The Remarkable Leadership Podcast

What can a tree teach you about being a better leader? More than you might think. In this episode of Remarkable TV, Kevin Eikenberry draws powerful lessons from the natural world—specifically trees—to help you become a more stable, adaptable, and effective leader. Learn how to stay rooted in your values while remaining flexible in your approach to leadership challenges. 🌳 🌟 Key Takeaways: - The importance of being rooted in principles, values, and purpose - How flexibility in your leadership approach strengthens your effectiveness - Why true leadership is about balance: being both strong and adaptable 💬 Got a word you want Kevin to connect to leadership? Drop it in the comments or email us at info@remarkablepodcast.com. If we use your word, you'll get a free journal and a shoutout in a future episode! My name is Kevin Eikenberry and I'm here to help you reach your goal as a leader and a human being with Remarkable TV and the Remarkable Leadership Podcast. I am also the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group. We provide speaking, training, consulting, and coaching services to organizations who believe in investing in their most valuable assets – their people. Whether we are leading a training workshop, speaking to a group, facilitating a planning meeting, consulting with a leadership team, helping with team building, writing or developing products, our vision will be clear in everything we do – We want to be Your Leadership Help Button. Learn more about our offerings: ➡️ FREE NEWSLETTERs: Sign up for any of our newsletters: https://kevineikenberry.com/newsletters ➡️ LEADERSHIP WORKSHOPS: Sign up for any of our online workshops to help you become a better leader: https://kevineikenberry.com/store/?product_type=Workshops ➡️ SPEAKING: Learn more about our Speaking opportunities for your next event: https://kevineikenberry.com/how-we-can-help-speaking/ Connect with Kevin Eikenberry on Social Media: https://kevineikenberry.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevineikenberry https://twitter.com/KevinEikenberry https://instagram.com/kevineikenberry https://www.facebook.com/KevinEikenberryFanPage/ About Kevin Eikenberry: Kevin Eikenberry is the Chief Potential Officer of the Kevin Eikenberry Group, a world expert on leadership development, best-selling author, sought-after speaker, popular blogger, husband and dad, a fan of Purdue athletics and antique tractors (especially John Deere's). About The Remarkable Leadership Podcast: The Remarkable Leadership Podcast with Kevin Eikenberry is dedicated to all things leadership. Twice a week Kevin shares his thoughts about leadership development and ideas to help you lead more confidently and make a bigger difference for those you lead. He also has weekly conversations with leadership experts discussing a wide range of topics including teamwork, organizational culture, facilitating change, personal and organizational development, human potential and more.

What if your well-intentioned leadership style is holding your team back? Kevin sits down with Sabina Nawaz to discuss the illusion of "bad bosses," the myth of singular authenticity, and the impact of pressure on leadership behaviors. Sabina introduces the idea that it's pressure, not power, that corrupts and outlines the three primary pressure pitfalls leaders fall into: controlling, abdicating, and automating. They talk about why delegation often fails and how unexamined internal "hungers" sabotage our best efforts and intentions, as ell as how leaders can learn to shift their identity to better serve their teams. Listen For 00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview 00:37 Join the Community Live on Facebook/LinkedIn 01:28 About Flexible Leadership (Book Promo) 02:22 Meet Sabina Nawaz 03:04 Sabina's Career Journey and Background 03:56 Becoming a "Bad Boss" After Parental Leave 05:49 Are There Really Bad Bosses? 06:48 Pressure vs. Power What Really Corrupts? 07:41 Myth of Singular Authenticity 09:08 Identity and the Limits of Authenticity 10:41 Promotion and the Danger of Strengths 11:44 The Power Gap in Leadership 13:01 Understanding the Impact of Your Authority 15:36 Pressure Pitfalls Overview 16:27 Pitfall 1 Unmet Hungers 17:43 The Trap of Needing Approval 18:40 Sole Provider Syndrome 20:22 Pitfall 2 Abdicating Responsibility 21:51 The Delegation Mistake Most Leaders Make 23:32 Abdication vs. True Delegation 24:01 Sabina's Self-Diagnostic Questions 25:28 Avoiding the "Yeah, But" Trap 26:27 Communication Fault Lines Just Shut Up 27:56 The Power of Listening in Leadership 29:01 Every Action Has a Reaction 30:10 Sabina's Personal Interests and Books She's Reading 32:10 Where to Connect with Sabina and Get the Book 32:52 Final Leadership Challenge and Episode Wrap-Up Sabina's Story: Sabina Nawaz is the author of You're the Boss: Become the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need). She is an elite executive coach who advises C-level executives and teams at Fortune 500 corporations, government agencies, nonprofits, and academic institutions around the world. Sabina routinely gives speeches each year and teaches faculty at Northeastern and Drexel Universities. During her fourteen-year tenure at Microsoft, she went from managing software development teams to leading the company's executive development and succession planning efforts for over 11,000 managers and nearly a thousand executives, advising Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer directly. She has written for and been featured in Harvard Business Review, Wall Street Journal, and Forbes. This Episode is brought to you by... Flexible Leadership is every leader's guide to greater success in a world of increasing complexity and chaos. Book Recommendations You're the Boss: Become the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need) by Sabina Nawaz Autumn: A Novel (Seasonal Quartet) by Ali Smith Martyr!: A Novel by Kaveh Akbar The Founder's Dilemmas: Anticipating and Avoiding the Pitfalls That Can Sink a Startup by Noam Wasserman Like this? Becoming the New Boss with Naphtali Hoff Becoming a Successful Manager with Lisa Haneberg Join Our Community If you want to view our live podcast episodes, hear about new releases, or chat with others who enjoy this podcast join one of our communities below. Join the Facebook Group Join the LinkedIn Group Leave a Review If you liked this conversation, we'd be thrilled if you'd let others know by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Here's a quick guide for posting a review. Review on Apple: https://remarkablepodcast.com/itunes Podcast Better! Sign up with Libsyn and get up to 2 months free! Use promo code: RLP

How patient are you with yourself? In this episode of Remarkable TV and the Remarkable Leadership Podcast, I'm challenging you to reflect on an important leadership skill: giving yourself the same patience and grace you extend to others. We'll explore: - What your self-talk says when things don't go as planned - How to zoom out and gain perspective when you feel stuck - Why staying in the present moment builds patience and confidence - How building personal patience strengthens your leadership and reduces stress for you and your team Leadership is a journey, not a destination. These practical questions and insights will help you be kinder to yourself while still striving for excellence. My name is Kevin Eikenberry and I'm here to help you reach your goal as a leader and a human being with Remarkable TV and the Remarkable Leadership Podcast. I am also the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group. We provide speaking, training, consulting, and coaching services to organizations who believe in investing in their most valuable assets – their people. Whether we are leading a training workshop, speaking to a group, facilitating a planning meeting, consulting with a leadership team, helping with team building, writing or developing products, our vision will be clear in everything we do – We want to be Your Leadership Help Button. Learn more about our offerings: ➡️ FREE NEWSLETTERs: Sign up for any of our newsletters: https://kevineikenberry.com/newsletters ➡️ LEADERSHIP WORKSHOPS: Sign up for any of our online workshops to help you become a better leader: https://kevineikenberry.com/store/?product_type=Workshops ➡️ SPEAKING: Learn more about our Speaking opportunities for your next event: https://kevineikenberry.com/how-we-can-help-speaking/ Connect with Kevin Eikenberry on Social Media: https://kevineikenberry.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevineikenberry https://twitter.com/KevinEikenberry https://instagram.com/kevineikenberry https://www.facebook.com/KevinEikenberryFanPage/ About Kevin Eikenberry: Kevin Eikenberry is the Chief Potential Officer of the Kevin Eikenberry Group, a world expert on leadership development, best-selling author, sought-after speaker, popular blogger, husband and dad, a fan of Purdue athletics and antique tractors (especially John Deere's). About The Remarkable Leadership Podcast: The Remarkable Leadership Podcast with Kevin Eikenberry is dedicated to all things leadership. Twice a week Kevin shares his thoughts about leadership development and ideas to help you lead more confidently and make a bigger difference for those you lead. He also has weekly conversations with leadership experts discussing a wide range of topics including teamwork, organizational culture, facilitating change, personal and organizational development, human potential and more. Leave a Review If you liked this conversation, we'd be thrilled if you'd let others know by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Here's a quick guide for posting a review. Review on Apple: https://remarkablepodcast.com/itunes Join Our Community If you want to view our live podcast episodes, hear about new releases, or chat with others who enjoy this podcast join one of our communities below. Join the Facebook Group Join the LinkedIn Group Podcast Better! Sign up with Libsyn and get up to 2 months free! Use promo code: RLP

Do you know how to effectively communicate with someone in a higher position, such as your boss, a board, or anyone in a position of authority? Kevin welcomes Melody Wilding, who shares strategies and conversation frameworks to help professionals at all levels navigate complex relationships with their leaders. Melody and Kevin discuss the concept of "managing up"; not as sucking-up or people-pleasing, but to take ownership of your success by fostering productive and respectful relationships with those in charge. They also discuss the critical conversations outlined in her book and dive into three in particular: the boundaries conversation, the feedback conversation, and the styles conversation. Melody emphasizes the "triple win" philosophy, which focuses on finding solutions that benefit you, your boss, and the organization. She offers practical advice for leaders on how to facilitate managing up for their team members, such as asking, "What do you need from me?" Listen For 00:00 Introduction 01:23 Guest Introduction: Melody Wilding 02:16 Welcome and Opening Question 03:05 The Psychology of Managing Up 04:11 Everyone Has a Boss 05:18 The "Why Isn't My Boss in This Class?" Problem 06:08 Managing Up Isn't About Excusing Bad Leadership 07:11 Managing Up Is for You 08:20 The 10 Conversations Framework 09:01 Boundaries Conversation 10:28 Setting Expectations and Clarifying Priorities 12:06 Creating Win-Win Outcomes 14:20 Feedback Conversation 16:25 Building Trust Through Positive Feedback 17:27 From Labels to Behavior: The ABC Model 19:33 Constructive Proposals, Not Complaints 20:28 Styles Conversation 22:49 It's About Them, Not You 24:54 Avoiding Labels and Confirmation Bias 26:05 Meet the Needs of Your Boss 27:09 Ethical Visibility and Remote Work 28:37 Help Your Boss Help You 29:42 Make it Easier for People to Manage Up to You 30:38 One-on-Ones as Strategic Tools 32:14 The Leadership Book Question 33:12 What Do You Do for Fun 34:23 Learn More: ManagingUp.com 35:15 Final Thoughts: What Will You Do Melody's Story: Melody Wilding is the bestselling author of Trust Yourself: Stop Overthinking and Channel Your Emotions for Success at Work and Managing Up: How to Get What You Need from the People in Charge. She is a licensed social worker with a master's degree from Columbia University, a professor of human behavior at Hunter College in New York City, and a former emotions researcher at Rutgers University. For more than a decade, she's helped top performers and leadership at the world's most successful companies to communicate more clearly, prevent burnout, and transform complicated workplace dynamics into powerful alliances that impact the bottom line. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post, to name a few. She's a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Fast Company, and CNBC. https://melodywilding.com/ http://managingup.com/ https://www.instagram.com/melodywilding/ This Episode is brought to you by... Flexible Leadership is every leader's guide to greater success in a world of increasing complexity and chaos. Book Recommendations Managing Up: How to Get What You Need from the People in Charge by Melody Wilding Trust Yourself: Stop Overthinking and Channel Your Emotions for Success at Work by Melody Wilding Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World by Anne-Laure Le Cunff Flex Your Feelings: Train Your Brain to Develop the 7 Traits of Emotional Fitness by Dr. Emily Anhalt Like this? Managing Up with Mary Abbajay Trusting Yourself with Melody Wilding Join Our Community If you want to view our live podcast episodes, hear about new releases, or chat with others who enjoy this podcast join one of our communities below. Join the Facebook Group Join the LinkedIn Group Leave a Review If you liked this conversation, we'd be thrilled if you'd let others know by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Here's a quick guide for posting a review. Review on Apple: https://remarkablepodcast.com/itunes Podcast Better! Sign up with Libsyn and get up to 2 months free! Use promo code: RLP

How patient are you with others—especially as a leader? In this episode of Remarkable TV, Kevin Eikenberry explores why patience is more than just a virtue—it's a leadership skill that impacts trust, engagement, and your effectiveness as a coach. Kevin walks through the common triggers that test our patience (like stress, urgency, and mood), and he offers practical steps to help you respond more thoughtfully—even in high-pressure situations. Discover how understanding your own mindset can help you show more grace and build stronger, more productive relationships. My name is Kevin Eikenberry and I'm here to help you reach your goal as a leader and a human being with Remarkable TV and the Remarkable Leadership Podcast. I am also the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group. We provide speaking, training, consulting, and coaching services to organizations who believe in investing in their most valuable assets – their people. Whether we are leading a training workshop, speaking to a group, facilitating a planning meeting, consulting with a leadership team, helping with team building, writing or developing products, our vision will be clear in everything we do – We want to be Your Leadership Help Button. Learn more about our offerings: ➡️ FREE NEWSLETTERs: Sign up for any of our newsletters: https://kevineikenberry.com/newsletters ➡️ LEADERSHIP WORKSHOPS: Sign up for any of our online workshops to help you become a better leader: https://kevineikenberry.com/store/?product_type=Workshops ➡️ SPEAKING: Learn more about our Speaking opportunities for your next event: https://kevineikenberry.com/how-we-can-help-speaking/ Connect with Kevin Eikenberry on Social Media: https://kevineikenberry.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevineikenberry https://twitter.com/KevinEikenberry https://instagram.com/kevineikenberry https://www.facebook.com/KevinEikenberryFanPage/ About Kevin Eikenberry: Kevin Eikenberry is the Chief Potential Officer of the Kevin Eikenberry Group, a world expert on leadership development, best-selling author, sought-after speaker, popular blogger, husband and dad, a fan of Purdue athletics and antique tractors (especially John Deere's). About The Remarkable Leadership Podcast: The Remarkable Leadership Podcast with Kevin Eikenberry is dedicated to all things leadership. Twice a week Kevin shares his thoughts about leadership development and ideas to help you lead more confidently and make a bigger difference for those you lead. He also has weekly conversations with leadership experts discussing a wide range of topics including teamwork, organizational culture, facilitating change, personal and organizational development, human potential and more.

What makes culture so powerful, and why do so many organizations get it wrong? Kevin sits down with organizational psychologist Laura Hamill to discuss the disconnect between the practice of culture and the science of culture. Laura defines culture not just as what's visible on the surface, but as the underlying "collective set of reasons why" behaviors occur in organizations. She explains why leaders must bridge the gap between aspirational values and actual workplace experiences and introduces the concept of cultural betrayal. The discussion also covers the difference between culture and climate, the role of middle managers in operationalizing values, and how behaviors and norms shape what is truly valued in the workplace. Listen For 00:00 Welcome and Introduction 02:10 Guest Introduction: Laura Hamill 02:44 Opening Remarks and Book Background 03:10 Laura's Journey to Studying Culture 04:46 Bridging Science and Practice in Culture 05:20 Why the Book is Called "The Power of Culture" 06:58 Leaders' Role in Culture and Power 09:15 Defining Culture 10:23 Culture vs. Climate 14:24 Real World Example of Cultural Disconnect 16:37 Aspirational vs. Actual Culture 20:24 Simple Culture Exercise for Teams 23:10 Cultural Betrayal and Its Impact 25:23 Leading Culture Change Over Time 28:08 Intentional Culture Circle and Behavior Focus 29:24 Role of Mid-Level Leaders in Culture 30:12 Frontline and Leadership Roles in Culture 31:01 What Laura Does for Fun 32:10 What Laura is Reading 33:01 How to Connect with Laura and Buy the Book 34:04 Final Reflections and Takeaways Laura's Story: Dr. Laura Hamill is the author of The Power of Culture: Bringing Values to Life at Work. She is an organizational psychologist and business leader, focusing on the intersection of science and HR. Laura is an expert on creating great places to work. Her research is centered around employee well-being, employee engagement, and organizational culture. She is the owner of Paris Phoenix Group, a consulting firm specializing in driving impactful research and outcomes. Laura was also a co-founder of Limeade, an employee experience software company, where she held the dual roles of Chief People Officer and Chief Science Officer. Laura earned her Ph.D. and M.S. in industrial/organizational psychology from Old Dominion University and a B.A. in psychology from the University of North Carolina. https://www.parisphoenixgroup.com/ http://www.linkedin.com/in/laurahamill This Episode is brought to you by... Flexible Leadership is every leader's guide to greater success in a world of increasing complexity and chaos. Book Recommendations The Power of Culture: Bringing values to life at work by Laura Hamill A Cognitive Theory of Cultural Meaning (Publications of the Society for Psychological Anthropology, Series Number 9) by Claudia Strauss and Naomi Quinn Leadership on the Line, With a New Preface: Staying Alive Through the Dangers of Change by Ronald A. Heifetz and Marty Linsky Like this? Solving the Culture Puzzle with Mario Moussa and Derek Newberry How Leaders Can Create a Company Culture That Doesn't Suck with S. Chris Edmonds and Mark Babbitt Culture is the Way with Matt Mayberry Join Our Community If you want to view our live podcast episodes, hear about new releases, or chat with others who enjoy this podcast join one of our communities below. Join the Facebook Group Join the LinkedIn Group Leave a Review If you liked this conversation, we'd be thrilled if you'd let others know by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Here's a quick guide for posting a review. Review on Apple: https://remarkablepodcast.com/itunes Podcast Better! Sign up with Libsyn and get up to 2 months free! Use promo code: RLP

Kevin Eikenberry challenges the traditional notion of patience as merely waiting. Instead, he introduces the concept of proactive patience — a dynamic and intentional approach that involves movement, reflection, and growth even during periods of waiting. Kevin highlights the balance between slowing down without becoming passive and maintaining forward momentum without forcing outcomes. He emphasizes the importance of having a clear vision, trusting the process, and maintaining a long-term orientation, especially in uncertain times. This mindset shift helps leaders continue progressing toward their goals even when immediate results aren't visible. Key Takeaways Patience isn't passive: True patience involves intentional action, not just idle waiting. Proactive patience: Strike a balance between pausing and continuing to work toward your vision. Keep your goals in sight: Maintain focus on your long-term objectives even during pauses. Reflect and act: Use moments of waiting for thoughtful reflection that leads to deliberate action. Trust the process: Growth often includes plateaus and setbacks — stay committed to the journey. Think long-term: See waiting as a temporary moment within a larger path of progress. Flexible Leadership: Kevin ties these ideas to his new book, encouraging a mindset of "both/and" rather than "either/or." Resources Mentioned Flexible Leadership: Navigate Uncertainty and Lead with Confidence Learn more and get your copy: https://KevinEikenberry.com/Flexible My name is Kevin Eikenberry and I'm here to help you reach your goal as a leader and a human being with Remarkable TV and the Remarkable Leadership Podcast. I am also the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group. We provide speaking, training, consulting, and coaching services to organizations who believe in investing in their most valuable assets – their people. Whether we are leading a training workshop, speaking to a group, facilitating a planning meeting, consulting with a leadership team, helping with team building, writing or developing products, our vision will be clear in everything we do – We want to be Your Leadership Help Button. Learn more about our offerings: ➡️ FREE NEWSLETTERs: Sign up for any of our newsletters: https://kevineikenberry.com/newsletters ➡️ LEADERSHIP WORKSHOPS: Sign up for any of our online workshops to help you become a better leader: https://kevineikenberry.com/store/?product_type=Workshops ➡️ SPEAKING: Learn more about our Speaking opportunities for your next event: https://kevineikenberry.com/how-we-can-help-speaking/ Connect with Kevin Eikenberry on Social Media: https://kevineikenberry.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevineikenberry https://twitter.com/KevinEikenberry https://instagram.com/kevineikenberry https://www.facebook.com/KevinEikenberryFanPage/ About Kevin Eikenberry: Kevin Eikenberry is the Chief Potential Officer of the Kevin Eikenberry Group, a world expert on leadership development, best-selling author, sought-after speaker, popular blogger, husband and dad, a fan of Purdue athletics and antique tractors (especially John Deere's). About The Remarkable Leadership Podcast: The Remarkable Leadership Podcast with Kevin Eikenberry is dedicated to all things leadership. Twice a week Kevin shares his thoughts about leadership development and ideas to help you lead more confidently and make a bigger difference for those you lead. He also has weekly conversations with leadership experts discussing a wide range of topics including teamwork, organizational culture, facilitating change, personal and organizational development, human potential and more.

Are you empowering others or unleashing agency? In this episode, Judith Katz and Fred Miller join Kevin to discuss the role of agency in the workplace. While autonomy and authority are often topics of discussion, agency — the ability for all individuals, regardless of their role or tenure, to possess power, influence, and a voice — is crucial for high-performance organizations. They explain how organizational cultures often "smother" this natural agency through excessive rules, approvals, and "checkers checking checkers," which leads to the slow implementation of even the best strategies. Judith and Fred highlight that organizations need to transition from control-based leadership to trust-based leadership. Listen For 00:08 Autonomy, Authority, and Agency Introduction 00:40 Join Future Episodes Live + Book Promo 01:31 Introducing Judith Katz and Fred Miller 02:15 Background of the Guests and Their Work 02:58 Focus on Their Book: The Power of Agency 03:43 Fred's Journey to Writing the Book 05:22 Constraints in Organizations Today 06:15 Speed vs. Bureaucracy and Motivation for the Book 07:03 Judith on Why the Book Matters Now 08:08 Uncovering Ideas and Talent in the Workplace 08:38 Defining Agency 10:02 Who Should Have Agency in Organizations 10:26 Agency vs. Empowerment 11:34 The Natural State of Human Agency 12:16 Smothering vs. Unleashing Agency 12:43 Empowerment as Bestowing vs. Agency as Unleashing 13:42 Is the Trend Toward or Away from Agency? 15:16 Organizational Culture Post-COVID 16:14 Importance of Being Physically Together Sometimes 17:21 Human Connection and In-Person Insights 18:17 Discretionary Energy Drives Great Organizations 18:53 Skills Needed for Practicing Agency 19:55 Trust, Experimentation, and Continuous Improvement 21:13 Ownership and Decision-Making in Action 22:16 Fear of Going Big in Organizational Culture 23:05 Leadership and Facilitation for Voice 24:14 Mindset Shift Needed for Agency 25:05 Fear, Control, and Trust in Talent 26:29 Talent Retention Through Agency 27:17 Disengagement and Side Gigs 28:03 Saying Yes as a Leadership Strategy 29:07 The Core of Agency in Action 29:34 What the Guests Do for Fun 30:41 What They're Reading Now 32:09 Where to Find the Book and Connect 33:39 Final Thoughts and Call to Action This Episode is brought to you by... Flexible Leadership is every leader's guide to greater success in a world of increasing complexity and chaos. Book Recommendations The Power of Agency by Frederick A. Miller and Judith H. Katz No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention by Reed Hastings and Erin Meyer The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese Like this? Understanding Employee Engagement with Jacqueline Throop-Robinson Creating a Culture of Reinvention - Lessons from Netflix with Erin Meyer A Practical Guide for Building Engagement with Brian Hartzer

In times of uncertainty, many leaders freeze, worry, or retreat — but what if there was a better way? In this episode of Remarkable TV, Kevin Eikenberry explores the common reactions to uncertainty that hold us back, and he offers four proactive strategies to help you lead with confidence even when the path isn't clear. This episode draws directly from Kevin's latest book, Flexible Leadership: Navigate Uncertainty and Lead with Confidence, and offers immediately applicable tools to help you become a more adaptable and resilient leader. 🔍 Discover: - Why withdrawal, denial, and overthinking don't serve you - Four powerful, action-oriented strategies to respond to uncertainty - How curiosity, learning, and experimentation can provide clarity - Why pattern recognition helps build leadership confidence 📖 Want a sneak peek of Kevin's new book? Download a free chapter here: https://kevineikenberry.com/flexible My name is Kevin Eikenberry and I'm here to help you reach your goal as a leader and a human being with Remarkable TV and the Remarkable Leadership Podcast. I am also the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group. We provide speaking, training, consulting, and coaching services to organizations who believe in investing in their most valuable assets – their people. Whether we are leading a training workshop, speaking to a group, facilitating a planning meeting, consulting with a leadership team, helping with team building, writing or developing products, our vision will be clear in everything we do – We want to be Your Leadership Help Button. Learn more about our offerings: ➡️ FREE NEWSLETTERs: Sign up for any of our newsletters: https://kevineikenberry.com/newsletters ➡️ LEADERSHIP WORKSHOPS: Sign up for any of our online workshops to help you become a better leader: https://kevineikenberry.com/store/?product_type=Workshops ➡️ SPEAKING: Learn more about our Speaking opportunities for your next event: https://kevineikenberry.com/how-we-can-help-speaking/ Connect with Kevin Eikenberry on Social Media: https://kevineikenberry.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevineikenberry https://twitter.com/KevinEikenberry https://instagram.com/kevineikenberry https://www.facebook.com/KevinEikenberryFanPage/ About Kevin Eikenberry: Kevin Eikenberry is the Chief Potential Officer of the Kevin Eikenberry Group, a world expert on leadership development, best-selling author, sought-after speaker, popular blogger, husband and dad, a fan of Purdue athletics and antique tractors (especially John Deere's). About The Remarkable Leadership Podcast: The Remarkable Leadership Podcast with Kevin Eikenberry is dedicated to all things leadership. Twice a week Kevin shares his thoughts about leadership development and ideas to help you lead more confidently and make a bigger difference for those you lead. He also has weekly conversations with leadership experts discussing a wide range of topics including teamwork, organizational culture, facilitating change, personal and organizational development, human potential and more. Join Our Community If you want to view our live podcast episodes, hear about new releases, or chat with others who enjoy this podcast join one of our communities below. Join the Facebook Group Join the LinkedIn Group Leave a Review If you liked this conversation, we'd be thrilled if you'd let others know by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Here's a quick guide for posting a review. Review on Apple: https://remarkablepodcast.com/itunes Podcast Better! Sign up with Libsyn and get up to 2 months free! Use promo code: RLP

Are we in a modern renaissance? Kevin welcomes Dr. Christie Smith to discuss the major shifts impacting leadership today, including distributed teams, AI, workforce expectations, and global uncertainties. Dr. Smith introduces the concept of gray-collar workers, a growing segment of the workforce that combines blue- and white-collar roles and explains why traditional leadership models are no longer adequate. She also breaks down the Essential Leadership Flywheel, which advances beyond emotional intelligence to emotional maturity. This focuses on suspending self-interest, fostering curiosity, and genuinely understanding the context in which employees operate. Listen For 00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview 01:01 Kevin's Book Flexible Leadership 01:56 Meet Dr. Christie Smith 03:06 The Journey Behind the Book 04:24 Early Influences and Advocacy 05:24 Why Now The Timing of the Book 07:19 Framing Leadership in a Complex World 08:20 Leadership is Hard 10:23 The Challenge of Polarization 12:33 A Modern Renaissance Hope and Opportunity 14:27 Leadership and the Human Centered Workplace 15:31 Centering Humans in the Digital Age 16:55 Defining Gray Collar Workers 19:05 Empowerment and Gray Collar Jobs 20:28 Four Human Needs in the Workplace 21:00 The Power of Agency in Leadership 22:15 From Emotional Intelligence to Emotional Maturity 24:24 Essential Leadership Flywheel 25:21 Suspending Self Interest as a Leader 26:22 Why Leadership Trust is Declining 28:02 Investing in People Drives Results 29:09 Contextual Competence A Modern Imperative 30:53 Flexibility Empathy and Humanity at Work 32:18 Rapid Fire Fun and Reading 34:30 Learn More About Christie and the Book 35:57 The Final Question Now What Christie's Story: Dr. Christie Smith is the co-author of Essential: How Distributed Teams, Generative AI, and Global Shifts Are Creating a New Human-Powered Leadership with Kelly Monahan. She has over 35 years of experience advising the C-Suite of Fortune 500 companies. She is the founder of The Humanity Studio™, a research and advisory institute dedicated to improving the way we live by revolutionizing the way we work. She has held global leadership positions at Deloitte, Apple, and Accenture as a highly respected expert in leadership, talent management, organizational design, workforce management, change management, and executive team performance. She is a highly sought-after speaker on business strategy, leadership and culture, DEI, people analytics, and the impact of workforce technologies and AI. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Harvard Business Review, to name a few. Christie received her doctorate in Clinical Social Work with a focus on leadership and culture from New York University. https://www.humanity.studio/ https://www.smith-monahan.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/christiesmithphd/ https://www.instagram.com/christiesmith.phd This Episode is brought to you by... Flexible Leadership is every leader's guide to greater success in a world of increasing complexity and chaos. Book Recommendations Essential: How Distributed Teams, Generative AI, and Global Shifts Are Creating a New Human-Powered Leadership by Christie Smith and Kelly Monahan The Let Them Theory: A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can't Stop Talking About by Mel Robbins and Sawyer Robbins Winston Churchill Biography: Lessons from a Visionary Leader by Douglas Glenn Rohde Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know by Adam Grant Like this? Building Workplaces Fit for Humans with David Brendel and Ryan Stelzer How Work Works Now with Michelle King Join Our Community If you want to view our live podcast episodes, hear about new releases, or chat with others who enjoy this podcast join one of our communities below. Join the Facebook Group Join the LinkedIn Group Leave a Review If you liked this conversation, we'd be thrilled if you'd let others know by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Here's a quick guide for posting a review. Review on Apple: https://remarkablepodcast.com/itunes Podcast Better! Sign up with Libsyn and get up to 2 months free! Use promo code: RLP