically

• Delegate to Scale Your Impact (Learnit course): https://www.learnit.com/courses/delegate-to-scale-your-impact
  

Want to Learn More?:  

• Website: www.learnit.com
• Email: podcast@learnit.com‍
• Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram for more updates.

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