The Five Stages of Leadership – Liz Weber

What separates effective leaders from those who stall out? In this episode of Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder, we explore the answer with leadership strategist Liz Weber—author, speaker, and founder of Weber Business Services.

Liz unpacks the core ideas from her latest book, Something Needs to Change Around Here: The Five Stages to Leveraging Your Leadership. She breaks down the leadership development journey, from “doing” the work to effectively “leading” others—and why most people get stuck in stage two. If you've ever struggled with delegation, role clarity, or stepping back to truly lead, this conversation offers a clear roadmap forward.

Dave and Liz also explore:

• The most common leadership transition traps

• Why succession planning isn’t about family—it’s about fit

• The critical role of organizational culture in developing talent

• How self-awareness and strategy combine to drive performance

Whether you're a business owner, advisor, or aspiring leader, you’ll walk away with practical insights you can apply immediately.

About Our Guest: Liz has been named a Top Leadership Influencer by LeadersHum, a Top HR Influencer to Watch by HR Exchange Network, and a Top HR Influencer by BambooHR. She is one of fewer than 100 people in the U.S. to hold both the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) and Certified Management Consultant (CMC) designations; the highest earned designations in two different professions. 

As the President of Weber Business Services, LLC, a management consulting, training, and speaking firm, Liz provides strategic and succession planning, executive coaching, and leadership training to boards, business owners and leadership teams, as well as to associations and government agencies. 

Liz holds an MBA in International Business and has extensive association leadership experience. She has served six years as a national board director, and three years as a national foundation trustee and as the presidential appointee to the Global Speakers Federation.

Liz has supervised business activities in 129 countries and has presented in over 20 countries. In addition to writing more than ten leadership books, and her monthly Leadership Insights blog, Liz posts to social media daily. Liz was also  named one of 2025 Top 30 Global Gurus for Leadership along with Simon Sinek and John Maxwell. So, when Liz Weber talks, her clients listen. Liz is an advisor to boards, owners, and C-Suite teams. She’s a leadership, strategic and succession planning consultant, author, and speaker. 

About the Host:

Dave Bookbinder is known as an expert in business valuation and he is the person that business owners and entrepreneurs reach out to when they need to know what their most important assets are worth. Known as a collaborative adviser, Dave has served thousands of client companies of all sizes and industries. 

 

Dave is the author of two #1 best-selling books about the impact of human capital (PEOPLE!) on the valuation of a business enterprise called The NEW ROI: Return On Individuals & The NEW ROI: Going Behind The Numbers. 

He’s on a mission to change the conversation about how the accounting world recognizes the value of people’s contributions to a business enterprise, and to quantify what every CEO on the planet claims: “Our people are this company’s most valuable asset.”

Dave’s book,