Notes on Resilience 127: How Good Leaders Make Better Choices, with Kevin McCarthy
Have you ever wondered why good people sometimes make terrible decisions?
Kevin McCarthy lived this question when he unwittingly became involved in what turned out to be Washington state's largest fraud case—an experience that landed him in federal prison for 33 months despite having no knowledge of the crime. Rather than becoming bitter, Kevin transformed this devastating setback into profound insight about human blind spots and leadership.
In this thought-provoking conversation, Kevin shares his journey from successful entrepreneur to federal inmate to leadership development pioneer. He explains how blind spots—our unconscious biases, thinking errors, and limiting beliefs—affect even the most well-intentioned people, especially as they rise to positions of greater authority.
Kevin discusses the fundamental flaw in leadership development: we promote technical experts without equipping them with essential people skills. While organizations invest heavily in teaching processes and methodologies, they neglect to help leaders understand themselves and others. The consequences are severe—with Gallup research showing only 23% of the global workforce is engaged, while a staggering 18% actively sabotages their organizations.
Kevin's metaphor of prison life brilliantly captures the challenge we all face: we can choose the wide, easy path of remaining unchanged, or the narrower, more challenging path of growth and self-improvement. "I challenge every leader to choose the narrow path and decide to proactively become a better version of yourself," he urges. "We can all learn to think better, be better, and do better."
Whether you're a seasoned executive, an aspiring leader, or simply interested in understanding the human factors that influence decision-making, this episode offers invaluable insights on developing self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and compassion in leadership. Listen now to discover how Kevin's assessment tools and training programs are helping organizations build better leaders and healthier workplaces worldwide.
Kevin McCarthy is a consultant, leadership development coach, and author of the bestselling book, BlindSpots – Why Good People Make Bad Choices. You c
You can learn more about Kevin on his website or connect with him on LinkedIn.
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