Ricardo Belmar: It's something that you've called the Retail Leader Paradox.
And it's really about leading through uncertainty when everyone around you
just assumes that you're doing just fine, but in reality, maybe not so much.
Steve Worthy: a lot of leaders are, are in position and they are still struggling
with knowing exactly how they need to show up, how they need to actually
provide information because they're in such a, a, a leader or, or such a
position of authority when asked about something, they need to know the answer.
They, they feel that they need to know exactly how to answer X, Y,
and Z, but a lot of them are still struggling with that process because
a lot of 'em don't even have enough, the, the right person or right
individual to actually go and talk to.
there is no better way for you to learn as a leader than to be
wrong in a certain situation.
It's okay.
It is going to happen.
We're gonna, you're gonna get something wrong.
You're gonna get a lot of things wrong.
I've learned to, be vulnerable as a leader when I, I necessarily
didn't think I had that skill.
And when you're vulnerable as a leader, you will find individuals
who will be able to come into your corner and, and actually help you.
You have to make the investment in yourself first.
We get so reliant upon organizations to teach, coach and train us, and we
are expecting them to help us develop into the leader that we're supposed to.
Not gonna happen, not gonna happen.
Ricardo Belmar: Welcome to Blade to Greatness, the podcast where
retail leaders sharpen their edge one critical skill at a time.
As we uncover the essential traits every retail leader needs to thrive.
I'm Ricardo Belmar.
Casey Golden: And I'm Casey Golden.
Each episode we're joined by a guest who brings one leadership skill into
sharp focus, and today we're diving in to a challenge that every retail
leader knows, but rarely talks about the paradox of leaning through uncertainty
when everyone assumes you're fine.
Ricardo Belmar: And that's exactly why we are excited to have Steve Worthy with us.
Steve is the founder and CEO of Worthy Retail Global, where he helps senior
retail leaders simplify growth by focusing on clarity before action
and purpose before performance.
Through The Campus and the Forge Accelerator, he's guided countless
leaders to define reality, lead with confidence, and build cultures
where clarity drives results.
Casey Golden: Steve also partners with Competitor IQ, adding a human intelligent
lens to retail and banking insights.
He's seen firsthand how environment impacts retention, decision
making, and team culture.
From Worthy Retail Global's 2025 Retail Leadership Development Study,
we've seen just how many experienced leaders carry the weight of constant
disruption, quietly, believing they're supposed to already have all the answers.
Ricardo Belmar: We're thrilled to have Steve here today to unpack this paradox
and help us really understand what leaders are struggling with right now.
Casey Golden: Now before we dive in, we have a quick ask for you.
If you like our show, why not give us a five star rating and drop us
a quick review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or Good pods?
We really appreciate your support.
Ricardo Belmar: And of course, if you do like this show, you owe it to
yourself to check out the other shows in our Retail Razor Podcast Network.
The Retail Razor Show, the original, of course, Retail
Transformers and Data Blades.
You can find them in your favorite podcast player or visit our YouTube
channel, where you can find them all.
Now, let's get into it.
Here's our conversation with Steve Worthy.
Casey Golden: Steve, welcome to the Blade to Greatness podcast.
Steve Worthy: I am super excited to be here.
I've been looking forward to this all week.
Ricardo Belmar: Yeah we have, we've been so wanting to have you on the show for, I
don't know how long now, Steve, especially on the Blade to Greatness podcast just to
talk about all the leadership challenges and skills, every leader should master.
If we think of an expert to bring on we immediately gravitate to you.
So this is a thrill, real thrill to have you here.
oh yeah.
I, we, we know this is gonna be an energetic conversation
a hundred percent.
Steve Worthy: episode was, I mean, energy, we could another.
Ricardo Belmar: Yeah, exactly.
Exactly.
Awesome.
So today's topic, we're gonna talk about something I think is really important
for retail leaders to understand.
It's something that you've called the Retail Leader Paradox.
And it's really about leading through uncertainty when everyone around you
just assumes that you're doing just fine, but in reality, maybe not so much.
So talk to us a little bit more about this retail leader paradox.
Steve Worthy: it's interesting.
It came out of a study, right?
So last year we wanted to do a study.
We wanted to actually hear from the retail leaders in the field and not
just in the States, but retailers, retail leaders, all, all over the world.
So, we did a study, 600 and 21 different leaders all like
I said, all over the globe.
And it was interesting because what some of the things that came out of there
was that we realized that didn't matter.
The the geographic location.
Like these leaders, these retail leaders are all still struggling
with, with some of the same things.
And what came out of it was the idea that a lot of leaders are in position
and they are still struggling with knowing exactly how they need to show up.
How they need to actually provide information because they're in such
a, a leader or, or such a position of authority when asked about something,
they need to know the answer.
They feel that they need to know exactly how to answer X, Y, and Z,
but a lot of them are still struggling with that process, because a lot
of 'em don't even have enough the right person or right individual to
actually go and talk to about some of the things that they're needing.
So a lot of the comments that we received was around uncertainty.
There was a lot of comments around, you know what, Steve, I actually
know my job just enough to get by.
But when I'm asked some tough questions, I don't know the answer.
I need to find a solution.
I need to find the right avenue in which I can actually have this answer.
So what we've, we call it the Retail Leader Paradox.
It's actually, being in a position to know, but a lot of times you don't
know everything that you need to know.
Casey Golden: Yeah, it's not like you go to, ex extra training
every time you get a promotion.
Right.
Ricardo Belmar: If only,
Steve Worthy: Yeah, exactly.
Ricardo Belmar: well so how, how should leaders look at this, this uncertainty?
How should you, what would you tell a leader that they should change in how they
show up every day because of uncertainty.
Steve Worthy: that's a great question.
You know, I learned this a long time ago actually when I was in the military, and
it's, it stuck with me is that even in uncertainty as leader has to be certain.
And I remember one of my commanding officers telling me that, and I was like,
I think I was 18 and 18 at the time.
I said, what are you talking about?
What does that, what does that even mean?
How can you be certain in uncertainty?
He said, Worthy, how do, how are you showing up each and every day, even
when you don't have a lot of the information to make a solid decision?
How are you providing reality for yourself and also for those that you're leading?
That's extremely important.
So showing up in uncertain times is really being able initially to define
reality for yourself and for your team.
Don't hold back.
Don't hold any information that's going to be vital.
To, to them as a leader for them to grow.
And so when I heard that I heard that saying, I actually started,
I've been using it my entire career.
Now, even in uncertain times, you have to show up.
You have to be certain partly because your team is looking for you.
They're looking at you, they're looking for you at as that fixed
point to understand where to go.
How do they need to act, what do they need to be doing in this moment in time?
And in the retail space there's no other training ground other than the military
when it comes to being uncertain .When it comes to the changing of the guard.
When it comes to new initiatives coming down from HQ that need to
be implemented within 24 hours.
There are, it's no better training ground.
And so the retail leaders that I've been speaking with understand
now that even when they're in there are uncertain moments.
There have to be a measure of un of certainty as they communicate.
Casey Golden: I think that's like a, that's a great quote.
It's a great reference point also, if you are dealing with, we just
came through like a pandemic.
We've gone through political challenges, we've gone through economic
challenges and it's just felt like 24 7 whiplash, like quarter after
quarter, after quarter after quarter.
Ricardo Belmar: Right.
Casey Golden: And so we, it is a skill that just is flex.
This is what I believe.
This is where we're going.
I'm certain of this, it might be wrong,
Steve Worthy: Hmm.
Casey Golden: But we're executing, and this is, this is the path we're taking.
Steve Worthy: That's such a, that's, that's a, I love that
you said that point around it.
It could be wrong.
I think that's the fear that we see, and I hear it all the time in the
leaders that I coach in the companies that we train in, is that uncertainty,
is that fear of being wrong.
And I got, I gotta tell you, there is no better way for you to learn as a leader
than to be wrong in a certain situation.
It's okay.
It is going to happen.
We're gonna, you're gonna get something wrong.
You're gonna get a lot of things wrong.
I remember I was having a conversation with someone.
I was mentoring and this was probably about 10 years ago.
And we were sitting down having coffee and we're just talking about different things.
And he said this to me, he said, Steve, you know, one of the thing I've realized
is that 85% of the time that you talk and that the things that you give is something
that you, when you got something wrong.
I didn't even realize that.
I didn't even realize that that was the conversation.
Those were the things.
But that once again, that, that conversation stuck with me because
I think it, I think I realized that it was important for me to have
conversations in context of when.
I did fail, or I did get something wrong, or I did have a talent issue, or
something along those lines because the success factors are easy to, you know,
pump your chest out and talk about, but man, when you can get something
wrong, a talent move, a store opening, a market visit, right from the CEO,
all those different things matter.
So being able to, to speak about when you're having a difficult
time, I think it's more important for a leader especially nowadays.
Ricardo Belmar: Yeah, that's a great point.
So, that leads to another question.
So even when you, do get things wrong and you might be inclined to
second guess what your next step is.
How do you think about who to turn to if you want to bounce ideas off, if you
want help, if you want to talk things through, how do you identify who to go to?
Steve Worthy: Yeah, that's a great question actually, our good friend,
Ron Thurston and I were having this conversation a couple of weeks ago.
I have been very fortunate, and I think he's been very fortunate too,
in the context of having really good mentors and coaches in, in our career.
Whether it's from the military or even when we, when I moved into
the retail space, and I've had the same executive coach, Coach Perry
for the last six, seven years.
And I gotta tell you, I'm a, I've been a fan of coaching and
mentoring because of that, because I've been a beneficiary of that.
I think partly it's because, i've learned to be vulnerable as a leader when I
necessarily didn't think I had that skill.
And when you're vulnerable as a leader you will find individuals
who will be able to come into your corner and actually help you.
I also think it's important that you study leaders.
I think it's important that you study those around you, you
study those who are above you.
I also think it's important that you study leaders who are outside of your market.
A large part of the individuals that I've had within my corner to bounce ideas
and things off of were not in a retail
Ricardo Belmar: Mm-hmm.
Steve Worthy: They were just solid leaders in telecommunications,
sales, or whatever it may be.
But I studied them whether they were somebody at church or somebody or
a friend or a mutual acquaintance.
But I really studied them to see how they made decisions and how
they show how they would show up.
And once I was able to determine that, oh my gosh, okay, Ricardo's that guy.
I need Ricardo for X, y, and z. Then I would go to Ricardo for that.
And this is, this leads into what we address with our training and on The
Campus is that we feel that it's important for you to have a functional mentor.
So it's not just a mentor.
You need people who are very specific and geared towards operations,
towards hr, towards diplomacy, right?
Inside of an organization.
We, there are so many different things that you need to know.
How do you need to maneuver?
Who do you need to have a conversation with?
What does that conversation need to look like?
So there needs to be intentionality when it comes to actually reaching out and
having some of those functional mentors.
So I think studying people.
And also being very vulnerable with understanding what you lack
so that you can actually get the right person to help you out.
Ricardo Belmar: Yeah, that is important.
And I love the point about how sometimes you need to look outside, right?
Your immediate, obviously outside your organization, outside your market, just
to get that different perspective from someone from the outside looking in at
where you are, where they may come up with something completely unexpected
that you would never have thought of.
Steve Worthy: A hundred percent.
It's like when you visit a store, right?
Everybody would get amazed when, you fly into town and you walk
a store and they're like you can see things that they couldn't see.
And I was like, this, listen to me I'm not gifted.
It's just the fact that you.
Ricardo Belmar: You're in the middle of it.
Steve Worthy: Yeah, you're in the middle of it every day, so you don't see it.
So you're walking past it Here I come in and I feel like I'm the superstar.
They think I'm the superstar.
It's that's not it.
And I think that's, it's the same thing holds true for mentors
and for people around you.
They can see a lot of things.
Oh my gosh, my coach, he can, oh my gosh, he can, we, before we even sit
down to have a conversation, he's already telling me about myself.
Because he can see things in me.
He understands my patterns, he understands how I think and how I see things.
Say, Steve, let's talk about this.
And I'm like, how did you even know?
So it's so important.
People that are probably outside of your, outside of your, your industry..
Ricardo Belmar: Yeah.
So o one thing I feel like I'm hearing too, from what you're describing, even
in, in getting through uncertainty and having to show up and show certainty to
help other, to lead others through that uncertainty, at what point is it okay
to recognize that maybe you're not fine and, and you need to do something else?
Steve Worthy: That's such a good question.
That's such a good question.
My team, they would often they would say, Steve, I hate when you say this, but it's,
but they realize that it was true, is that you have to change before it's necessary.
I think in do, in that, in, in that scene and in that idea it requires
you to do a lot of introspection, 360 degrees assessments.
All of those different things bevo be available for feedback, all
those different aspects, right?
Because if you're not, then you are not going to see when
it's time for you to change.
And I say that because.
Especially in the retail space things happen so quickly and
we get things get commoditized.
Our leadership style, our communication style, how we talk to people,
how we may see this individual show up and how we show up.
Because we get commoditized because we have to hurry up and change and morph
into the new offerings and into, and the new changes that are taking place.
And so in, in actual, in doing that, we morph into this person.
But before, if we want to grow, if we want to do anything more, we have to figure out
what are the things that we're missing, what are the current gaps that we have?
And you have to be very open and honest with yourself.
You get that information, you get that feedback, and I tell
this all the time to people.
You have to make the investment in yourself first.
We get so reliant upon organizations to teach, coach and train us, and we
are expecting them to help us develop into the leader that we're supposed to.
Not gonna happen, not gonna happen.
They are gonna help you develop and grow according to their parameters,
according to who they are and what they really wanna stand for.
But you as a leader, you need to understand the bigger scope of your
leadership prowess and how you can impact not just the people around you,
but people that are actually outside of your sphere of influence, because
that's the most important parts, not just the people that are around you.
People that are outside just your sphere of influence, how are you addressing that?
Ricardo Belmar: Yeah.
Yeah, that's a great point.
Steve, as I, I knew this would be, this has been such an enlightening discussion.
Oh, thank you so much for highlighting what I think is
an incredibly important topic.
I'm sure almost every retail leader is at some point dealing
with this maybe right now.
And needs to overcome and master their ability to work through that uncertainty.
Steve Worthy: Yeah.
No, thanks.
Thanks for having me.
I'm excited, man.
For people to learn a little bit more about themselves so that they can
move forward to where they need to.
Casey Golden: think it's always a nice thing to, do some looking
in come the end of the year.
I think we can all take a beat for that one.
So, Steve, just great insights.
I have no doubt you'll be a new fan favorite.
Thank you for, for sharing your energy and starting such a inspiring conversation.
One that we should probably be having with ourselves and
finding some mentors around us.
Steve Worthy: Outstanding.
Casey Golden: Ricardo, I'd say that this episode is a wrap.
If you enjoyed today's episode, please give us a five star rating and review on
Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Good pods.
And don't forget to hit subscribe on your favorite podcast player or on
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I'm Casey Golden.
Ricardo Belmar: We'd love to hear from you.
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Blade to Greatness is part of the Retail Razor Podcast Network.
I'm Ricardo Belmar.
Casey Golden: Thanks for joining us.
Ricardo Belmar: Until next time, Stay Sharp, Lead Boldly, and Stay Human.
This is The Retail Razor Blade to Greatness.