The Six-Word Leadership Rule That Works From Kindergarten to the Corner Office with Geoff McLachlan
No More Leadership BS
The Six-Word Leadership Rule That Works From Kindergarten to the Corner Office with Geoff McLachlan
August 5, 2026
Leadership doesn't start in the boardroom. It starts on the playground, the farm, the first job you ever had. This episode breaks down three words that build leaders at any age: work hard, play fair, be kind. Turns out none of them mean what you think.
The Six-Word Leadership Rule That Works From Kindergarten to the Corner Office

Most leadership advice targets people who already have the title. This episode flips that. The panel spends the hour on something bigger: how do you build leaders before they ever get the job? Whether that's a five-year-old on a playground or a fifty-year-old switching careers, the same six words apply.

Work Hard Isn't Just Sweat

The panel opens with a story about an eighteen-year-old who got kicked out of school, wandered into a gold industry office, and offered himself up for one brutal year of training. He's in his seventies now and still working mines. But the panel is quick to push back on the idea that hard work alone gets you anywhere. One host tells the story of a coworker who barely showed up to the office and still topped every monthly report, because he'd figured out the difference between busy and effective. The takeaway lands hard: persistence beats raw effort almost every time, and if you're not taking care of your physical and mental health, your hard work has a ceiling.

Play Fair Doesn't Mean Play Equal

This is where the episode gets its sharpest idea. Equal means everyone gets the same stool to see over a fence. Fair means the shortest kid gets a taller one. The panel uses a baseball story (a hard-throwing pitcher who couldn't hit the strike zone, versus a smaller kid who could) to make the point that rules matter more than raw talent. Give people clarity on what the rules actually are, and you'll be shocked how many "unfair" situations resolve themselves.

Be Kind Isn't the Same as Being Nice

The final third digs into a distinction that reframes the whole episode: nice keeps the peace so people like you. Kind cares enough to have the hard conversation anyway. One host compares niceness to a doormat and kindness to a boundary, arguing that boundaries protect you and the people around you. The front door of your house doesn't let everyone in automatically, and neither should you.

The Bottom Line

Leadership isn't a title you earn at forty-five. It's a set of habits you can start building at five. Work hard, but smart. Play fair, but understand that fair isn't equal. Be kind, but don't confuse it with being a pushover.

Tune in for:

 
Six words. Zero excuses. Now go lead something.

Have questions,  suggestions or just a great story to tell about some Leadership BS you have experienced? Let us know by emailing us 

Today's Featured Coach - 

Geoff McLachlan - Motivational Speaker, Trainer and Coach, Bringing Fun Back Into the Workplace,  Owner/Founder of Professionals At Play  Reach Geoff directly at geoff@professionalsatplay.com or 509-869-4506

The rest of the gang: