Bobby McGraw Bobby McGraw

Episode 3: The Map for Growing Your Leadership

In this episode of the Third Option Leadership Podcast, Bobby McGraw sits down with executive coaches Dean Harbry and Janalee Rainwater to unpack the Lifecycle of a Leader — a clear, practical roadmap that helps leaders know where they are and what they need next. Instead of guessing or feeling stuck, this conversation offers a four-stage map that demystifies leadership growth.

Listeners will learn how leadership evolves from Individual Contributor → Manager/Director → Corporate Leader → Sponsor & Successor Developer, and why each stage requires a different vantage point, different skills, and a different way of thinking.

Through real coaching examples and decades of experience, Janalee and Dean illuminate the “big traps” that sabotage leaders, the necessary skill sets for each stage, and the mindsets that prevent burnout and create sustainable, scalable leadership.

The episode closes with encouragement for leaders who might feel overwhelmed or unsure of the next step — you’re not alone, and there is a path forward. This map can help.

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Bobby McGraw Bobby McGraw

Episode 2: Staying in the Balcony: How to Lead with Emotional Poise

Leadership often feels like an emotional roller coaster — conflict, pressure, and unpredictable people. In this episode of The Third Option Leadership Podcast, host Bobby McGraw sits down with Dean Harbry and Janalee Rainwater from the Middle Way Institute to explore one of the most powerful metaphors in leadership: “the balcony.”

The balcony represents a leader’s ability to rise above the drama — to see clearly, stay grounded, and respond instead of react. Together, the team unpacks:

  • The difference between professional leadership and amateur leadership

  • How to practice emotional poise in real time

  • The Leader’s Recovery Loop — what to do when you’ve already been pulled into the drama

  • Practical ways to describe emotions instead of disguising or demonstrating them

  • How to use self-coaching questions to stay curious and compassionate under pressure

Whether you lead a company, a team, or a family, this episode will help you build the emotional strength and perspective to lead from clarity, not chaos.

📍 Learn more about the Middle Way Institute and join a free monthly “Leadership as a Profession” call at middlewayinstitute.com.

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Bobby McGraw Bobby McGraw

Episode 1: How to Stay in Control Without Controlling People

Leadership can feel like walking a tightrope—expectations are high, feedback is rare, and support is often missing. In this first episode of The Third Option Leadership Podcast, host Bobby McGraw sits down with Dean Harbry and Janalee Rainwater from the Middle Way Institute to explore a central leadership tension:

👉 How do you stay in control without controlling people?

Together they unpack:

  • The difference between influence and manipulation

  • Why some leaders drift toward abuse (dominating) or abandon (detaching)—and how to find the Middle Way

  • The role of executive presence and emotional intelligence in building trust and consistency

  • How to give feedback that’s firm but not harsh, clear but not cold

  • The “balcony metaphor” — how to step out of the drama and lead with calm objectivity

Whether you lead a team, a business, or a congregation, this episode will help you regain balance, reduce stress, and grow your influence by leading from the middle.

📍 Learn more about Middle Way Institute or join a free Leadership as a Profession call at middlewayinstitute.com.

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