Fixing Broken Leadership: Isabelle Fortin on Why Most Companies Get It Wrong
Companies invest heavily in sales and operations training, yet leadership is often overlooked—leading to disengaged employees, high turnover, and poor performance. Isabelle Fortin, a former member of the Canadian Air Force, transitioned into corporate leadership and was shocked by what she found—leaders with no real leadership training, companies promoting employees based on skill rather than leadership ability, and widespread dysfunction in management.
In this episode, Isabelle shares how military-style leadership training could transform corporate environments, why leadership is a skill that must be taught, and how companies can improve employee retention, engagement, and productivity with the right leadership strategies.
Key Takeaways:
• The Military vs. Corporate Leadership Gap: Isabelle explains how leadership is trained and tested in the military—compared to how corporate America fails to prepare its leaders.
• Why Most Managers Aren’t Ready for Leadership: Many companies promote top performers into leadership roles without providing any actual leadership training—setting them up for failure.
• The Hidden Cost of Poor Leadership: Isabelle shares how turnover, disengagement, and lack of productivity are often direct results of ineffective leadership.
• How to Fix Leadership in Your Company: Learn why anonymous employee feedback, psychometric testing, and structured leadership training programs are critical to building a strong management team.
• The “Dinner Table Effect”: How great leadership at work creates happier employees, improves their home lives, and boosts overall morale and performance.
About the Guest:
Isabelle Fortin’s journey started in the Royal Canadian Air Force. For the next decade, she developed her communication skills and learned critical leadership skills by attending the prestigious Royal Canadian Leadership School Upon transitioning to civilian life, however, those same admirable traits were not recognized or valued by the company she worked for. She was shocked to notice how much of a “every person for themselves” mentality the corporate world was. She knew there was no way she, or anyone else, could reach their goals in this type of atmosphere. So, she decided to start her own business and create a better company culture that would put humans first.
Links:
https://www.againsttheordinary.org/
linkedin.com/in/isabellemfortin
Fast Five Questions
1. If you woke up and your business was gone, you have $500, a laptop, a place to live, and food, what would you do first? • “Connect with as many people as possible—because success is about relationships and networking.”
2. What is the biggest mistake that you have made in business? “Not listening closely enough to what people were really saying—every major mistake stemmed from misinterpreting or ignoring key signals.”
3. What is a book that you would recommend? "Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek and Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss"
4. What is a tool that you use every day that you would recommend? “LinkedIn—because it provides access to high-level professionals and decision-makers without the noise of other social media platforms.”
5. What is your definition of freedom? “The “Five-30 Rule”—if something aggravates her for five minutes, she gives it 30 minutes notice before walking away.”
About Jeff:
Jeff spent the early part of his career working for others. Jeff had started 5 businesses that failed before he had his first success. Since that time he has learned the principles of a successful business and has been able to build and grow multiple seven-figure businesses. Jeff lives in the Austin area and is actively working in his community and supporting the growth of small businesses. He is a board member of the Incubator.Edu program at Vista Ridge High School and is on the board of directors of the Leander Educational Excellence Foundation
Connect with the Freedom Nation podcast at https://freedom-nation-podcast.captivate.fm/
Connect with Jeff:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freedomnationpodcast/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeffKikel
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffkikel/
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