Partnering Leadership 430 Unwavering Teams: How Leaders Reduce Friction and Build Trust That Lasts with Eric Termuende
In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli sits down with Eric Termuende, leadership thinker, speaker, and author of Rethink Work: Finding & Keeping the Right Talent, for a grounded conversation about what actually holds teams together in times of uncertainty.
Rather than focusing on trends or surface-level engagement tactics, the discussion explores why trust, clarity, and human connection remain the real differentiators for leaders trying to reduce friction and sustain performance. Eric shares practical insights drawn from his work with organizations that have stopped chasing big transformation initiatives and instead focus on small, consistent shifts that compound over time.
Mahan and Eric examine why many leadership teams feel overwhelmed despite good intentions, and how blind spots, inaction, and excessive control quietly erode trust. The conversation challenges the idea that certainty is required to lead well, replacing it with a more realistic and resilient approach rooted in direction, psychological safety, and shared responsibility.
The episode also looks at what makes teams “unwavering” when the environment around them is anything but stable. Through concrete examples and memorable stories, Eric illustrates how leaders can build trust that lasts, reduce unnecessary friction, and create conditions where people contribute their best thinking.
This conversation is especially relevant for CEOs and senior executives who sense that the way work gets done needs to change, but who want practical leadership insight rather than abstract theory.
Actionable Takeaways
- You’ll learn why organizations don’t suffer from survey fatigue as much as something far more damaging.
- Hear how small, intentional “one-degree shifts” outperform large transformation efforts over time.
- Discover what actually makes teams steady during turbulence, and why trust acts as the stabilizer.
- Learn why leaders often create friction without realizing it, especially through control and approvals.
- Hear a real example of how daily, employee-driven improvement can reshape culture and results.
- Understand why clarity of direction matters more than certainty in today’s leadership environment.
- Learn how shared language and experiences quietly strengthen connection and execution.
- Explore how trust in human judgment remains essential even as AI tools become part of everyday work.
- Hear why relationships, not systems, ultimately determine whether teams adapt or stall.
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