How to Lead with Clay Scroggins and Adam Tarnow

Judged on Things You Don't Fully Control

April 20, 2026·29 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Every middle manager knows the feeling: things show up on your annual review that never appeared on your to-do list. You're expected to boil the ocean every day. You're held responsible for outcomes that depend on people, circumstances, and decisions that are never fully yours. It's not a personal failing — it's the defining tension of life in the middle.In this episode, we share what might be the single most useful idea in The Fog of Work — a simple, three-step framework for finding clarity and action in exactly those moments. We call it the fog-clearing sentence, and it's the punchline the whole book builds toward. Not a pep talk. Not a call to push harder. A repeatable system for extracting what you can do from situations that feel completely out of your control.If you've ever walked out of a meeting with your boss wondering how you were supposed to deliver something that was never really in your hands — this episode is for you.Download a free Control Your Controllables Worksheet here: https://adamtarnow.com/fogresourcesPurchase a copy of The Fog of WorkAmazon: https://a.co/d/0e3k3WagBarnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-fog-of-work-adam-tarnow/1148527628?ean=9781394368136

Podzilla Summary coming soon

Sign up to get notified when the full AI-powered summary is ready.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.

Listen to This Episode

Get summaries like this every morning.

Free AI-powered recaps of How to Lead with Clay Scroggins and Adam Tarnow and your other favorite podcasts, delivered to your inbox.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.