AI Summary
5 min readDave Ramsey fields questions from leaders on handling unmotivated team members, making decisions without full information, creating non-leadership growth paths, and delegating responsibilities without ceding control. Drawing from his experience, he emphasizes serving others' best interests, avoiding fatal risks, and focusing efforts where they matter most.
Serving Unmotivated Interns
Thomas, a 24-year-old first-time engineering leader, struggles with an intern showing little initiative despite family ties to the company. Ramsey advises starting and ending interactions with the intern's best interest in mind, positioning leadership as an act of service to help them become a better version of themselves. This might mean direct feedback like "you suck at this" or holding them accountable, even if uncomfortable, akin to parents enforcing teeth-brushing for long-term good.
Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.
Read Full Summary →Free • No credit card required
What you'll learn
- 1 (00:45) **Thomas Introduces Intern Challenge** - First-time leader struggles with unmotivated college intern showing no passion or strengths
- 2 (01:56) **Serve with Best Interest in Mind** - Lead from a place of genuine help, not personal gain, to lift the intern
- 3 (03:48) **Recognize Resume-Only Motivation** - Intern may just want resume line, not real engagement or improvement
- 4 (04:36) **Apply Tough Love as Service** - Use direct feedback like parents enforcing teeth-brushing for long-term good
- 5 (05:58) **Frame for Future Hiring** - Help intern perform to earn recommendation, avoiding "no hire" scenario
- 6 (06:30) **Nick Saban's "And Not a But"** - Teach interns to be great worker AND great person, not resume but poor performer
- 7 (10:00) **Terry's Post-Fire Dilemma** - Spa owner (11 years, $950k revenue, 17 team) weighs temporary location amid insurance uncertainty
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
Today, we’ll hear about:
- A leader struggling to motivate an intern on his team
- A woman concerned that she needs full clarity before making decisions
- How promoting a rock-star team member to a leadership role may be a bad decision
- A business owner trying to identify what he should be focused on as he grows his team
Next Steps:
- 📞 Have a question for the show? Call 844-944-1070 or send us a message: https://ter.li/ask-us
- 📚 Learn about the EntreLeadership System™: https://ter.li/system-p
- 💻 Get EntreLeadership Elite™ for your business: https://ter.li/elite-p
- ✉️ Sign up to receive tactical tools, advice and resources in your inbox every week: https://ter.li/enl
- 🏢 Attend EntreLeadership Summit: https://ter.li/summit
- 🎤 Attend EntreLeadership Master Series: https://ter.li/masterseries
- 📖 Order Dave’s new book, Build a Business You Love: https://ter.li/b4kru2
Connect With Our Sponsors:
- 💼 Go to Belay Solutions or text ENTRE to 55123 for their free resource!
- 💻 Visit NetSuite today to learn more.
Listen to More From Ramsey Network:
🪑 Front Row Seat with Ken Coleman
Ramsey Solutions Privacy Policy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More from this podcast
The EntreLeadership Podcast →