WiLD Leaders: Recent Episodes
WiLD Leaders
Whole + intentional leader development topics every week. Get to know the WiLD team, experts in whole leader development, and creators of the WiLD Toolkit.
In this episode of the WiLD Conversation Podcast Dr. Rob McKenna and Sabeth Kapahu sit down with Adam Tarnow, former CPA, leadership development expert, and author of The Fog of Work: A Simple Approach to Navigating the Complexity of Middle Management , to explore why middle managers play one of the most influential roles in building trust and shaping organizational culture.Together, they unpack the unique pressures of leading from the middle, where expectations flow down from senior leadership while the daily needs of teams rise from below. Rather than viewing middle management as a frustrating stop on the way to executive leadership, Adam and Rob reveal why this "fog" is actually the proving ground where trust is earned, character is formed, and healthy organizational culture takes root.Drawing on Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey, they challenge leaders to move beyond blame and embrace personal agency. The conversation explores how thriving organizations aren't built on flawless leaders, but on systems of repair—cultures where honest conversations, accountability, and the willingness to learn from mistakes create lasting trust.💡 Key Leadership TakeawaysTrust Is Built Through Repair, Not Perfection
The healthiest organizations aren't those that avoid conflict, they're the ones that repair it well. Trust grows when leaders embrace honest feedback, acknowledge missteps, and address broken dynamics before they become cultural norms.Middle Managers Shape Organizational Culture Every Day
The middle isn't just where work gets done. The middle is where culture is lived. Positioned between strategic vision and frontline execution, middle managers have a unique opportunity to translate values into everyday leadership that builds trust across the organization.Lead Through Pressure with Agency, Not Blame
Pressure can tempt leaders to focus on circumstances they can't control. Lasting leadership begins when we reclaim our agency, respond with intention, and choose courage over complaint, even when the path forward feels uncertain.Whether you're a middle manager, senior executive, or emerging leader, this conversation offers practical wisdom for navigating workplace complexity, building trust under pressure, and becoming the kind of leader who shapes a healthier organizational culture from wherever you lead.
In this episode Dr. Rob McKenna sits down with longtime friend, colleague, and strategic partner Dr. Daniel Hallak, an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist and author of the new book, The Trust Circle. Together, they go "off-road" to explore how the landscape of leadership development has shifted, the deep-seated challenges of founder-led businesses, and why true human connection is the ultimate business strategy.
Key Takeaways from the Conversation: Developing As You Run the Business: For mid-size and small businesses without massive corporate training budgets, leadership development isn't a classroom exercise, it happens live on the job. The strategy of the business and the growth of the individual must be dynamically married. * The Power of Context and Listening: Expertise and tools only go so far. True value comes from understanding the context* of where to apply that expertise, which requires leaders to prioritize deep, attentive listening over simply trying to look interesting. * Loneliness as a Leadership "Check Engine Light": When a leader steps out to go first, they often find themselves standing alone. While loneliness is an inevitable crucible of leadership progress, it serves as a critical diagnostic signal that it’s time to pull into the pit stop and reconnect. * The Blueprint of Connection: To combat debilitating isolation, leaders must intentionally build a "Trust Circle." Dr. Hallak breaks down the chemistry of connection into three distinct relational pillars: + Stretch: People who push us and offer candid feedback. + Support: People who provide emotional safety and mentoring. + Strategy: People who help position us and advocate for our opportunities.
"We need different people for different reasons in different seasons... Isolation does not drift into positive outcomes for people. It will break somebody. But when you get the connection you need, it acts as both an accelerant and a shield." — Dr. Daniel Hallak
In this episode of WiLD Conversation, Dr. Rob McKenna Rob and Sabeth Kapahu sit down with Matt Hangen, President and CEO of Water4, an organization radically reshaping how the world tackles the global water crisis.
Moving past traditional, short-lived charity models, Matt shares how Water4 operates as a nonprofit that wholly owns for-profit water businesses in Africa.
By using donations as catalytic startup capital and shifting the paradigm from "beneficiaries of charity" to "valued customers," Water4 empowers local entrepreneurs to build, scale, and maintain piped-water systems.
The conversation dives deep into the "chemistry of trust," the necessity of human agency, and what happens when leaders stop viewing mistakes as fatal and start viewing individuals through the lens of inherent dignity and potential.
Key Takeaways1. The Failure of the "Communal Hand Pump" (The Charity Trap)* The Problem: Traditional international aid often relies on drilling a communal hand pump in a village, expecting a volunteer committee to maintain it. When it inevitably breaks due to social friction or lack of funds, another NGO simply rolls in to drill another—leaving villages full of "broken carcasses" of aid. * The Reality: 30% to 60% of traditional water projects are broken. True sustainability requires shifting away from Western-dependent aid toward market-based solutions.
- Dignity Through Pricing & Ownership* Shifting the Model: Water4 charges a market rate ($1.25 per 1,000 liters) and requires a $100 deposit for home water meters.
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The Psychological Shift: Charging money isn't cruel; it's the ultimate form of dignity. When people pay for a service, they transition from passive recipients of charity to active heroes of their own families. Communities that struggled to raise $300 for hand pump maintenance are now delivering bags containing $10,000 in cash to get reliable, piped systems installed.
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Unlocking Human Agency via "Time"* The Real Need: The primary crisis of water isn't just health—it's time. Women and girls spend up to 70,000 hours of their lives simply hauling water.
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The Economic Ripple Effect: When piped water arrives at a doorstep, it unlocks hours of free time. This single shift sparks local cottage industries: grandmothers boiling water to sell rice, young men opening motorcycle-washing bays, and the creation of hair salons and construction businesses.
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The Customer Promise: The 3 Pillars of TrustTo build unbreakable trust with their market, Matt and his team rely on a simple, non-negotiable equation:
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Always Safe: Testing water quality weekly (far exceeding national standards) so no one ever gets sick.
- Always On: A strict 24-hour repair promise, requiring teams to work late into the night if systems fail.
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Easy to Buy: Providing three distinct ways to pay (text, agents, or digital centers), allowing users to trust the utility so deeply they even use it as an inflation hedge.
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Leadership: When Vices Masquerade as VirtuesOn a personal level, Matt opened up about the internal work required to lead a high-stakes organization:
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Grandiosity vs. Resilience: Leaders often view strategic mistakes as fatal because of a hidden pride. Learning to say, "Of course it didn't work out flawlessly, nobody is more surprised than me that it's working," defuses toxic pressure.
- The False Masks: Leaders must constantly audit their motives because over-control easily masquerades as prudence, and fear easily masquerades as responsibility.
For more info about Water4: https://www.water4.org/
For more about WiLD Leaders: https://www.wildleaders.org/
What happens when a corporate culture prioritizes operational checklists over human character? In this dynamic episode of the WiLD Conversation Podcast, Dr. Rob McKenna and Sabeth Kapahu sit down with Benj Miller, serial entrepreneur, leadership architect, and co-founder of System and Soul. Together, they unpack a foundational leadership paradox: the constant tension between human being and human doing.
Moving past traditional, box-checking corporate frameworks, this conversation reveals why organizational performance and human empathy are not opposites, but oxygen for one another. Benj opens up about his own humbling entrepreneurial failures, the distinct evolutionary leap required to move from a "renegade founder" to a "renegade leader," and how to implement an intentional strategy for your organizational culture. Tune in to discover how to scale your business operations without losing your humanity.
Key Takeaways The Integration Paradox: Organizations must focus heavily on both the visible (operational systems, metrics, results) and the invisible (thinking, wellness, and human fulfillment). True organizational health only happens when the system and soul are deeply integrated. * Transitioning from Founder to Leader: A "renegade founder" relies on raw energy to get an idea off the ground, but often ends up trapped in an exhausting prison of their own making. Scaled growth requires maturing into a "renegade leader" who can embrace boundaries, listen to trusted advisors, and implement a roadmap. * The True Markers of Leadership Effectiveness: A leader's real-world effectiveness comes down to just two attributes: being inwardly sound (self-aware, principled, and holistically healthy) and others-focused*. * Vulnerability Proves Safety: High-performance cultures require safety and vulnerability, but they don't happen in a linear, comfortable order. Leaders must step out and be vulnerable first to actively prove that psychological safety exists. * Clarity is Kindness: Workplace culture cannot simply be delegated away to a VP of Culture. True alignment and trust are built when leaders provide functional, clear job descriptions and explicit accountability metrics rather than superficial office perks.
What if the challenges we label as engagement problems, culture problems, leadership problems, or performance problems are actually trust problems at their core?
In this episode of The WiLD Conversation Podcat, Dr. Rob McKenna and Sabeth Kapahu sit down with trust expert and researcher David Horsager to explore why trust remains the foundational driver behind organizational health, leadership influence, team performance, and human connection.
David shares the story of how a late-night realization transformed his career and led to the development of the Eight Pillars of Trust, a framework now used by leaders and organizations around the world. Together, they discuss the relationship between trust and leadership development, why trust can be measured, the practical behaviors that build credibility, and what it means to cultivate trust in an age shaped by AI, uncertainty, and increasing skepticism.
The conversation moves beyond theory into the deeply personal, touching on family, humility, continual learning, vulnerability, and the responsibility leaders carry to become more trustworthy themselves.
This episode is a powerful reminder that trust is the leading indicator behind every outcome that matters.
Key Takeaways* Why most organizational challenges are trust challenges in disguise. * The origin and application of David Horsager's Eight Pillars of Trust. * How trust can be measured, developed, and strengthened intentionally. * The connection between leadership development, culture, and trust. * Why personal trust is becoming increasingly important in the age of AI. * The role of humility and continual learning in trustworthy leadership. * Practical ways leaders can build trust within teams and organizations.
What does it take to lead in environments where trust, security, and uncertainty collide?
In this episode of WiLD Conversation, Dr. Rob McKenna sits down with global security strategist and author Christopher Stitt for a thought-provoking conversation on leadership inside complex systems, the paradox of vulnerability, and why trust is never static.
Drawing from his experience in global security and insights from his book Scaling Pyramids, Chris unpacks the realities of leading within bureaucracy and challenges the assumption that organizational systems automatically create trust.
Together, Rob and Chris explore how the hidden “meta” of an organization—the unspoken rules, assumptions, and narratives shaping culture—often determines whether teams operate from fear, transparency, or authentic collaboration. Using everything from Dungeons & Dragons analogies to real-world security leadership examples, this conversation dives deep into the tension between protection and growth, control and vulnerability, structure and humanity.
Key topics include:
- Why leadership begins with willingness, not title
- The hidden “meta” shaping organizational culture
- The dangers of overprotecting teams and organizations
- The “sheep dog” mentality in security and leadership
- What it means to truly “own the bureaucracy”
Whether you lead a business, a team, a nonprofit, or a family, this episode offers a compelling framework for understanding how trust is built, broken, and restored in today’s rapidly changing world.
Listen now and join the conversation on leadership, security, and the human side of performance.
In an industry where "box-checking" can often replace "soul-shaping," trust remains the invisible engine of successful healthcare organizations. This episode explores why trust isn't a light switch you can simply flip on, but a living process of maintenance, recovery, and truth-telling. We dive into the hidden costs of low-trust environments, where employees spend more time appearing trustworthy than actually being it, and how leaders can shift from managing assumptions to building authentic alignment.
Key Leader Takeaways:
- Trust is a Process, Not a Switch: It isn't binary (on/off). It requires daily "maintenance and recovery" rather than a one-time achievement.
- The Cost of "Invisible Assumptions": In low-trust environments, staff waste cognitive energy managing perceptions instead of performing.
- The "Quiet Exit" of Trust: Customers and patients rarely protest when trust is lost; they simply stop showing up.
- Vulnerability over Perfection: Trust is built by being honest about where work still needs to be done, not by projecting a flawless image.
- Soul-Shaping vs. Box-Checking: Real organizational health comes from fostering courage and job clarity, not just completing compliance checklists.
In this soulful episode, Rob sits down with long-time peer and "architect of hope," Dr. Matt Russell, Executive Director of Iconoclast Artists & projectCURATE. Together, they deconstruct the traditional myths of leadership, moving past "performative vulnerability" toward something much more rugged: Wild Trust.
Sharing a powerful excerpt from his book, Whole Leaders Wild Trust, Rob sets the stage for a discussion on why trust isn't a byproduct of perfection, but rather a result of courageous systems and the "presence of repair" in the face of human brokenness.
Key Takeaways:
- The Architect’s Role: Leadership isn't just about dreaming; it's about building the "scaffolding" that allows others to find hope.
- Beyond Performance: Distinguishing between "performative vulnerability" and "sacrificial courage" that actually costs a leader something.
- The Trust Paradox: Why vulnerability isn't the foundation of trust, but an inherently unsafe act that requires a foundation of courageous systems to survive.
- The Power of Repair: Understanding that trust is forged not when things go right, but when we navigate what went wrong with self-awareness and love.
Why are more than 8,000 college students gathering every week at Reed Auditorium at Texas A&M?
In a cultural moment marked by perpetual stimulation without satisfaction, they aren’t showing up for more noise, they're showing up for something real. For leaders who are awake.
In this episode of The WiLD Conversation Podcast, Dr. Rob McKenna and Sabeth Kapahu sit down with Brian McCormack to explore the growing hunger for truth, trust, and transcendence among the next generation.
Together, they unpack the high-stakes reality of leading in a time where truth moves at lightspeed and authenticity is often questioned. They discuss why college campuses are becoming epicenters of both cultural disruption and spiritual awakening, and what it means to lead in the midst of it.
This conversation invites leaders to move beyond performance and into presence, embracing brokenness, owning limitations, and stepping into what Brian calls ferocious intentionality: a disciplined, awake, and deeply purposeful way of stewarding time.
The fight for this generation may not be about attention,it may be about the minutes.
Key Takeaways The Campus as the Epicenter: Why movements, both cultural and spiritual, are igniting among students, and what leaders must recognize * The AI Truth Crisis: Leading in a world where reality feels increasingly unstable * Perpetual Stimulation vs. Satisfaction: Understanding the deeper hunger driving students toward meaning and the supernatural * Leading from Brokenness: Why trust begins with the courage to say, “I may fail you”* * Fighting for the Minutes: Practicing ferocious intentionality in a world designed to keep us distracted and asleep
How Mark Whitacre Went from FBI Informant to Culture Leader: Lessons on Trust, Purpose, and Repair
In this powerful episode of the WiLD Conversation Podcast, Mark Whitacre once known as “The Informant” at the center of the largest price-fixing case in U.S. history, shares the deeper story rarely told: the long, costly, and redemptive journey of rebuilding a life.
Hosted by Dr. Rob McKenna and Sabeth Kapahu, Mark reflects on what it means to move from public failure to purposeful leadership. Now serving as Vice President of Culture and Care at Coca-Cola Consolidated, he brings a unique lens shaped by his PhD in biochemistry, his corporate rise and fall, and his ongoing commitment to helping leaders and organizations flourish from the inside out.
This conversation goes beyond headlines and into the heart of trust, identity, and restoration. It invites us to consider a deeper question: What does it really take to repair what’s been broken in ourselves and in the cultures we lead?
Grounded in a faith-informed perspective and aligned with the WiLD Leaders commitment to whole and intentional leadership, this episode offers a compelling exploration of humility, resilience, and the long-haul proposition of becoming trustworthy again.
Leadership Insights:
- The Anatomy of Restoration
Trust is not a switch, it's a process. Mark unpacks how trust is rebuilt over time through consistent action, humility, and a willingness to be formed, not just forgiven. - Leading with Care and Culture
At Coca-Cola Consolidated, leadership isn’t just about performance metrics, it’s about people. Mark shares how a care-first, faith-rooted approach reshapes organizational culture from the inside out. - The Urgency vs. Patience Paradox
Leaders often feel the pressure to move fast, but personal growth, healing, and reintegration require time. This tension is where much of the real work of leadership development happens. - Whistleblowing and Beyond
Mark offers honest insight into the internal transformation required to move from public scandal to a life marked by integrity, consistency, and purpose.
To connect with Mark email: Mark.Whitacre@cokeconsolidated.com
To learn more about Mark : www.markwhitacre.com
The Investigation Discovery (ID) Channel Documentary with the 3 real FBI agents: https://www.markwhitacre.com/discovery.html
In this WiLD Conversation Podcast, Dr. John Blakey joins Dr.Rob McKenna and Sabeth Kapahu to challenge one of leadership’s most common assumptions: if trust is the most important currency in leadership, why aren’t organizations measuring it?
Drawing from his research, executive coaching experience, and his recent Harvard Business Review article, Blakey argues that trust must move beyond inspirational language and become a measurable strategic asset. Leaders cannot build cultures of trust by intuition alone; they must develop the courage to expose blind spots, measure what matters, and intentionally cultivate the habits that create trust over time.
Together, the conversation explores:
- Why trust is the foundation beneath performance and culture
- The difference between talking about trust and operationalizing it
- How measurement builds self-awareness, shared language, and strategic alignment
- Why leaders consistently overestimate their own trustworthiness
- The role of kindness, courage, and behavioral habits in trusted leadership
Blakey also shares the pivotal career moment that sparked his life’s work, being told by a CEO that he was “too nice” to succeed in corporate leadership, and how that challenge ultimately led him to prove that leaders who rely on the power of trust can outperform those who rely on power itself.
For leaders navigating a moment when trust is eroding across institutions, this episode offers a clear call to action:
Stop treating trust like a feeling and start treating it like the leadership system it truly is.
For more on the WiLD Trust Index: https://www.wildleaders.org/wild-trust-index
For more on The Trusted Executive: https://trustedexecutive.com/
What happens to leadership when "failure is not an option" transitions from a cliché to a literal reality? In this episode of the WiLD Conversation, Dr. Rob McKenna and Sabeth Kapahu sit down with Nick Lavery, US Army Special Forces Warrant Officer, Green Beret, and the first above-the-knee amputee to return to combat in US military history.
Nick deconstructs the chemistry of high-stakes trust, the critical distinction between leadership and management, and why true confidence isn't found in a mirror, it's forged in competence and preparation. Whether you are leading a detachment in a hotspot or a team in a boardroom, this conversation explores how to navigate the "paradox of vulnerability" and what it means to extract positive value from our most difficult crucibles.
In this deeply reflective and practical WiLD Conversation Podcast, Dr. Rob McKenna welcomes Randy Conley, Vice President and Trust Practice Leader at The Ken Blanchard Companies, into a conversation that moves beyond trust as a concept and into trust as a relational, moral, and courageous practice.
Together, they explore a reality many leaders experience but few name: trust is often broken not by malice, but by silence, misaligned expectations, and unresolved wounds. At the heart of rebuilding trust, Randy and Rob surface a powerful and often overlooked leadership discipline—forgiveness.
In a cultural moment marked by polarization, cancellation, and quick judgments, this episode challenges leaders to consider a different path. One grounded in humility, confession, and the willingness to acknowledge brokenness, not as weakness, but as the starting point for wholeness. Randy reframes forgiveness as a personal choice rather than a transactional outcome, reminding leaders that unforgiveness quietly erodes the very trust they hope to protect.
The conversation also dives into the real-world complexity of leadership: trust dilemmas, competing loyalties, unspoken expectations, and the tension between accountability and compassion. Rather than offering simplistic answers, Randy offers grounded wisdom, research-backed insight, and practical behaviors leaders can begin applying immediately.
This episode ultimately invites leaders to ask a deeper question: Is it possible to move toward wholeness—personally, relationally, or organizationally—without forgiveness? And if trust always requires risk, are we willing to go first?
Leadership Takeaways1. Forgiveness and Vulnerability Are Core Leadership Choices
Trust cannot be rebuilt without forgiveness, and forgiveness always requires vulnerability. Leaders do not wait for certainty, acknowledgment, or apology—they choose courage, go first, and create space for trust to begin again.
2. Trust Grows Through Clarity, Not Assumptions
Many breaches of trust are rooted in unspoken expectations rather than intentional harm. Healthy leaders make the implicit explicit, communicate early when commitments change, and practice dependability by doing what they say they will do.
3. Trust Is Sustained Through Consistent Behavior Over Time
Trust is not a destination but a journey shaped by daily actions. Moments of forgiveness matter, but trust is maintained through ownership, follow-through, and reliability—especially when the path forward is complex.
4. Wholeness Emerges When Leaders Name Brokenness Honestly Leaders do not lead from perfection but from humility. Confessing cultures—where mistakes are acknowledged and learned from—create healthier organizations and transform cracks into pathways for growth, restoration, and trust.
In this episode of The WiLD Conversation Podcast, Dr. Rob McKenna sits down with Jeff Schiefelbein, managing partner of Undivided Life, for a courageous conversation about what it truly means to live and lead without fragmentation. Together they unpack why so many leaders feel divided between who they are and who they think they must be to succeed—and what it costs them, their families, and their organizations.
Jeff shares candid stories about integrating faith, family, and vocation, including the moment an ordinary phone call about his miniature donkeys awakened a colleague to the weight of her own divided life. From fears of looking weak, to cultural narratives that glorify “my truth,” to workplaces that unintentionally reward pretending—this conversation goes straight to the heart of the human condition.
Rob and Jeff explore why leaders long for wholeness but struggle to live it, why calling is always communal, and why transformation cannot happen in isolation. They challenge the myth of the “self-made” leader and offer a compelling vision for integrated, human-centered leadership—leadership formed through real relationships, honest self-awareness, and shared development across the people we actually do life with.
Top Leadership Takeaways1. Wholeness > Image ManagementMost leaders know instantly that “wholeness” is right, but fear looking weak, uncommitted, or different. Fear—not lack of desire—is the real barrier.
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Divided Leadership Creates False SuccessWhen leaders fake strengths, mute their values, or hide their commitments at home, they advance under false pretenses—and eventually feel trapped by the very role they earned.
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Integration Requires Courageous PresenceJeff: “Everywhere I go, the more I show up as me—not who the moment wants me to be—the more people thank me for it.”
Authenticity isn’t performance; it’s presence. -
Calling Is Never AutonomousContrary to the “live your truth” narrative, calling unfolds with the people who share our lives. The myth of the isolated, self-directed leader is both naïve and harmful.
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Culture Changes Through People, Not ProgramsBreakthrough performance happens when organizations unlock individual potential with coaching, trust, and relational development—not just metrics or quarterly targets.
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A Whole Leader Is a Better LeaderFaith, family, self-awareness, and leadership aren’t separate lanes. Integrated leaders take wiser risks, steward energy better, and create environments where others can thrive.
In this powerful conversation, Dr. Rob McKenna and Ron Carucci dive into the hidden forces that shape honesty, trust, and character inside organizations. Ron—co-founder of Navalent, bestselling author of To Be Honest, and one of the most unflinchingly candid voices in leadership—reveals what 30 years of research and experience have uncovered: honesty isn’t just a virtue. It’s a muscle. And organizations are either strengthening it… or eroding it every day.
Together, Rob and Ron revisit the early days of their collaboration, exploring what it really takes to lead alongside others with authenticity, speed, and grace. They reflect on the messy, beautiful realities of partnership, the tension between pace and presence, the power of emerging leaders, and the organizational conditions that predict whether people will tell the truth—or hide it.
Ron breaks down the four conditions that scientifically predict honesty and trustworthiness on a team, including accountability with dignity, say–do alignment, cross-functional integrity, and true transparency in decision-making. Through candid stories, personal reflection, and practical insights, this episode challenges leaders to examine not just who they are—but the environments they create.
This is a masterclass in leading with integrity in complex times, delivered with the honesty, humor, and clarity that only Ron Carucci can bring.
Leadership Takeaways1. Honesty Is Not a Trait — It’s a Trained MuscleLeaders must practice honesty daily. Our brains are wired for truth, but our environments often pull us toward fear, self-protection, or silence.
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Your Organization Is Shaping Honesty More Than You RealizeThere are four conditions that predict truth-telling or deception. Leaders either reinforce or erode integrity by the systems they tolerate.
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Say–Do Alignment Builds (or Destroys) Trust InstantlyIf what you claim as a leader doesn’t match what people observe, you institutionalize duplicity.
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Accountability Must Preserve DignityWhen people feel seen and respected for their contributions, they are four times more likely to tell the truth.
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Transparency in Decision-Making Reduces Underground ConversationsIf a room feels like orchestrated theater, people will seek truth elsewhere—usually in hushed corners.
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The Seams of Your Organization Predict IntegrityCross-functional tensions are where the truth fractures first. Healthy seams = healthy trust.
For more on Ron's work click the links below:
www.navalent.com
www.tobehonest.net
In this compelling WiLD Conversation, global executive, former CEO of Korn Ferry, board director, and growth strategist Ana Dutra joins Rob McKenna to dive deep into the essential, yet paradoxical, foundations of effective leadership: vulnerability, trust, and purpose. Drawing on three decades of experience transforming organizations and leading Korn Ferry's $500M+ consulting business, Ana shares her hard-won wisdom on aligning personal values with professional impact. This conversation offers a powerful perspective on how authentic self-awareness anchors leaders and builds high-performing, high-trust cultures.
Leadership Takeaways:1. Vulnerability is Your Anchor in the Storm: The foundational risk in leadership is the "openness to being hurt," yet this vulnerability is necessary for personal and professional growth. When purpose is excavated and shared, it acts as an anchor, creating stability and trustworthiness in the face of uncertainty. 2. Diagnose the Three Flavors of Trust: Do not accept "I don't trust them" at face value. Dig deeper, as trust issues often fall into three distinct buckets: Competence (can they do the job?), Character (are they honest?), or Loyalty (are they committed to me/us?). Micromanagement is often a loud symptom of one of these underlying trust deficits. 3. Beware the "High Potential" Trap: While agility is crucial, leaders must move past the vilification of "high professionals" (deep experts). A team made only of high-agility people (High Potentials) can breed boredom and instability. True success requires valuing both the "Hypo" (who excels everywhere) and the "Deep Expert" (who anchors core functions). 4. Board Service is About Mindset, Not Status: Serving on a board requires a mindset focused on partnership, not auditing. Directors must prioritize being the "best partner" for the management team and come to the table to "give back" and "pay it forward," rather than viewing the role as a career capstone or personal status symbol.
This special episode of the WiLD Conversation Podcast features Jeffrey Hunter, the visionary CEO, Founder, and Chairperson of Storyteller Overland. Dr. Rob McKenna is a proud owner of a Storyteller Stealth, giving listeners an intimate look at his personal "mode" and setting the stage for a deeply personal and insightful discussion. Jeffrey shares the origin story of Storyteller Overland, born from a desire to meet unmet needs in the van life community with high-quality, scalable production, allowing adventurers to "focus on the life aspects of van life" with confidence and a "circle of trust."
Key Leadership Takeaways:* Inspiring a "Live Free" Movement: At its core, Storyteller Overland is on a mission against a "broken timeline"—the tendency to defer dreams and adventures. Jeffrey’s leadership aims to empower people to "take the next step" and embrace a new version of themselves, confident in the gear and supported by a community that helps them explore farther and "not keep breaking their timeline." This mission-driven approach defines not only their product but their entire organizational purpose. * Trust as the Governing Physics of Business: Jeffrey emphasizes that trust is not just a soft skill but the "governing physics" of enduring success, both within the organization and with its community. He advocates for measuring trust to create pathways for change and intentionally fostering authenticity, integrity, and commitment to shared values among a diverse team. * Quantifying the Vibe: As Storyteller Overland scaled rapidly, Jeffrey and his team realized the need to "quantify the vibe." This means identifying measurable metrics for subjective feelings like community, confidence, and happiness to ensure that rapid growth doesn't sacrifice the core culture and values. Leaders must continually ensure the "vibe" is structurally, endemically, and consistently true. * Product as a Vehicle for Purpose: The "mode" is intentionally designed not as conspicuous consumption, but as a "vehicle" for accessing and connecting with passions, people, and places. Jeffrey's personal journey of seeking permission to live a more adventurous life translated into products that help others "unlock the person they're wanting to go and do and be and become," making the product an extension of a greater mission. * Continuous Improvement in All Aspects: From product design to personal leadership, Jeffrey champions continuous improvement. This includes not only refining vehicles but also continually working on personal growth and leadership capacity, recognizing that a relationship, whether with a team or a customer, is "not one and done."
This conversation offers invaluable lessons for leaders striving to build a thriving business rooted in trust, purpose, and a truly wild spirit of adventure.
- Watch on YouTube : https://youtu.be/Bohg3Lo75bA
- For more on the WiLD Trust Index visit : https://www.wildleaders.org/wild-trust-index
- For more on Storyteller Overland visit : https://www.storytelleroverland.com/
From Building Systems to Cultivating People: A Path to Trust and Growth
In this episode of the WiLD Conversation Podcast, host Dr. Rob McKenna sits down with Josh Wylie, President of Villara Building Systems, to reveal a leadership metaphor that reshapes how we think about influence: the builder and the gardener.
Great leaders must be both. Builders focus on visible structures—systems, strategies, and profits. Gardeners nurture what is unseen—the trust, relationships, and culture that make growth sustainable. Wylie shares how Villara Building Systems, a national leader in its industry, has built its mission around “building people, building trust, and building dreams.”
From leveraging the WiLD Trust Index to creating an in-house coaching program, Wylie demonstrates how leaders can systematize trust and invest in people holistically. This conversation is a blueprint for leading organizations with integrity, intentionality, and a relentless commitment to human flourishing.
Leadership Takeaways* Be Both a Builder and a Gardener
Success requires more than structures and systems. Leaders must also cultivate the “invisible” work of trust, culture, and relationships.
* Systematize Trust
Trust isn’t a buzzword—it’s a discipline. Measure it, track it, and reinforce it with accountability, clear expectations, and consistent feedback.
* Invest in the Whole Person
Villara’s in-house coaching program is proof that when employees grow personally and professionally, loyalty, ownership, and performance follow.
* Lead with Vulnerability
In moments of pressure, honesty—even about uncertainty—builds trust and calms fear. Vulnerability creates credibility.
* Empower People to Own Their Plans
Don’t just give answers. Ask better questions. When team members design their own development and commitments, their motivation and accountability multiply.
Patrick Lencioni, one of the most influential voices in organizational health together with Dr. Rob McKenna, dive deep to explore the heart of effective leadership—redefining success, reframing identity, and uncovering the surprising role of brokenness in shaping whole leaders.
This episode of The WiLD Conversation Podcast begins lightheartedly with pet peeves, but quickly moves into transformative insights on humility, trust, and the sacrificial nature of leadership.
Key Takeaways for Leaders:
- Reframe Success from Performance to Wholeness
Success isn’t about endless striving or achievement. Lencioni challenges the idea that high performance equals health, showing instead that true leadership comes from peace and wholeness, not fear or insecurity. - Embrace Vulnerability as the Foundation of Trust
Vulnerability isn’t trendy, it’s courageous. Trust is forged when leaders risk openness, admit mistakes, and allow others to see their imperfections. This creates authentic connection and psychological safety. - Know Your Working Genius and Acknowledge Weaknesses
Leaders don’t need to excel at everything. Lencioni’s Working Genius model helps identify where joy and energy come from while encouraging teams to complement each other’s strengths. Admitting what you’re not good at isn’t weakness—it’s humility and wisdom. - Leadership is a Sacrificial Act
Leadership isn’t about recognition or power. It’s about service—choosing difficulty and even suffering on behalf of others. Great leaders embrace this sacrificial posture for the sake of those they lead.
For more on The Table Group visit: https://www.tablegroup.com/
For more on The Working Genius visit: https://www.workinggenius.com/
For more on the WiLD Trust Index visit: https://www.wildleaders.org/wild-trust-index
For more on WiLD Leaders Inc. visit: https://www.wildleaders.org/
In this unmissable episode of The WiLD Conversation podcast, hosts Dr. Rob McKenna and Sabeth Kapahu are joined by the legendary Dr. Amy Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School and the pioneering mind behind the globally transformative concept of psychological safety.
With candor and clarity, Dr. Edmondson challenges long-held beliefs about leadership, trust, and failure. She reframes trust not as something earned over time, but as a deliberate choice—a bold act that inspires others to rise to the occasion. And she cuts through misconceptions about psychological safety, revealing it not as comfort or kindness, but as the courage to foster learning, candor, and intelligent risk-taking.
This conversation is a masterclass for leaders who want to build environments where people are safe to speak up, take smart risks, and grow together.
Leadership Takeaways→ Trust Is a Choice, Not a Prize:
Amy offers a compelling reframe: trust isn’t a passive result of consistency, it's an active decision to believe in people before they’ve proven themselves. That kind of leadership invites others to show up more fully.
→ Psychological Safety ≠ Comfort:
Psychological safety isn’t about being “nice” or avoiding discomfort, it's about creating the conditions for learning, candor, and accountability, even when the stakes are high.
→ Vulnerability Is Strength:
Leaders who admit mistakes and ask questions set the tone for growth. Vulnerability isn’t weakness; it’s a strategic signal of trustworthiness and courage.
→ Discernment Over Permission:
Failure isn’t always bad. Amy unpacks the difference between basic, complex, and intelligent failures, encouraging leaders to cultivate a culture that learns from risk without lowering standards.
What really drives high performance? In this episode, global speaker and leadership strategist Jamie Crosbie joins Dr. Rob McKenna and Sabeth Kapahu on the WiLD Conversation Podcast to challenge the metrics-only mindset and champion the human algorithm—where trust, courage, and clarity fuel sustainable success.
Jamie reminds us: “If outcomes are king, then trust is the crown.” Together, they unpack how courageous leadership, emotional intelligence, and reframing failure can transform feedback into fuel—and cultivate cultures where people thrive, not just perform.
If you’re leading in high-pressure spaces, this one’s for you.
Leadership Takeaways:
🔹 Lead with Metrics and Meaning
Performance soars when goals are clear and people feel valued. Don’t skip the "why."
🔹 Courage Builds Trust
Vulnerability isn’t weakness—it’s leadership. Own your limits, invite honesty, and watch trust grow.
🔹 Failure Fuels Growth
Ditch the fear. Normalize failure as feedback. Try asking: “What did you fail at today?”
🔹 Self-Awareness > Strategy Alone
Even the best plan falls flat without emotional intelligence. Start within to lead well.
🔹 Find Your People
Leadership isn’t a solo act. Build your circle—mentors, coaches, truth-tellers. No one peaks alone.
In this powerful episode of The WiLD Conversation, Dr. Rob McKenna and Sabeth Kapahu sit down with Jose Rodriguez, CEO of Rescue a Generation, to explore what it truly takes to build and rebuild trust—in ourselves, our teams, and the next generation of leaders.
From his courageous journey out of gang life to launching a thriving nonprofit that empowers urban youth across Southern California, Jose offers a raw and hopeful perspective on how trust isn’t earned it’s a daily, intentional choice.
Together, they unpack why vulnerability is the secret ingredient in leadership, how asking better questions, especially with Gen Z, can transform disengagement into deep ownership, and why the only way up is through trust. Whether you’re leading a team, mentoring young people, or working to rebuild broken relationships, this conversation will leave you inspired to lead with radical ownership, consistent action, and the kind of trust that changes lives.
💡 Key Leadership Takeaways:
- Trust Is a Practiced Choice, Not a Trait Trustworthy leadership isn’t something you have—it’s something you do, daily. Jose’s story reveals that choosing trust, especially when it’s risky, is what transforms both leaders and teams.
“Trust is not a trait. It's a practiced and powerful choice.”
- Beliefs Drive Behaviors: Change doesn't start with commands—it starts with beliefs. Great leaders get curious about what’s underneath the surface.
“If you want to change the behavior, you’ve got to find out what the belief is.”
- Ask Better Questions: Young leaders don’t need more answers—they need to be seen and heard. Meaningful questions open doors to engagement, trust, and breakthrough.
“We live in an answer culture. But asking the right question can change everything.”
- Repairing Trust Requires Ownership and Small Steps: Trust breaks in moments, but it’s rebuilt in tiny, consistent acts of ownership, honesty, and repair.
“Every broken commitment is actually a cry for help.”
🔗 Learn more about Rescue a Generation: https://www.rescueageneration.com/
🔗 Learn more about WiLD: https://www.wildleaders.org/
🔗 Download the State of Trust At Work report : https://info.wildleaders.org/state-of-trust-report-registration-0
In this illuminating WiLD Conversation, Dr. Rob McKenna and Sabeth Kapahu sit down with Chris Shaffer, WiLD Leaders Strategic Development Architect and former Microsoft director. Chris Shaffer unpacks the profound shift in how we understand and cultivate trust in today's complex world.
Moving beyond mere information, they delve into how real trust is "worked out" through vulnerability, conflict, and genuine relationship. Discover why measuring trust isn't just about assessment, but about igniting critical conversations and empowering leaders to address hidden challenges at scale. This episode is a must-listen for any leader ready to move from the "unconscious incompetent" to the "unconscious competent" in building a culture where trust isn't just a buzzword, but a tangible, measurable foundation for success.
Five Key Leadership Takeaways:1. Trust is Not Just Information; It's Interaction: Dr. McKenna emphasizes that in today's personalized information landscape, true trust goes beyond what we're told or read. It's "worked out" through conversation, tested in conflict, and proven in vulnerability. Leaders must foster environments where this interactive trust can flourish, rather than relying on one-way information dissemination. 2. Measure to Manage: You Can't Improve What You Don't See: Chris Shaffer powerfully argues that measuring trust moves it from the "dark" of unconscious incompetence into the "light" of conscious awareness. Without concrete data, leaders are left to guess at their organization's trust levels, making intentional improvement nearly impossible. Measuring trust provides the clarity and actionability needed to identify specific areas of strength and opportunity. 3. Trust Assessment Fuels Growth, Not Judgment: Counterintuitively, the most common emotional response Chris observes from leaders after seeing their trust results (even low ones) is gratitude. This isn't about passing or failing a test; it's about receiving a clear, honest picture of reality. Leaders with a growth mindset embrace these insights as a starting point for improvement, demonstrating courage and a willingness to be "editable." 4. Leaders Have Blind Spots – Data Illuminates Them: Whether a leader suspects a trust issue or is unsure, the Wild Trust Index illuminates strategic blind spots by providing precise details. It offers a clear framework for understanding trust at personal, team, and organizational levels, guiding leaders to focus on specific drivers rather than broad, undefined problems. This precision empowers targeted action. 5. Trust is the Root Cause of Culture: Complementary, Not Competitive: While culture surveys measure symptoms, the Wild Trust Index gets to the foundational root cause. Trust is the bedrock upon which healthy organizational culture is built. Measuring trust provides a deeper understanding of underlying dynamics, complementing broader culture assessments and offering actionable levers to improve overall organizational health.
In this episode of The WiLD Conversation podcast, Dr. Rob McKenna sits down with Garry Ridge, former CEO and Chairman of WD-40—a leader who transformed a household product into a global brand and one of the most admired workplace cultures in business.
Drawing from his 35-year journey at WD-40, including 25 years as CEO, Garry challenges conventional leadership norms and emphasizes the non-negotiable role of humanity in business.
Key Leadership Takeaways:Culture is Strategy, Not a “Nice-to-Have”
Garry makes it clear: a trust-based culture isn’t secondary to results. The will of the people × the strategy = results.
The Power of a “Dumb-Ass” Mindset
Yes, you read that right. His book Any Dumbass Can Do It underscores the idea that building strong culture isn’t rocket science, it’s about humility, courage, and consistency. This mindset invites leaders to say “I don’t know” and focus on bringing out the best in others.
Intentional Self-Awareness Is Essential
Garry asks himself often, “Am I being the person I want to be right now?” For leaders, self-awareness isn’t optional. The daily work that prevents us from offering people our “leftovers.”
Tough-Minded and Tender-Hearted Leadership
Leadership isn’t a choice between strength and empathy, it’s a both/and. Garry calls for leaders who make hard decisions and hold people accountable while also caring deeply for their people and creating psychological safety.
Measure the Data but Feel the Reality
While data is key, Garry urges leaders to “get their shoes dirty" to walk alongside their teams and ensure the numbers reflect lived experience.
Belonging is a Shared Responsibility
WD-40 thrived because it clearly defined its values and invited people to choose them. Culture wasn’t enforced—it was embraced by those aligned with its purpose.
Fear is the Enemy of Trust and Learning
By redefining failure as a “learning moment,” Garry removed fear from the equation. The result? A workplace where trust, experimentation, and growth could flourish.
Purpose Beyond Profit Is Fuel
What sustained Garry’s decades-long leadership? A clear, people-centered purpose: making a positive difference in the lives of others, inside and outside the company.
What if the key to trust wasn’t just character—but competence, clarity, and accountability?
In this compelling episode of The WiLD Conversation Podcast, Dr. Rob McKenna sits down with longtime friend and fellow leadership practitioner Alex Shootman, CEO of Alkami Technology and author of Done Right: How Tomorrow’s Top Leaders Get Stuff Done. What unfolds is not just a sharp exchange between two seasoned leaders—but a deeply honest conversation between old friends who have walked through leadership’s messiness, pressure, and purpose together.
With decades of experience leading turnarounds and scaling high-performing software organizations, Alex shares how he grounds his leadership in four non-delegable CEO responsibilities—and how a “No-Blame Bias” has shaped the way he builds trust, manages growth, and drives both results and culture.
Drawing from a leadership framework that values both getting it done and doing it right, Alex unpacks how clear accountability, relentless transparency, and trust as a managed business function are essential to long-term success. He reminds us that in every high-performing team, trust is breaking all the time—so we must be intentional about building it all the time.
Whether you're a CEO, an emerging leader, or someone navigating the tension between results and values, this episode offers not only practical wisdom—but a refreshing window into what happens when sharp minds, shared values, and leaders-in-process come together in authentic conversation.
💡 Leadership Takeaways* The CEO’s Responsibility: Strategy, values, economic outcomes, and building the right team cannot be outsourced—they must be owned and lived by the leader. * No-Blame Bias: Creating a culture of truth-telling starts with removing fear of blame. Leaders must model and reinforce this bias to build trust across the organization. * Trust as a Business Function: Trust doesn’t self-sustain. Even in high-performing organizations, it must be constantly assessed, cultivated, and rebuilt. * The Getting It Done / Doing It Right Matrix: High-impact organizations don’t reward results at the expense of values. The real culture carriers do both—and they’re celebrated by name. * Growth Breaks Things: Just like Hemingway’s “stronger at the broken places,” growth breaks teams and systems—what matters is how leaders repair and rebuild with intention.
In this bold and timely episode of A WiLD Conversation, Dr. Rob McKenna is joined by executive coach and HR leader Sam Willing to talk about one of the most courageous (and controversial) leadership moves: firing the wrong executive—even when they deliver results.
Drawing from nearly three decades in HR and her own journey through grief and self-discovery, Sam shares how emotional regulation, executive accountability, and trust-building are inseparable in healthy organizational cultures. Together, Rob and Sam unpack what it really means to lead with composure under pressure, how to measure trust in your teams, and why the cost of protecting a toxic leader is too high to ignore.
This episode will challenge, inspire, and call leaders—especially CEOs—to take a hard look at whether their values are actually lived out… or just talked about.
🧭 Leadership Takeaways:
Trust is measurable—and it starts with you. Every leader development activity is also a trust-building initiative.
Composure under pressure is not a personality trait, it’s a skill leaders must develop for the sake of their people. Toxic executives damage cultures quietly and deeply. Protecting them out of fear is leadership avoidance, not strategy.
Teams will stay loyal to each other, not the org. When trust is lacking at the top, subcultures form—and leaders miss the truth. CEOs carry the weight of trust.
Courageous decisions like holding executives accountable are where real values show up.
Resources Mentioned:
- WiLD Trust Platform
- Dr. Rob McKenna’s Composed: The Heart and Science of Leading Under Pressure
- The WiLD Trust Index
- https://www.wildleaders.org/wild-trust-index
- The State of Trust at Work Report
- https://info.wildleaders.org/state-of-trust-report-registration-0
In this powerful episode of The WiLD Conversation, Dr. Rob McKenna sits down with Stephen M. R. Covey, best-selling author of The Speed of Trust, to explore the transformative power of trust in leadership, relationships, and organizational life. In a world marked by declining institutional confidence, Covey argues that trust isn’t just a value—it’s a measurable, learnable competency that multiplies performance and accelerates impact.
Listeners are invited into a conversation that challenges the myth that trust is soft or intangible. Covey reframes trust as a strategic imperative and leadership skill that determines how quickly we can innovate, collaborate, and lead through change. In his words, “Low trust is a tax. High trust is a dividend.”
The conversation also touches on a key paradox of influence: To lead effectively, we must first be willing to be influenced—to genuinely understand others before we expect them to follow us. As leaders model humility and create space for others to feel deeply seen and heard, they become catalysts for real trust.
🔑 Key Takeaways for Leaders: Trust is a performance multiplier. It impacts everything—from speed and cost to employee engagement, innovation, and well-being. * Trust is learnable. It’s not a fixed trait but a developable competency* that can be cultivated with intention and integrity. * To influence, be influenced. Understanding someone deeply—until they feel understood—is the doorway to earning trust and leading with impact. * Trust creates joy and energy. Neuroscience now backs what many leaders intuitively know: high-trust cultures are not only more productive, they’re more human. * In a world of declining trust, being trusted is a differentiator. Leaders and organizations who make trust a goal—not just a tool—gain a significant edge.
In this deeply personal and profoundly insightful episode of The WiLD Conversation podcast, Dr. Rob McKenna sits down with Alec Hill—President Emeritus of InterVarsity, legal scholar, mentor, and cancer survivor—to explore the paradoxes of leadership across decades of both adversity and grace. From the dark corners of a broken legal system to the life-giving mission of global relief and development, Alec shares how life, leadership, and trust have evolved through personal failure, painful seasons, and ultimately, profound purpose.
This conversation is as raw as it is hopeful. Alec reflects on the power of convictional leadership in a polarized world, the loneliness of executive roles, and the anchoring influence of trusted relationships. He opens up about how surviving bone marrow cancer reframed everything—from how he listens, to how he mentors, to what really matters in leadership.
Leadership Takeaways:
- The Jungle of Trust: Why your 30s and 40s might be the most disorienting time in your leadership—and what to do about it.
- From Idealism to Wisdom: Navigating the shift from “I can fix everything” to “I can’t fix everyone”—and the cost of waiting too long.
- The Decisive Edge: Why unresolved personnel decisions undermine trust, and how decisive action (with compassion) strengthens culture.
- Resetting the Clock: How facing mortality sharpens your intuition, deepens your empathy, and clarifies what legacy you’re building.
- Leading with Conviction in a Divided World: Why leaders must hold to their core values without abandoning curiosity or compassion across divides.
If you’re leading in a high-pressure environment, struggling with middle-season restlessness, or walking through the unknown—this conversation will resonate deeply.
Download the State of Trust at Work Report
Connect with WiLD Leaders:
In this powerful episode of The WiLD Conversation, Dr. Rob McKenna sits down with Phil Goodman, founder of Talent Realized, to explore how truly life-giving workplaces don’t just transform organizations—they change lives far beyond the office. Phil shares his journey from doubting founder to trusted advisor, and what it means to build cultures where trust, clarity, and meaningful connection take root. Together, they unpack what happens when leaders slow down, lean into conflict with composure, and prioritize relational strategy as much as business outcomes. Whether you're a founder, executive, or HR leader, this conversation offers a compelling call to reimagine the workplace as a launchpad for community transformation.
Leadership Takeaways:
- Trust Is the Starting Point: Before you can build trust in your organization, you have to grapple with your own self-trust as a leader. Support systems matter—mentors, coaches, and advisors play a critical role in helping you move forward with courage.
- Treat People Strategy Like Business Strategy: Phil models a fractional Chief People Officer approach—aligning people systems directly with business goals. Leadership is not just about outcomes; it's about the people who get you there.
- Measure What You Say You Value: If people and culture are truly priorities, they must be monitored like any other key performance indicator. Tools like a trust index can give insight into readiness for change, retention health, and strategic timing.
- Build Teams That Know Each Other: High performance requires high connection. People don’t just want to be seen for their productivity—they want to be known and valued as whole people.
- Don’t Avoid the Hard Conversations: Avoiding conflict stunts growth and trust. Leaders must be equipped to have truth-filled, grace-driven conversations that deepen connection and resolve tension.
- Life-Giving Cultures Ripple Outward: Healthy workplaces don’t just benefit business—they shape families, communities, and the way people show up in every area of life. Leadership is discipleship, and the workplace is a mission field.
In this power-packed episode of The WiLD Conversation, Dr. Rob McKenna and Sabeth Kapahu go beyond surface-level leadership trends and dive headfirst into a conversation that challenges how most organizations approach development.
Too often, leaders are handed tools without a method, or methods without measures. Rob boldly claims: “Both matter if we’re serious about building trust and developing whole leaders.” This episode unveils the revolutionary WiLD methodology—a transformative approach that reshapes how we think, interact, and assess in leadership.
With insights on psychological safety, strategic vulnerability, and the necessity of aligning learning and performance, Rob and Sabeth dissect the foundational shift needed in leadership development. They unpack why seeing people whole isn't a nice-to-have—it's a non-negotiable for building organizations where trust can actually grow.
🔑 Leadership Takeaways Method Without Measures Is a Myth: Leadership development must include both a consistent methodology and meaningful assessments. Without both, growth is accidental at best. * Start at the Top, but Don’t Stop There: Real transformation starts with senior leaders who do the work*, not just endorse it. * See the Story Behind the Scores: Data is essential, but context is king. Leaders must learn to interpret profiles as pieces of a complex narrative, not just numbers. * Expect Ownership, Not Just Attendance: Empower people to own their learning journey by giving development back to them—with clear expectations and support. * Create Learning Rhythms: Learning isn't a one-off event. Design a sustainable rhythm that integrates development into the day-to-day. * Lead with Strategic Vulnerability: Your job isn’t to master every assessment. Your job is to crack the door open for real conversation. * Bridge the Business and the Individual: Development isn’t about choosing between the needs of the organization and the growth of the person. It’s about connecting both with intentionality.
Watch this episode here.
In this episode of the WiLD Conversation Podcast, Dr. Rob McKenna sits down with Dr. Alexis Fink—organizational psychologist, people analytics pioneer, and trusted leader—for a conversation that’s as grounded as it is visionary.
Dr. Fink opens up about her recent transition out of a senior role as Meta VP of Analytics and Workforce Strategy—not as a retirement from the work she loves, but a graduation into the next chapter of her calling. Together, we explore how to prepare successors without holding too tightly, how trust and measurement create clarity in chaos, and why the science of work and workers must evolve to meet the fear and fragmentation facing organizations today.
With over 30 years in I/O Psychology and as the outgoing President of SIOP Society for Industrial Organization Psychology, Dr. Fink shares what it takes to build a legacy that outlives your tenure—one rooted in integrity, clarity, and compassion. Whether you’re a founder, an HR leader, or just trying to lead with intention through uncertainty, this conversation is for you.
📌 LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAYS* Succession isn’t optional: Preparing others to lead after you isn’t a side task—it’s your most lasting leadership work. * Measurement drives clarity: Defining what matters forces the hard but necessary conversations about values, strategy, and what’s possible. * Trust is earned in the in-between: Especially in uncertain times, consistent action and honest boundaries build the credibility that trust depends on. * Play it safe, miss the upside: Anxiety and fear limit innovation—leaders must create safety if they want boldness. * You’re not done: Leadership transitions don’t mark the end. They mark a turning point. You may leave a role, but the calling often goes with you.
🔗 Listen to: The Evolution of Leadership Development here: https://www.podbean.com/eas/pb-xi7h8-15bbbd2
🔗 Learn more: https://www.wildleaders.org/
🔗 Download the State of Trust at Work Report : https://info.wildleaders.org/state-of-trust-report-registration-0
In this WiLD Conversation podcast, Dr. Rob McKenna sits down with coach and HR leader Sam Willing for an honest and courageous dialogue on what truly erodes trust in leadership: the inability to regulate ourselves in high-pressure moments.
Sam opens up about her own transformative journey through grief, healing, and nervous system work, and how it reshaped her understanding of emotional maturity in leadership. Together, they explore what Bowen Theory calls “self-differentiation”—the ability to remain emotionally steady while staying connected to others—and how it’s at the heart of trust, consistency, and psychological safety in organizations.
Through vivid examples, including “The Tale of Two CEOs,” Rob and Sam unpack why it’s not just about skills and culture-building strategies. If a leader lacks the capacity to self-regulate when it matters most, even the best intentions can fall flat. The conversation ends with a raw look at loneliness, imperfection, and identity in entrepreneurial leadership.
Leadership Takeaways:
- Emotional maturity is a top driver of trust at both the personal and organizational levels.
- Nervous system regulation is not a “soft skill”—it’s foundational to leading under pressure.
- Leaders must do the internal work to align their values with their behaviors when it matters most.
- Inconsistency and inauthenticity are trust-killers, even when paired with compelling vision and values.
- Building community and a sense of identity outside of performance is essential for sustainable leadership.
🔗 Connect with Sam Willing:https://www.samwilling.com/
🔗 Learn more: https://www.wildleaders.org/
🔗 Download the report : https://info.wildleaders.org/state-of-trust-report-registration-0
What if the future of your organization depends on something you’re too busy to notice?
We often think about leadership in terms of speed—making things happen, hitting targets, and pushing forward. But real, sustainable leadership isn’t just about performance. It’s about process. And process needs us to stop, reflect, and lead with intention.
In this episode, Dr. Rob McKenna and Dr. Mark L Vincent dive into why slowing down isn’t just a leadership discipline—it’s the key to long-term trust, succession, and continuity. Leaders who fail to cultivate trust don’t just risk losing people; they risk losing everything they’ve built.
✔️ Why trust is the ultimate leadership currency ✔️ How process clarity shapes the future of your business ✔️ Why self-leadership is the foundation of organizational success
If you want to build something that outlasts you, this conversation is where it starts.
Connect with Mark Vincent .
Download the State of Trust at Work Report.
Connect with WiLD Leaders to begin measuring and building trust today.
In this episode Dr. Rob McKenna and Daniel Edds take a deep dive into the unseen forces shaping our organizations—culture, trust, and the systems that define them. Dan shares from decades of experiences highlighting a hard truth: the systems we create (or fail to create) dictate the experience of every person in an organization.
🔹 Leadership Takeaways:
- Culture Exists, Whether You Define It or Not – Every organization has a culture. The question is whether it’s intentional or accidental.
- Systems Drive Experience – The way we structure work creates an emergent experience, shaping morale, engagement, and trust.
- People Want to Be Proud of Where They Work – Nearly everyone desires to be part of something meaningful. Leaders have the opportunity—and responsibility—to cultivate that sense of pride.
- Making No Decision is Still a Decision – Leadership requires making conscious choices, not just letting culture evolve by default.
This episode challenges us to reflect on the systems we build and the invisible forces shaping the way our teams operate.
Listen to: The Evolution of Leadership Development here: https://www.podbean.com/eas/pb-xi7h8-15bbbd2
For more on Leveraging the Genetics of Leadership: Cracking the Code of Sustainable Team Performance by Dan Edds click here: https://a.co/d/96Pbm0d
At WiLD Leaders, we’ve spent years developing whole leaders—leaders who are both courageous and sacrificial—because we knew that leadership development couldn’t be a one-off event. It had to be a system. A rhythm. Something embedded into the very fabric of an organization. What we found along the way? Trust was the game changer. It wasn’t just a byproduct of good leadership; it was the leading indicator of whether teams and organizations would succeed.
The State of Trust at Work Report—What Every Leader Needs to Know:1. Trust isn’t a given—it’s a process. Nearly half of all employees (48%) exist in what we call the jungle of trust—where trust in their teams, leaders, and organizations is low. And even in high-trust organizations, 41% of people still struggle with trust daily. The assumption that trust is “just there” if leadership is strong enough? It’s false. Trust is always being built or eroded. 2. Conflict is not the problem. How we handle it is. One of the lowest-rated areas in teams across the board was navigating high-conflict moments. Yet, that same ability to compose ourselves under pressure is one of the top drivers of trust. In other words, teams that embrace conflict—handle it with honesty and courage—build trust faster and stronger than those that avoid it. 3. Trust isn’t binary. It’s dynamic. Our data shows that 73% of employees are struggling with trust at either the team or organizational level—or both. But that doesn’t mean trust is broken forever. Trust isn’t something we either have or don’t have; it’s something we question, rebuild, and strengthen over time. 4. Performance and truth-telling matter. High-trust teams don’t just “get along” with each other. They tell the truth. They own their wins and their failures. Vulnerability isn’t about weakness—it’s about the courage to be real. If you’re leading a team, ask yourself: Are we creating an environment where truth is spoken, mistakes are owned, and performance is a shared responsibility? 5. Emotional maturity is the difference-maker. Leaders in the C-suite all have experience, but the ones who truly transform organizations have something more—the ability to be both clear and compassionate, strong and humble. Trust is built when leaders develop the self-awareness to understand their competence, motivations, and impact on others.
What This Means for Leaders Like You:* See leadership development as trust-building. It’s not about isolated training events. Developing people is a long-term strategy for building trust across an organization. * Invest in a whole and intentional leadership development system. Stop viewing leadership growth as a one-off solution. Embed it into the fabric of how your team operates. * Start with yourself. If you’re a senior leader, your self-awareness, clarity, and emotional maturity will set the tone for your organization’s culture of trust. * Create a learning culture. Organizations that normalize growth, learning, and truth-telling—not perfection—are the ones where trust thrives.
Imagine an organization where every person could say, I trust you—not because you’re perfect, but because you’re working it out. That kind of trust begins within us, grows in the patterns between us, and is sustained by the conditions we create around us.
Let’s do this. And let’s do this together.
Download the State of Trust at Work report here.
Learn more about the WiLD Trust Index.
Schedule a time to meet with a WiLD Team member today.
Trust isn’t just built between people—it begins within us. In this episode of WiLD Conversation Podcast, Dr. Rob McKenna and Sabeth Kapahu unpack the critical connection between trust, self-awareness, and worthiness.
According to the Relate Project research 41% of young adults don’t feel worthy of love. What does that mean for leadership, relationships, and the way we build trust? Trustworthiness isn’t something we declare or demand—it’s something we live into. It’s about reliability, consistency, and truth-telling, not just in our words but in our actions.
In this conversation, Rob and Sabeth explore:
🔹 How our sense of self-worth impacts our ability to trust others
🔹 Why distrust thrives in the shadows—and how to bring it into the light
🔹 The role of failure in becoming trustworthy
🔹 Why trust must be built before it can be earned
Trust isn’t just about believing in someone else—it’s about knowing ourselves well enough to lead with integrity. Whether you’re leading a team, navigating relationships, or just trying to find solid ground, this episode challenges you to look inward first.
WiLD Leaders is excited to announce our State of Trust at Work report—an in-depth look at the data, insights, and actions that can help leaders like you cultivate trust in your sphere of influence.
Be the first to receive it upon release.
→ Sign Up to receive the report.
WiLDConversation #TrustworthyLeadership #SelfWorth #LeadershipMatters
In this episode of The WiLD Conversation Podcast, Dr. Rob McKenna sits down with Dr. Arthur Satterwhite III to discuss why process is everything—whether you’re leading a team, launching a product, or rebuilding trust. Dr. Satterwhite shares his research from The Relate Project, unpacking what leaders must understand about relational trust, adolescent culture, and the phases we often overlook when trying to create lasting impact.
Drawing from his own leadership journey, he challenges us to consider:
- Are we intentional about every phase of the leadership process?
- Are we bringing the right people in at the right time?
- Are we building trust strategically instead of assuming it will happen?
From business strategy to leadership development, this episode is a wake-up call for leaders who want to stop short-changing their impact and start leading with intentionality.
Key Leadership Takeaways:
🚀 Process isn’t a barrier—it’s the path to sustainable success.
🤝 Trust isn’t automatic—there’s a process to rebuilding and maintaining it.
💡 Overlooking key phases in leadership or strategy can undermine everything.
Do you change your actions, or do you shift your mindset? Research suggests it’s both.
In this compelling conversation, Dr. Rob McKenna and Wiley Cortez dive into the tension between thought and action. Wiley shares his personal journey from gang life to leadership, highlighting the power of alignment, prioritizing relationships over transactions, and the rhythms of consistency that build trusted relationships.
Leadership isn’t just about vision—it’s about reliability, commitment, and the choices we make along the way. Tune in as we break down what it truly takes to lead yourself and your team toward meaningful impact.
Leadership Takeaways:
✅ Alignment matters—Develop yourself as a leader alongside your team.
✅ Trust is built on consistency—Reliability is one of the most powerful drivers of trust.
✅ Commit to your vision—Be specific, be clear, and stay the course.
✅ Relationships over transactions—Leadership is about people, not just results.
Leadership #Trust #Alignment #MindsetShift #Consistency #LeadWithAction #Reliability #RelationalLeadership
Many leaders see conflict as a problem to avoid rather than a resource to steward. But what if conflict isn’t inherently bad? What if it’s simply the energy in the gap between differences—a natural outcome of diversity?
In this episode of the WiLD Conversation Podcast, Dr. Rob McKenna sits down with Nate Regier from Next Element to explore:
- Why conflict and trust are deeply interconnected.
- How the most effective leaders manage the energy of conflict rather than suppress it.
- Why composure in leadership is more than self-control—it’s a form of compassionate accountability.
- The critical intersection between people and process—and why separating them is a mistake.
- The power of research-backed leadership development that balances qualitative insights with objective data.
Leaders today are running low on energy. But what if the key to energized, resilient leadership isn’t about avoiding conflict—but learning how to harness it?
Join Rob and Nate for a deep dive into the art and science of leading with trust, navigating conflict with wisdom, and transforming organizational dynamics for the better.
Leadership Takeaways:1. Conflict is Inevitable—How You Steward It Matters. It’s not about whether conflict is good or bad, but how you manage the energy in the gap between differences. 2. Trust and Conflict Are Two Sides of the Same Coin. Healthy teams don’t avoid conflict—they build trust through compassionate accountability and honest dialogue. 3. Composure is Leadership Currency. Leaders who remain steady in high-conflict situations create stability and psychological safety for their teams. 4. People and Process Must Work Together. The best organizations don’t separate operational excellence from human connection—they embrace the paradox. 5. Measurement Brings Clarity. Balancing qualitative and quantitative insights helps leaders see the truth, make intelligent mistakes, and ask better questions.
Leadership #ConflictResolution #WiLDConversations #CompassionateAccountability #EnergyManagement #OrganizationalHealth
In this weeks WiLD Conversation podcast episode, we explore the deep need for community—why we seek it, how we build it, and what it means for leadership. From childhood experiences with unconventional communities to forging lifelong bonds through intentional gatherings, we uncover the undeniable influence of being surrounded by people who challenge, support, and sustain us. Whether leading an organization, raising a family, or navigating life’s transitions, true community brings us closer to wholeness. Leaders thrive not in isolation but within intentional relationships that encourage growth, vulnerability, and trust.
Key Takeaways:
✅ Community is about commonality, purpose, and shared experiences—leaders must foster environments where people feel a sense of belonging.
✅ The best communities allow people to be as close to their whole selves as possible, cultivating trust, vulnerability, and deep connection.
✅ Great leadership is built within strong communities—without them, leaders risk isolation and stagnation.
✅ Building community requires courage, intention, and the willingness to invite others in, even when it’s difficult.
Our Strategic Support Assessment (SSA) in our WiLD Toolkit builds your strategic network of support in real time. This includes mentors, role models, those who provide you with feedback, emotional support, and even those who may open a door when you are looking for a new opportunity. In addition, the SSA allows you to build a core group of individuals who will serve as your personal advisory board.
Want to learn more? Connect with a WiLD Team member today to explore how the SSA can help you strengthen your support system and navigate your leadership journey with greater confidence.
Leadership #CommunityMatters #WholeLeaders #IntentionalLiving #Trust #ResilientLeadership #Belonging #WiLDConversation #Strategic #Support
In a world defined by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA), trust is often the first casualty in our fight against bad actors. But what if trust wasn’t so easily broken? What if, instead, we made trust a hard target—one that is fortified, resilient, and deeply embedded in our leadership and teams?
In this episode, we explore how resilient leaders build trust systematically, just as we design security frameworks to guard against external threats. True resilience begins at the individual level, requiring vulnerability, self-awareness, and the courage to share our learning with others.
When trust is strong, communication thrives, collaboration strengthens, and our organizations shift from chaotic jungles to fortified strongholds.
Join us as we uncover the methodologies that move teams from surviving to thriving, and learn how making trust a hard target can transform your leadership, your team, and your mission.
Sacrificial leadership isn’t about giving up everything—it’s about thoughtfully considering the personal costs necessary to live in alignment with your values and serve those around you. In this episode, we unpack what it means to lead sacrificially without losing yourself, explore the tension between self-preservation and selflessness, and discuss how true sacrifice often involves letting go of what we hold most tightly.
Through practical insights and relatable examples, we’ll challenge you to identify your "sacrificial line" and embrace the uncomfortable yet transformational moments that build trust, deepen relationships, and foster authentic leadership.
Leadership Takeaways* Sacrifice Isn’t All or Nothing
True leadership recognizes the balance between self-preservation and sacrificial moments—it’s not about giving everything up, but about making thoughtful, meaningful choices for the benefit of others.
* Awareness is Key
To lead sacrificially, you must first identify what you hold most tightly—be it pride, comfort, control, or something deeply personal—and consider the cost of letting it go.
* Sacrifice is Relational
True sacrifice happens in the context of relationships. Whether in the workplace, with family, or friends, leadership often requires putting someone else’s needs above your own.
* Sacrifice Requires Courage
Sacrificial leadership invites vulnerability, humility, and the courage to act on the quiet nudges we often ignore—like putting down your phone or truly listening to someone else’s story.
For more on WiLD Leaders visit: https://www.wildleaders.org/
Let's connect to explore how you can use the WiLD Trust Index to measure and build trust in your own organization.
Click here for more on the WiLD Trust Index: https://www.wildleaders.org/wild-trust-index
Leadership #Sacrifice #PersonalGrowth #AuthenticLeadership #RelationalLeadership #GrowthMindset #SelfAwareness #WiLD #Podcast #BuildingTrust #WiLDTrustPlatform
In this episode of The WiLD Conversation, Dr. Rob McKenna dives deep into a timeless question: Are leaders born or made? Sharing insights from years of research, Dr. McKenna unpacks the interplay between personality traits and growth mindsets, exploring what truly shapes effective leaders. From the impact of the Big Five personality traits (like conscientiousness and extraversion) to the groundbreaking work of Carol Dweck on mindsets, this episode challenges listeners to rethink how they view leadership potential in themselves and others.
Key leadership takeaways include:
- Balancing Nature and Nurture: While personality traits like neuroticism or openness are stable over time, the right environment and mindset can still drive meaningful change.
- The Role of Language in Growth: How we speak to others can influence their belief in their ability to grow, shaping their potential and performance.
- Whole Leader Development: True leadership development requires understanding the dynamic tension between who people are and who they can become.
Join Dr. McKenna for an inspiring conversation that offers a more complete perspective on leadership and human potential.
LeadershipDevelopment #GrowthMindset #BornOrMade #PersonalityTraits #WiLDConversation
In this inspiring episode of the WiLD Leaders podcast, Dr. Rob McKenna sits down with Tami Heim, CEO of Christian Leadership Alliance and former President of Borders Inc., to explore the unshakable importance of trust in leadership—especially during moments of crisis. Tami reflects on her leadership journey through disruptive times, offering insights into building trust, embracing collaboration, and navigating the highs and lows of achievement.
Listeners will hear how she turned challenges into opportunities, including managing through the rise of e-commerce giants, leading under pressure, and creating systems that drove lasting change. Tami shares her commitment to lifelong learning, the value of mentoring relationships, and why pausing to reflect on the "why" behind decisions often leads to the best outcomes.
Key Leadership Takeaways1. Trust is Tested in Crisis: Trust is cultivated over time but is truly revealed and refined when challenges arise. 2. Fail Forward: Embrace mistakes as opportunities to learn and grow, and reflect on both successes and failures for continued improvement. 3. Collaborative Leadership: Empowering others to contribute, innovate, and adapt often leads to greater outcomes than working alone. 4. Focus and Flexibility: Knowing when to pivot and prioritize can be the difference between surviving and thriving in turbulent times. 5. The Power of Reflection: Leaders must take time to think critically and deeply about their decisions to ensure they align with long-term goals.
How do we balance the tension between being fully present in the moment and making meaningful progress?
In this episode, Dr. McKenna dives into the paradox that shapes much of our personal and professional lives. Drawing from psychological insights, including Bandura's Social Learning Theory, he explores the challenges of living in the duality of stopping and going.
You'll gain practical tools for identifying your default tendencies, embracing tension, and leading with intention. Whether you're a doer or someone who values being present, this episode will inspire you to reimagine how these forces can coexist in harmony.
Listener Takeaways1. Understand Your Defaults: Learn to recognize whether your natural inclination is towards action or presence and how to leverage this awareness. 2. Practical Tools: Discover strategies to intentionally pause and reflect without losing momentum in your personal or professional life. 3. Leadership Insights: Explore how leaders can foster organizational cultures that embrace both progress and presence, driving holistic growth. 4. Environmental Impact: Uncover how external factors shape our behaviors and perceptions, and how to respond thoughtfully. 5. Mindset Shifts: Embrace the paradox and shift from "either/or" to "both/and" thinking for greater clarity and balance.
What if the key to building trust isn’t about eliminating your insecurities, but showing up predictably and intentionally? In this episode, we explore how leaders overcome self-doubt, set clear operational rhythms, and create trust-filled business relationships that drive growth.
You’ll hear from Dr. Rob McKenna and CEO of One Accors, Nick Anderson, how self-awareness can help you step into your leadership identity with confidence—even when the doubts creep in. By creating rhythms of predictability and consistency, you build a culture where your team can rely on you and on the systems you’ve built.
We also address one of the biggest leadership challenges: reducing business reliance on YOU. Learn how tough moments can refine your organization and why investing in people and operational clarity today will set you up for long-term resilience and success.
Key Listener Takeaways1. Imposter Syndrome Reframed: Leadership isn’t about being perfect—it’s about showing up, owning your role, and delivering with confidence. 2. The Power of Predictability: Consistent rhythms build trust and stability in both business relationships and operations. 3. Self-Awareness Drives Impact: Recognize your insecurities, lean into your strengths, and set the tone for your team to follow. 4. Turning Tough Times Into Growth: Use challenging moments to refine your systems, strengthen your culture, and build resilience. 5. Reduce Owner Dependence: True leadership prepares your organization to thrive without relying solely on you.
Leadership #BuildTrust #SelfAwareness #BusinessGrowth #OperationalExcellence
Trust is the foundation of every thriving team and successful organization, but it doesn’t emerge by chance. Building trust requires intentional effort—measuring it, understanding it, and aligning it with both personal and operational factors.
In this episode, we explore how trust works on two essential levels:
1️⃣ The inside-out, where psychological safety, emotional intelligence, and personal growth foster connection and confidence.
2️⃣ The outside-in, where systems, leadership strategies, and organizational structure create sustainable performance at scale.
We’ll discuss how to move beyond focusing on one dimension of trust to embracing both, creating organizations that grow from chaotic jungles to strongholds of sustaining trust. Discover how to make trust measurable, actionable, and transformational for your mission, your people, and your results.
MeasurementMatters #PowerOfTrust #StrongInsideOut #SustainingTrust #LeadershipDevelopment #OrganizationalHealth #TeamPerformance #PsychologicalSafety #StrategicLeadership #MissionImpact #TrustInAction
In a culture that celebrates vulnerability as a solution to relational and personal challenges, we often overlook its nuanced application. Vulnerability is powerful, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. For leaders, parents, and those in safety and security roles, balancing openness and safety is an ongoing tension. In this episode, we explore the courage required to be vulnerable, the risks of being misunderstood, and why true vulnerability demands humility, thoughtfulness, and discernment. Together, we’ll unpack how vulnerability shapes our character, connects us to others, and sometimes leaves us questioning the costs.
Listener Takeaways:1. Understand why vulnerability is not a universal solution and how its expression varies by context and individual. 2. Explore the hidden tensions behind our fears of being misunderstood and the courage required to face them. 3. Learn practical insights on balancing vulnerability with thoughtfulness and humility in leadership and personal relationships. 4. Reflect on how openness to being hurt—or misunderstood—can foster trust and growth when approached intentionally.
CourageousVulnerability #AuthenticLeadership #EmotionalIntelligence #TrustedLeader
In this episode, Dr. McKenna and Erik Antons, dive deep into the transformative power of governance and strategic leadership within organizations. Why do so many departments excel tactically yet struggle at the strategic level? How does trust, integrity, and connection shape our effectiveness not only in the workplace but also in life?
They explore these themes, touching on operational procedures, the art of meaningful human connection, and even the psychology of security and physiological needs. From Maslow’s hierarchy to personal stories of trust and resilience, this episode will leave you inspired to elevate your leadership and embrace the strategic opportunities around you.
Listener Takeaways:* Governance Matters: Understand why strategic leadership and structured governance are crucial to advancing beyond the tactical level. * The Power of Trust: Learn why trust and integrity are foundational for building effective teams and relationships. * Connection as Leadership: Discover how authentic connection fosters stronger organizational culture and individual resilience. * Strategic vs. Tactical: Insights on how to bridge the gap between high-level strategy and in-the-trenches execution. * Human Needs and Security: A unique perspective on how security complements physiological needs for both humans and animals.
Connect to explore how you can use the WiLD Trust Index in your own life, team, or organization. Click here for more: https://www.wildleaders.org/wild-trust-index
LeadershipDevelopment #GovernanceMatters #StrategicLeadership #TrustAndIntegrity #HumanConnection #OrganizationalHealth #MaslowRevisited #SecurityLeadership
In this insightful episode Dr. Rob McKenna, CEO of WiLD Leaders and creator of the WiLD Trust Platform explores the importance of intentionality, alignment, and the transformational power of finding your sweet spot in life and leadership.
There are few moments as exhilarating as being in your sweet spot—when your purpose aligns seamlessly with your actions. These moments are not free from pressure, but they bring clarity, efficiency, and joy. They don’t happen by accident; they’re the result of intentionality and a commitment to living and working in alignment.
While being outside the sweet spot can feel frustrating or even defeating, finding your way back is a journey worth taking. It requires self-awareness, purpose-driven effort, and a willingness to embrace opportunities that reveal your true calling.
Listener Takeaways:
- Clarity and Alignment: The sweet spot is where your unique identity and purpose meet your daily actions, driving fulfillment and performance.
- Intentionality Matters: Achieving alignment isn’t accidental; it requires intentional reflection and action.
- Impact Beyond You: Operating in your sweet spot not only energizes you but also inspires and benefits those around you.
- Recognize the Drift: Feeling defeated or frustrated may be a sign you’ve stepped out of alignment—use this as motivation to recalibrate.
- Small Steps, Big Results: Purposeful adjustments and self-awareness can help you reclaim the joy and energy of living in alignment.
Let's connect to explore how you can use the WiLD Trust Index in your own life, team, or organization. Click here for more: https://www.wildleaders.org/wild-trust-index
SweetSpot #PurposeDriven #AlignmentMatters #LivingWithIntentionality #LeadershipGrowth #MotivationAndClarity #WiLDTrust #LeadershipDevelopment #IntentionalLeadership
In this episode, Dr. Rob McKenna, CEO of WiLD Leaders, and Dr. Gavriel Schneider, founder of Risk 2 Solution, dive into essential qualities of leadership—trust, risk intelligence, and adaptability. They explore the foundational skills leaders need for effective decision-making, emphasizing that trust and resilience are built, not assumed. Dr. Schneider shares insights on balancing risk with strategy and discusses how leaders can avoid the traps of panic and inaction. Dr. McKenna adds that great leaders must have “editability,” a willingness to revise their own views and practices, even when it’s challenging. This conversation is a powerful reminder that strong leadership is an ongoing journey of adaptability, integrity, and resilience.
Connect with Dr. Gav and Risk 2 Solution Group: https://risk2solution.com/
Read more about the Institute of Presilience: https://instituteofpresilience.edu.au/
Let's connect to explore how you can use the WiLD Trust Index in your own organization. Click here for more: https://www.wildleaders.org/wild-trust-index
Leadership #RiskIntelligence #Trust #Resilience #Presilience #Editability #ResilientLeadership #MindfulInaction #GrowthMindset #WiLDLeaders #Risk2Solution #LeadershipPodcast
In this episode Dr. McKenna and Tim Cooke, CEO of Agape In Home Care, delve into the powerful role that trust plays in the caregiving industry, particularly in senior care.
- Trust as the Foundation of Quality Care: Understand why prioritizing caregivers’ needs creates a culture of trust that enhances care for seniors, fostering dedication and reliability among caregiving teams.
- Beyond the Basics: Going the Extra Mile: Learn how organizational practices—like covering both travel time and mileage—demonstrate genuine care for caregivers, creating a supportive and trusting work environment.
- The Ripple Effect of Trust in Caregiving: Discover the powerful impact of promoting caregivers' well-being, leading to a stronger, more committed workforce that is equipped to provide compassionate and attentive care to seniors.
In this eye-opening episode of the WiLD Conversation Podcast, Dr. Ellen Ensher delves into the myths surrounding mentorship. She challenges the belief that simply having a mentor is a one-way ticket to career success. Dr. Ensher and Dr. McKenna discuss the importance of realistic expectations, the limitations of traditional mentorship structures, and the essential role of self-awareness in career growth. From the complexities of AI-assisted mentor matching to the responsibility of contributing back to one's mentors, she shares her insights on how to get the most out of mentoring relationships.
Key Takeaways:
- Mentorship Isn’t a Fix-All Solution
Just having a mentor won’t automatically solve all career challenges. Mentorship is only one part of a larger growth process that involves self-awareness and the willingness to learn and give back. - AI and Choice Improve Mentorship Matches
Random mentor-mentee pairings rarely succeed. However, recent advances in AI offer more refined matching options, though even with algorithms, success depends on a degree of personal choice. - Set Realistic Expectations
Mentors aren’t miracle workers. Building a successful mentoring relationship requires calibrating expectations and understanding that it may not fulfill all emotional needs, but can still offer valuable insights.
For more about Dr. Ellen Ensher : https://ellenensher.com/
Ready to explore how we can build trust in your organization? https://meetings.hubspot.com/chris-shaffer/wti-info
For more about WiLD Leaders: https://www.wildleaders.org/
Trust isn’t just a value—it’s an opportunity for leaders to invest in others and create environments where people and performance thrive.
"You can’t give what you don’t have. Leaders who feel supported can lead with generosity and trust."
We’re excited to share that Dr. Daniel Hallak’s TEDx talk, “Networking doesn't have to feel gross,” is now featured by TED! Watch it here: go.ted.com/danielhallak
In the talk, Daniel explores how shifting from a mindset of “What can I get?” to “What can I give?” transforms networking—and any relationship—into a meaningful, trust-building experience.
In this Wild Conversation Podcast Dr. Daniel Hallak dives deeper into the key themes of his talk. He shared insights on why trust is essential for high-performing teams and how generosity beyond reciprocity creates lasting value. This conversation isn’t just about networking—it’s about leadership, sales, and building a thriving culture where people and performance flourish.
Interested in learning more about trust-building strategies for your team? Let’s connect: https://meetings.hubspot.com/chris-shaffer/wti-info
Leadership #TrustBuilding #HighPerformanceTeams #GenerosityInLeadership #TEDx
In this episode, #1 New York Times best-selling author Dr. Les Parrott reveals the shocking truth about empathy: it’s not just about feelings—it’s about being a HERO! Discover how true empathy can push you to risk it all for others and why this rare skill sets real leaders apart.
While inspiration is important, real transformation requires a combination of motivation and the right nudge at the right moment. Dr. McKenna and Dr. Parrott discuss the importance of teaching practical, easily executable behaviors that are backed by research, like the simple yet profound act of seeing conflict from your partner's perspective. Surprisingly, doing this can resolve conflict 90% of the time.
Dr. Parrot and Dr. McKenna empower individuals, teams, organizations, and couples to foster a foundation of trust and create environments where people feel secure enough to take calculated risks that will transform relationships, elevate leadership, and make us an unstoppable force.
Here are just a few powerful takeaways:
- Empathy is an act of bravery, often requiring personal sacrifice to support others.
- Real change comes from pairing motivation with simple, actionable behaviors and timely nudges.
- Emotional safety and trust are essential for encouraging risk-taking and growth within teams and relationships.
EmpathyUnlocked #LeadershipHacks #ConflictResolution #TrustMatters #BeTheHero #LesParrott #WiLD #Conversation #Podcast #Business #Marriage #Trust
For more on Les and Leslie’s work click here: https://www.lesandleslie.com/
To order Trading Places: https://store.lesandleslie.com/collections/trading-places
For more on the WiLD Trust Index: https://www.wildleaders.org/wild-trust-index
Connect with a WiLD team member: https://www.wildleaders.org/get-started
"Thank You for Saying the Hard Thing Now" – on Lifelong Learning and Leadership.
In this must-listen episode, the art of life long learning and leadership takes center stage as President Deana Porterfield and Dr. Rob McKenna dive into leadership lessons that everyone needs to hear. Here are just three of many takeaways:
- Mastering Tough Conversations: Learn the secret to surviving a challenging conversation without blowing up! President Porterfield emphasizes the importance of being open to feedback, expressing concerns productively, and keeping the dialogue going—even when it gets uncomfortable.
- Own Your Role: This episode shows why leadership is about learning to "manage up" rather than seeking a place to complain—own your role, and navigate up the chain with maturity.
- Openness is Key to Growth: Want to grow as a leader? You need to be open to self-awareness. President Porterfield reveals why mentorship and development only work when you're willing to own your weaknesses and take accountability for your actions.
This episode is a game-changer for anyone looking to sharpen their leadership skills and face hard truths head-on! Don’t miss it!
For more on Seattle Pacific University visit: https://spu.edu/
For more on WiLD Leaders visit: https://www.wildleaders.org/
Let's connect to explore how you can use the WiLD Trust Index to measure and nurture trust in your own organization.
Click here for more on the WiLD Trust Index: https://www.wildleaders.org/wild-trust-index
LeadershipSkills #ToughConversations #ProfessionalGrowth #MentorshipMatters #OwnYourRole #Whole #Intentional #Leader #Development #Trust #WildTrustPlatform #SPU #Podcast
Laura Gardner dives into her journey of servant leadership, the growth of Joni and Friends, and the powerful impact of their mission in serving people with disabilities across the globe. You won’t want to miss her insights on organizational health and performance, and how they drive success.
For more on Joni and Friends click this link: https://joniandfriends.org/
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WiLD Leaders is on a mission to build trust.
We are building the largest database on the drivers of trust in organizations. I’m inviting you and your organization to participate in our Trust Index Survey, designed to help you understand the trust dynamics within your organization. By participating, you’ll receive:
- A detailed report on your specific drivers of trust at your company’s individual, team, and organizational levels.
- Directional recommendations.
This survey will provide critical insights to inform your growth strategies and the necessary organizational investments to fuel that growth.
Ready to participate and see where your team stands? Schedule a time with us now.
For more on WiLD Leaders click this link: https://www.wildleaders.org/wild-leaders-methodology
We work with others every day on moments that matter personally and professionally. Dive deeper into the foundation of trust with this episode of the WiLD Conversation Podcast.
Dr. McKenna explores the critical connection between knowing yourself, knowing others, and building trust in your organization.
Learn how to cultivate a workplace where trust is the foundation for effectiveness. This is the crucial link between trust and high-performance cultures.
Listen now and then connect with our team to see how the WiLD Trust Index can help you build a high-trust, high-performance culture.
Every person you know has a story occurring at the center of their identity and their progress that is too often expressed as an unanswered question: How do I connect my driving purpose to what I am doing every day? We ask it in different ways, but at the core of who we are as human beings is the question that connects the invisible pieces of our hearts with the visible pieces of our actions.
Join Dr. Rob McKenna in this WiLD Conversation podcast about connecting trust, performance, and well-being, developing a WiLD Mindset.
It’s that often shapeless and less navigated space between our human being and human doing that leaves us wanting more. It’s the space between our hearts and our business, our performance and our well-being, and the builder and the gardener in us that knows are designed to do something - to build, and to carefully cultivate and tend the delicate garden of relationships that allow us to build together.
To discover how your team scores on the WiLD Trust Index click here: https://www.wildleaders.org/wild-trust-index
To get started with WiLD Leaders click here: https://www.wildleaders.org/get-started
Read the the article: Connecting Trust, Performance, and Well-Being: Developing a
WiLD Mindset here: http://3948568.hs-sites.com/blog/connecting-trust-performance-and-well-being-developing-a-wild-mindset?hs_preview=jvqIGpRa-177846094487
Join former Director of Learning and Insights at Microsoft, and newest member to WiLD, Chris Shaffer and Dr. Rob McKenna in this WiLD Conversation podcast, connecting data, learning and humanity. Learn what mindset, time, and reinforcement have to do with technology innovation and thriving learning cultures. Dive into the data we get to process through our benchmark of trust at the individual, team, and organizational levels through our WiLD Trust Index.
You’ve never heard data talked about like this before. Listen, share and join the conversation.
To get started with WiLD Leaders click here: https://www.wildleaders.org/get-started
To discover how your team scores on the WiLD Trust Index click here: https://www.wildleaders.org/wild-trust-index
Join Glen Prior of Eden People + Planet and Dr. Rob McKenna for this WiLD Conversation Podcast connecting the invisible pieces inside of a person to the systems pieces of communities and organizations. When honest and courageous shared experiences become organizational culture, flourishing systems take root and transformational change occurs.
Glen Prior has two decades of building economic engines and sustainable systems for mission-driven organizations on a local and global scale. He is a master at the space between financial management, process development, and systems thinking. He always starts with the premise that connecting people and ideas with proven methodologies builds a strategic foundation for long-term sustainable growth and value, and is all about establishing collaborative relationships across functions and between organizations. Most of all, I know that he is one of your favorite people Rob.
Glen Prior is the COO of Eden People + Planet - which facilitates large-scale holistic landscape restoration and community development initiatives in partnership with communities and stakeholders all over the world.
For more on Eden People + Planet: https://www.eden-plus.org/
For more on WiLD Leaders: https://www.wildleaders.org/
Join Dr. McKenna and Dr. Paul Yost for this WiLD Conversation about the research, experiences, and moments together that make work meaningful. Discover the variables of our humanity playing strong roles in our ability to do our jobs with motivation and intention.
Dr. Paul Yost is the Chair and Associate Professor of Industrial-Organizational Psychology at Seattle Pacific University. He was recently Senior Research Specialist, People and Organization Capability, Microsoft. Prior to that he was in leadership development and people research at the Boeing Company where he co-led a company wide longitudinal study of leaders in aerospace called the Waypoint Project, and he is a long time friend and colleague of Dr. McKenna.
Learn from their decades of friendship, research, and wisdom together in this conversation that will get you thinking about why you do what you do and more importantly why it matters to you and the teams and organizations that you lead.
For more on Paul’s book Experience Driven Leader Development click here: https://a.co/d/gfgnaBs
For more on Paul’s book Real Time Leader Development click here:
https://a.co/d/cja1VSa
To connect with Paul Yost via email send a note to: yostp@spu.edu
To get started with WiLD Leaders click here: https://www.wildleaders.org/get-started
To discover how your team scores on the WiLD Trust Index click here: https://www.wildleaders.org/wild-trust-index
Rob McKenna and Tom Nelson, from Made to Flourish dive into learning to know what we see vs. seeing what we know. This podcast connects the heart of the people running the systems to the operational realities, and carves a pathway into how to flourish and build trust in your communities, teams, and organizations.
What we have experienced over and over again is that people are used to trainers, teachers, and executives talking “at them.” This WiLD Conversation encourages leaders into a clash of the norm where individuals, teams, and organizations are invited into the conversations that create learning cultures. When learning takes place in relational, intentional, and communal dialogues, outcomes begin to change.
For more on Tom Nelson’s Book- Work Matters: Connecting Sunday Worship to Monday Work click here: https://shorturl.at/961pJ
For more on Made To Flourish click here: https://www.madetoflourish.org/
To get started with WiLD Leaders click here:https://www.wildleaders.org/get-started
To discover how your team scores on the WiLD Trust Index click here: https://www.wildleaders.org/wild-trust-index
Who Will Lead Next? Succession Planning Done Right.
Trust is playing a huge role in the processes that leaders know they have to dial in on a daily basis. Most organizations get to a level of scale and they not only have to prepare their next President, they need to prepare their entire bench. Succession is happening all across the business we work with and we have found that as people are understanding certain things about themselves, and sharing with their teams, they are starting to trust each other. Then they begin to answer the questions that come up like, “Who are the leaders who have come up because of this person? And, is this person a developer of leader capacity?”
Join Dr. Rob McKenna in this WiLD Conversation Podcast as he gets deep and vulnerable into the story of succession planning done right with Steve Woodworth and Bryan Brown of Masterworks.
Steve Woodworth - Steve brings a deep wealth of expertise in marketing, management, and organizational development - and leadership. He was instrumental in pivoting World Vision’s direct marketing and donor services through a decade of annual double-digit growth - and if any of you are donors to World Vision - you have seen the power of their donor services. Since joining Masterworks in 1992, Steve has been instrumental in establishing it as the premier marketing agency dedicated to aiding hundreds of organizations in achieving their mission. Steve also gives back in so many other ways. His influence is profound.
Bryan Brown - Bryan serves as president of Masterworks. He is committed to accelerating the growth of his organization, bringing industry-leading technology across the business, and expanding The Masterworks vision for direct response marketing and fundraising. Bryan previously served at Masterworks as the ’ VP of Experience Design and as COO. Bryan has been Chief Marketing Officer, a chief Technology officer - so he’s got an incredible breadth of experience alongside the depth. Prior to joining Masterworks, Bryan led the digital division and ad network of one of the world’s largest cross screen media companies (that means connecting all the screens in your house - and someone had to do that for us - apparently Bryan helped with that). And, he’s got a Master of Divinity - so he’s a business person with the heart of a pastor. Most importantly - these two have been through a succession process together as Bryan is and was Steve’s successor at Masterworks.
For more on WiLD Leaders visit: https://www.wildleaders.org
For more on Masterworks visit: https://www.masterworks.agency
We must build trust now. Download the newest free e-book from WiLD Leaders and gain the knowledge and practical skills you need to build trust in your organization.
https://www.wildleaders.org/wild-articles/desperate-for-trust-in-your-organization
https://www.wildleaders.org/
Better People = Better Performance
You want your people to perform better but don’t know how to make that happen. In this WiLD Conversation we will look at how to increase the performance and well-being of your people. Because better people equals better performance.
Rob and Daniel talk with self-identified class clown, Kevin Miller. They answer some wild questions, get deeper into Kevin's story, and hear about Kevin's deepest convictions in his work at Popular Demand Strategy Group.
To connect with Kevin, reach out on LinkedIn. To learn more about the impact of his work, visit their website.