178: How to Audit Your Leadership Before It Breaks You | Damon Lembi

Leadership isn’t just about what you do—it’s about who you’re becoming. 

In this solo episode, Learnit CEO Damon Lembi shares a behind-the-scenes look at his personal leadership audit: a framework he calls “The 3x3.” You’ll hear the three things he’s improved, the three he’s stayed consistent on, and the three he still needs to work on as he reflects on 30 years of Learnit—and what it means to lead with intention in a fast-changing world. 

Whether you’re a first-time manager or a seasoned executive, this episode will give you the tools (and courage) to take your own honest audit. 

In this episode, you’ll learn: 

• How Damon improved delegation—and the tool that changed everything 
• Why your personal brand matters (and how to build one with humility) 
• The “Purposeful Awfulizing” strategy for better decision making 
• What it really means to be a people-first leader 
• The 5 traits of a “Learn-It-All Leader” 
• Why modeling behavior is more powerful than preaching it 
• The danger of unclear purpose—and how to align your team 
• Why every company needs an AI advisory board 
• How to lead through change before complacency creeps in 
• A challenge: Create your own 3x3 leadership audit 

 

Timestamps: 

00:00 – Why June 2025 marks a meaningful moment in Damon’s leadership journey 

01:00 – The “3x3”: A framework for reflecting on leadership growth 

01:45 – 1st area of growth: Delegation (and getting out of the weeds) 

03:00 – How COVID accelerated trust and team ownership 

03:30 – The Freedom Compass: What Damon let go of—and what happened next 

04:50 – 2nd area of growth: Building a personal brand without ego 

05:45 – Why every leader needs to be public-facing 

06:30 – 3rd area of growth: Better decision making and avoiding sunk cost traps 

07:10 – Controlling emotion, expanding options, and “Purposeful Awfulizing” 

08:30 – Why even failed decisions are valuable if you learn 

09:00 – 1st consistency: Being a people-first leader with psychological safety 

10:30 – 2nd consistency: Living the traits of a Learn-It-All Leader 

11:15 – Humility, Integrity, Courage, Accountability, Curiosity 

12:15 – 3rd consistency: Modeling the behavior you want from your team 

13:00 – What Damon still needs to improve (part 1): Clarifying shared purpose 

14:00 – The North Star problem and Keith Ferrazzi’s diagnostic 

15:00 – What remote work and silos have made harder—but not impossible 

15:30 – What Damon still needs to improve (part 2): Navigating change in the age of AI 

16:30 – Why urgency beats complacency—even when things are going “fine” 

17:00 – What Damon still needs to improve (part 3): Building a formal advisory board 

17:45 – Why outside perspectives are key to staying sharp and forward-thinking 

18:30 – The 3x3 recap and challenge: Build your own audit 

 

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 & Mentions: 

• The Freedom Compass from Michael Hyatt: