Daily Influence

Toxic behavior in the workplace isn’t always easy to spot—and it doesn’t always come from poor performers. In this revisit to episode 517 of The Daily Influence, Brian Smith explores the nuances of toxic employees, defining what toxicity looks like beyond performance metrics. He discusses the importance of emotional intelligence, feedback culture, and structured remediation rooted in SMART communication principles. Whether you’re leading a team or navigating workplace dynamics, this episode equips you to protect your culture by addressing the uncomfortable—responsibly and intentionally.

In this revisit to Episode 282 of The Daily Influence podcast, Brian S. Smith delves into the critical topic of building a high-trust work environment. Discover why fostering transparency, accountability, and empathy within your organization can lead to a culture where innovation thrives, teams collaborate effortlessly, and everyone contributes to continuous improvement. Drawing on insights from The I in Team Series and SMART Management principles, this episode offers practical advice for leaders and team members alike to create a workplace where trust is the foundation of success. Tune in to learn how to build and sustain a reliable and supportive work culture that drives your organization forward.

Strong workplace cultures aren’t created through slogans or one-time initiatives. They are built through the small, intentional actions leaders repeat every day.

In this episode of Daily Influence, Gregg-Brooke Koleno speaks with educator, executive leader, author, and TEDx speaker Alicia Hughes about how caring for people can produce measurable organizational results. Alisha shares the leadership practices that helped her achieve a 97% staff retention rate while leading 260 employees and contributed to increasing a school’s graduation rate from 30% to 90%.

You’ll learn how simplifying priorities can strengthen decision-making, why leaders must acknowledge when an initiative isn’t working, and how small moments of recognition, kindness, and joy can influence an entire workplace. Alisha also explains why leadership is defined by your actions, not your title, and offers practical ways to create a culture where people feel valued, supported, and motivated to succeed.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia-victoria-hughes/

Email: [email protected]

In this revisit to episode 194 of Daily Influence discuss how most of us look for a way to resolve issues for immediate gratification, of either self or others being negatively influenced by an issue. This will sometimes get us moving out of and through some issues, however if we don't quickly understand the root cause of issues, they will resurface and often, if not most of the time, cause deeper and more far reaching consequences.

How can you quiet your inner critic, stop overthinking, and take meaningful action?

On this episode of Daily Influence, Gregg-Brooke Koleno speaks with psychologist, life coach, author, and The Present Coach creator Dr. Pamela Garcy about the connection between self-influence and the influence we have on others.

Dr. Pam explains how automatic thoughts shape our emotions, choices, and behaviors, often without us realizing it. She also introduces her practical NOW framework: Notice, Orient, and ask a “What” question to help us become present, interrupt unproductive thought patterns, and identify the next small step forward.

In this episode:

• How your internal dialogue influences your choices and relationships

• Why being present is more effective than trying to be perfect

• A simple framework for moving from overthinking to constructive action

• How leaders can recognize their unintended impact on others

• Why defining and tracking progress can create meaningful change

• How small, intentional actions can produce a much greater influence than we realize

Learn how to replace self-criticism with awareness, personal responsibility, and intentional action, one thought, conversation, and choice at a time.

Connect with Dr. Pam: [email protected]

Link to Dr. Pam’s Book: https://a.co/d/0cc2MbvG

What happens in the space between something going wrong and how you respond?

On Episode 833 of Daily Influence, Brian Smith sits down with Crystal Rowland, founder of Path to Serenity Consulting, to explore what she calls the “wisdom pause” — the intentional space we create before allowing stress, frustration or someone else's emotions to determine what happens next.

Drawing from Stoicism, Buddhism, emotional intelligence and her own workplace experience, Crystal explains why slowing down isn't weakness. It can be one of the most responsible things we do for ourselves and the people we influence.

Brian and Crystal also tackle a harder question: Who is responsible for workplace well-being?

Organizations have a responsibility for the environments they create, the resources they provide and the behaviors they tolerate. But individuals also have responsibility for the emotions, energy and influence they carry into the next conversation, meeting or customer interaction.

The conversation explores emotional carryover, self-governance, the difference between empathy and absorbing someone else's emotions, and practical ways to become more present before the workday even begins.

Because influence is always on — and sometimes responsible influence begins with something as simple as a pause.

https://path2serenity.info/about/

In this revisit to episode 358 of the Daily Influence, Brian Smith delves into the critical importance of aligning company values with day-to-day operations. Drawing insights from The I in Team Series and IA Business Advisors' S.M.A.R.T. Management System, Brian shares how to integrate core values into every aspect of your organization—from individual contributions to team dynamics and operational strategies. Learn how to empower teams, foster accountability, and adapt through reflection to create a culture that thrives on purpose-driven growth. Tune in for actionable steps to bridge the gap between mission and execution while staying true to your values.

AI adoption is not primarily a technology problem it is a people problem.

In this episode of Daily Influence, Gregg Koleno speaks with Dr. Gleb Tsipursky, behavioral scientist, bestselling author, CEO of Disaster Avoidance Experts, and author of The Psychology of AI Adoption at Work: From Resistance to Results.

Dr. Gleb explains why many workplace AI initiatives stall even when the technology works. He identifies three major psychological barriers to AI adoption: fear of job loss, threats to professional identity, and shame or stigma around using AI. He also explains why traditional technology implementation strategies often fail with artificial intelligence and what leaders need to do differently.

In this episode:

• Why employee resistance to AI is often emotional rather than technical

• How fear of job displacement can undermine AI adoption

• Why leaders should consider focusing AI productivity gains on growth rather than immediate job cuts

• How professional identity affects employees' willingness to use AI

• Why leaders should identify frustrating, repetitive tasks employees actually want AI to eliminate

• How leadership modeling can reduce stigma around AI use

• Why measuring AI usage alone can create misleading results

• How to measure AI through outcomes such as time saved, quality, error reduction, and business value

• Why “human in the loop” is not enough—and why employees must remain accountable for AI-generated work

• How leaders can build trust while encouraging responsible experimentation with AI

Dr. Gleb also shares one of the most important lessons from his work studying decision-making and organizational change: leaders often underestimate the role emotions play in determining whether people embrace or resist transformation.

For leaders navigating AI implementation, this conversation offers a practical framework for moving beyond reluctant compliance toward responsible, productive AI adoption—without sacrificing human judgment, accountability, or trust.

Learn more about Dr. Gleb Tsipursky and The Psychology of AI Adoption at Work at Disaster Avoidance Experts, or connect with him on LinkedIn.

https://disasteravoidanceexperts.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-gleb-tsipursky/

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We rarely notice it, but influence is with us constantly—like breathing. In this revisit to episode 512, Brian Smith unpacks how influence operates as a continuous, often unconscious force in our lives. From body language to internal dialogue, we're always broadcasting—and always receiving. Learn how building self-awareness helps you better manage the influence you have on others and what’s influencing you from within.

Can one small act of kindness really change a life or even the world?

In this episode of Daily Influence, Gregg-Brooke Koleno sits down with Kevin Smith, founder and Chief Kindness Chaser of Kindness Worldwide, to explore how one stranger’s decision to return his lost wallet sparked a global mission to create a culture of kindness. What began as Kevin’s desire to recognize one person for doing the right thing evolved into a movement focused on helping people see the good, be the good, and recognize the influence they have every day.

Kevin shares why kindness is a strength, not a weakness, and explains the difference between genuine kindness and simply being nice or avoiding conflict. He also introduces the eight characteristics of kindness (gratitude, patience, forgiveness, empathy and compassion, respect, joy, generosity, and service) and discusses how individuals and leaders can intentionally put them into practice.

The conversation also explores how leaders can build a genuine culture of kindness in the workplace, why Kevin believes organizations should think about ROK Return on Kindness alongside Random Opportunities for Kindness, and how helping employees feel seen, valued, and understood can strengthen both people and organizations.

Kevin leaves listeners with a simple challenge: ask yourself each day, “What can I do today to make a difference in someone else’s world?” From a smile or thank-you note to an unexpected act of generosity, small actions can create ripples far beyond what we may ever see.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How one act of kindness inspired the creation of Kindness Worldwide

• Why kindness should be viewed as a strength and intentional leadership practice

• The eight characteristics that form Kevin’s framework for kindness

• How leaders can create cultures where people feel seen and valued

• Why “Return on Kindness” can have meaningful organizational impact

• How daily acts of kindness can create lasting ripple effects

• Why every individual has the power to positively influence the world around them

Kevin’s message is straightforward: no act of kindness is too small to make a difference and meaningful change begins with the choices each of us makes every day.

https://www.kindnessworldwide.org/

[email protected]

https://www.rokindness.org/

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