Humility vs. Fear in Leadership

In this episode, Andy talks with leadership coach Phil Wilson, author of The Leader-Shift Playbook: 4 Simple Changes to Score Big and Unleash Your Team's Potential. Phil shares his own “Mount Stupid” moment, when he realized the biggest obstacle to his team’s success was actually himself, and how that wake-up call led to powerful changes in his leadership approach.

The conversation dives into the four core shifts from his book, covering topics like the power of belief (in yourself and others), and how seemingly small habits shape team culture. Phil and Andy explore how frontline leaders can create real momentum by changing how they show up, how they relate to their team, and how they view their role as a leader. You’ll also hear practical ways to build trust on remote teams and foster relationships that drive performance.

If you’re looking for insights on culture, trust, feedback, and practical leadership growth, this episode is for you!

• “There are no neutral interactions. You’re either growing the culture or you’re hurting the culture.”
• “The solution wasn’t a Chief of Staff. What I needed was to be a better leader.”
• “Self-doubt isn’t humility. It’s fear dressed up as honesty.”
• "Beliefs drive behavior."
• “The belief you have about your team—whether they’re heroes or villains—changes everything.”
• “You don't have the luxury of assuming anything other than the best about your people.”
• “Leadership actually happens in the conversations you’re willing to have.”
• "Best and Best: Each person shares the best thing going on in their personal life, and the best thing going on in their work life."
• "The Three Happys: Three things from the day before that made you happy."
• “If you had a product you were selling, you’d ask your customers for feedback. As a leader, your team is your customer.”

• 00:00 Introduction
• 02:06 Start of Interview
• 02:16 Phil's Family Influence on Leadership
• 05:15 Mount Stupid Moment: A Leadership Realization
• 09:11 Implementing EOS for Better Leadership
• 11:12 We're Always Making Culture
• 13:47 We Shape a Tone Just By Walking Into a Room: How Does that Work With Virtual Work?
• 16:04 Self-Doubt vs. Humility in Leadership
• 20:30 The Hero Assumption in Leadership
• 24:23 How to Show You Believe In Someone
• 26:54 The Importance of Relationships in Teams
• 29:09 Creating a Positive Team Culture
• 32:07 Applying Leadership Principles at Home
• 35:31 End of Interview
• 36:06 Andy Comments After the Interview
• 40:14 Outtakes

You can learn more about Phil and his work at YourLeaderShift.com.

For more learning on this topic, check out:

• Episode 342 with Krister Ungerbock about his book 22 Talk Shifts, exploring how small changes in our words can change our teams.
• Episode 440 with Kelli Thompson about overcoming self-doubt and leading with confidence.
• Episode 468 with James Turk on giving, motivation, and long-term team engagement.

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Just go to 5BestResources.PeopleAndProjectsPodcast.com to grab your copy. I’d love to help you get your PMP this year!

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Power Skills

Topics: Leadership, Feedback, Self-Doubt, Culture, Remote Teams, Trust, Communication, Organizational Behavior, Performance, Project Management, Relationship Building, Personal Growth

The following music was used for this episode:

Music: Summer Awakening by Frank Schroeter License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Music: Energetic Drive Indie Rock by WinnieTheMoog License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license