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Leaning into Leadership: 37 minutes of great ideas on being a better leader!

Writer's picture: Greg BennickGreg Bennick

Updated: Dec 23, 2024


When I was fifteen (yes, fifteen!) years old and performing at a corporate event, I came face to face with one of the most powerful men in business at the time: Victor Kiam. 


Kiam owned Remington, later owned the New England Patriots, and the interaction I had with him changed the course of my life and taught me the importance of listening to your clients and making your messages relatable, and how storytelling drives keynotes to success.


I write about the story in my book, but leadership coach Darrin M Peppard Ed.D. asked me about it on his Leaning into Leadership podcast where he talks about focusing on what matters most. 


Leaning into leadership, in my opinion, means embracing responsibilities, facing challenges, and exploring the opportunity to guide others. Leadership is a privilege. When a leader embraces that gift with specific intention and authenticity they have a mindset shift from viewing their leadership as a burden or as an obligation to seeing it as a exciting and dynamic role where their actions can profoundly influence individuals, teams, and outcomes. 


Leaning in is about stepping up to a challenge even when the path is unclear (I write about this in my book in the chapter called “Leap into the Dark.” We have to act decisively, and when in a leadership role, need to do so while remaining open to input, and at the same time - as if this wasn’t enough to juggle already - fostering a culture of trust and collaboration. 


Leadership is not about attaining a state of perfection but rather about immersing oneself into progress, and developing tools for resilience, and embracing adaptability. An effective leader knows to have a willingness to be vulnerable, to own up to their mistakes, and to explore the idea both as an individual and with their team that a mistake is a stepping stone rather than a dead end. I write about this in Reclaim the Moment: Seven Strategies to Build a Better Now too. We have to see our mistakes as opportunities. When we demonize failure, mistakes, and missteps, we destroy our potential for progress.


Leaning into leadership means fully committing to the responsibilities of our role as guide or mentor, even when it feels daunting or overwhelming. Leadership requires understanding that growth - whether personal or collective - often reveals itself after working through (and yes I talk about this in the book too!) moments of discomfort. Leaning in to leadership requires courage. And this courage takes many forms:


  • The courage to make hard decisions

  • The courage to challenge the status quo

  • The courage to be an advocate for what’s right even when it’s not popular or convenient


One point I often make in my keynotes is about the tension between decisiveness and collaboration and knowing when to step forward to provide direction and when to step back to be a part of the team rather than its guide. To be an effective team member is to push continual effort, actively seek humility, and retain the belief that meaningful change begins with those willing to be vulnerable, authentic, and collectively powerful.


We had a great conversation, fun, insightful, and full of actionable ideas.


Dive in and give it a listen while you drive home from work today, as long as your commute is 37 minutes long, because this episode goes fast. 


Highlights include:


---> Sharing about developing relationships that matter to enhance teamwork


---> Exploring the importance of kindness in leadership and its impact on team dynamics


---> Diving into the concept from my book to leap into the dark and take risks as a leader and creator of ideas and action


Give it a listen! Links to view or listen are in the comments.



Learn more about my keynotes to help you build a better now: here!


Podcast promo image for "Leaning into Leadership" Episode 159 with Greg Bennick Keynote Speaker and Emcee. Features two headshots and text on leadership strategies.



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