It’s time to shift the spotlight.

If you are like us, you want to know what is happening in the real economy. Not the economy of derivatives trading, credit default swaps, politics, media or Silicon Valley. On Real Leadership, we spotlight the heroes at the helm of companies who make, move and process things. Leaders in a world that is more pragmatic than pretty, more steak than sizzle, more guts than glory.  Discover with us what it takes to lead in that world. 

– Real Leadership 

Latest Episode

Your Host

Meet Jim Weaver

When he’s not hosting the Real Leadership Podcast, Jim is Chief Executive Officer of The Ōnin Group, one of the largest staffing companies in the United States. 

Jim began his journey at Ōnin in 2001 as an account executive in Nashville, Tennessee, and has become integral to The Ōnin Group’s phenomenal growth. Under Jim’s guidance, Ōnin has become a leader in the staffing industry and is recognized as one of Staffing Industry Analysts’ fastest-growing and best places to work. As CEO, Jim’s focus lies in developing smart systems and a corporate culture that boosts employee performance and delights customers.

Meet our latest guest

Tom Shoupe

Former EVP & CEO of Honda of America Manufacturing

Tom Shoupe never planned on a career in manufacturing. He started in public service, working in Washington, D.C., far from factory floors and production lines.Then Honda called.

At the time, the company was still a young experiment in American manufacturing — betting that people, not just product, would determine its future. Tom said yes to the opportunity. That decision shaped the next 33 years of his life.

Over three decades, Tom became the first American to lead a Honda manufacturing facility and ultimately served as EVP & CEO of Honda of America Manufacturing, overseeing operations that touched nearly 40,000 people across North America. 

He spent years living and working in Japan, helping translate a deeply Japanese leadership philosophy into a U.S. manufacturing context — without diluting it.

But this episode isn’t about titles or scale. It’s about how leadership actually works when the stakes are real.

In this episode, we cover:

    •  Why a leader’s most important job is building an organization that can outlast them
    • How “every interaction is an opportunity” became a daily leadership discipline
    • What going to the gemba really looks like — and why proximity beats position
    • Why leadership development fails when it becomes theoretical
    • How faith, humility, and curiosity shaped Tom’s leadership across cultures

Previous Real Leadership Guests Include:

Are You a Real Leader?

If you are a top executive in the real economy — like the manufacturing, logistics and food processing sectors — we’d love to talk.  

Real Leadership is a platform for you to promote your business and amplify your leadership message as subscribers listen in on a meaningful conversation between our CEO and you. Our goal is to capture legacy career moments for our guests and high-quality, evergreen media content you can leverage for years to come.   

We have a thorough guest evaluation process, and you will be joining a select group of world-class leaders. 

Real Leadership is a great way to:

Build your personal brand

Promote your company across our listener base

Share your leadership message at a pivotal moment in our industry

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