Why Do The Best Employees Struggle Under Traditional Management with Sal Fierro

In this episode of Leaders of the Workplace of Tomorrow, Host Steve Miksta sits down with Sal Fierro, founder of Energy Invest Corp, to discuss building a younger, international team in oil and gas, leading across cultures, and using AI to improve coaching and feedback. They explore Sal’s path from Mexico to West Texas, why the oil and gas industry needs younger professionals, how he gives team members room to experiment, and how curiosity and education shape Energy Invest’s client relationships. Sal shares how his entrepreneurial mindset, early exposure to West Texas oil and gas, and experience growing teams shaped his approach to leadership. He explains why leaders should support people through failure, give them room to develop their own methods, lead client conversations with education and curiosity, and use AI as an objective tool for improving performance across distributed teams. ## **Key Takeaways** - Build teams around diverse cultures, locations, and perspectives to strengthen problem-solving and daily execution. - Give inexperienced team members clear boundaries, then let them experiment, fail fast, and learn from the results. - Explain the bigger reason behind the work so people can take ownership instead of simply following instructions. - Lead sales conversations with education, intention, and genuine curiosity before moving into specific solutions. - Choose clients and business relationships based on trust, shared stories, and the ability to enjoy the conversation. - Use AI to make coaching more objective, reduce emotional friction, and scale feedback across teams. ## **Episode Timestamps** \[00:00] - Trailer \[01:29] - Introduction to guest Sal Fierro & his background \[02:08] - Sal’s Background \[06:37] - Sal’s entrepreneurial path and noticing outdated industry methods \[08:56] - The different approach to building a team \[12:04] - Advice to another business owner \[17:36] - An example to better understand the fail-fast approach \[21:02] - Energy Invest’s client approach: education, intention, and curiosity \[24:36] - How AI is changing sales, coaching, and client feedback \[31:01] - Energy Invest’s plans for middle management, local hiring, and broader cultural reach Disclosure: *Portions of this episode (such as the introduction or promotional segments) use AI-generated voice narration produced under human editorial review.* **🔗 Connect with the Guest Sal Fierro:** 👉 LinkedIn - Sal Fierro: https://www.linkedin.com/in/salfierroo/ **🔗 Connect with the Guest Company:** 👉 Website - Energy Invest Corp:http://energyinvest.usenergyinvest.us 👉 LinkedIn - Energy Invest Corp:https://www.linkedin.com/company/energy-invest-corp/ **🔗Follow the podcast:** 👉Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/033rjH7T2gSv9KyUs4uC4x?si=db0aed8e99f84fc8https://open.spotify.com/show/033rjH7T2gSv9KyUs4uC4x?si=db0aed8e99f84fc8 👉Apple Podcast:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-of-the-workplace-of-tomorrow/id1896864216https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-of-the-workplace-of-tomorrow/id1896864216 👉 YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@opptyunlimited9222https://www.youtube.com/@opptyunlimited9222 **🔗 Connect with the Host Steve Miksta:** 👉 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevemiksta/https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevemiksta/ **🔗 Connect with the Host Company, Oppty Unlimited:** 👉 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/opptyunlimited/https://www.linkedin.com/company/opptyunlimited/ 👉 Website:https://www.opptyunlimited.com/https://www.opptyunlimited.com/