What if the most powerful leadership lessons came from moments where every word truly mattered?

In this compelling episode of Daily Influence, Gregg-Brooke Koleno sits down with Scott Tillema — FBI-trained hostage negotiator, former SWAT crisis negotiator, and senior law enforcement leader — to explore how high-stakes communication principles translate directly into everyday leadership.

With more than two decades of experience navigating crisis situations, Scott has learned that influence begins with one critical step: managing yourself first. From controlling tone and delivery under pressure to having the courage to step into difficult conversations, Scott shares practical strategies leaders can use to build trust, resolve conflict, and create alignment without coercion.

Together, they discuss:

• Why leadership starts with self-awareness

• How fairness, empathy, and appreciation drive engagement

• The power of active listening in building connection

• Why slowing down actually helps you move faster

• Tactical breathing techniques to stay grounded under stress

• How small, intentional daily actions create lasting influence

Scott’s journey from law enforcement to global keynote speaker reminds us that powerful communication isn’t an innate gift — it’s a skill anyone can learn and strengthen.

If you lead a team, run a business, or simply want to show up more intentionally in your relationships, this episode offers actionable insight into how responsible influence is built through connection, not control.

Because leadership isn’t about the title you hold — it’s about the impact you make.

Connect with Scott:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tillema/

https://scotttillema.com/

Trust is one of the most talked about concepts in leadership—and one of the least understood in practice.

In Episode 693 of Daily Influence, Brian Smith, PhD challenges the common belief that trust is built in big moments. Instead, he reveals how trust is quietly formed—or fractured—through small, everyday actions.

From missed follow-ups to inconsistent expectations, these “micro-betrayals” often go unnoticed by leaders but are deeply felt by teams. In today’s fast-moving environment, speed without structure is accelerating the erosion of trust—and most organizations don’t even realize it’s happening.

Brian breaks down how trust is not just cultural—it’s structural. It must be intentionally designed through clear expectations, consistent behavior, and disciplined communication.

Because trust doesn’t break loudly.

It erodes quietly.

And over time, it either compounds into strength… or decays into doubt.

🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why micro-inconsistencies create major trust issues

How speed without structure destabilizes teams

What it means to design trust as a system—not a feeling

Why trust behaves like interest—compounding or decaying over time

If you’re leading a team, an organization, or simply looking to strengthen your own influence—this episode will challenge how you think about trust and how you build it every day.

Are you trying to build a team? In this revisit to Daily Influence episode 145 we discuss some tips to help build your team, regardless of size and vocation.

After 40 years in the apparel industry, Michael Bernstein had a realization: seeing the problem wasn’t enough—he had to act.

On this episode of Daily Influence, Michael shares how that conviction led him to launch Burnastic, a company transforming textile and plastic waste into a sustainable polymer designed to reduce global carbon footprints.

In this inspiring conversation, we explore:

• The moment purpose met possibility

• How innovation can offset fast fashion’s environmental impact

• Why failure is part of leadership

• The courage it takes to disrupt traditional industries

• How pursuing passion prevents lifelong regret

Michael reminds us that influence starts with responsibility—and that even “sleepy industries” can be transformed by bold vision.

Connect with Michael and learn more at: https://bernastic.com/

In this revisit to Daily Influence episode 240, Brian Smith delves into the essence of leadership transitions and how everyone, at every level, holds leadership potential. Drawing insights from the I in Team book series, Brian discusses how recognizing individual influence, fostering a supportive environment, and maintaining a positive mindset can ease the stress and anxiety of leadership transitions. Tune in to learn how to manage change as continuous improvement and how to build responsible leadership at every organizational level. Celebrate our latest book, "Responsible Influence: Build the I in Team," now an Amazon international bestseller, and explore the impactful lessons from "Individual Influence: Find the I in Team" and "Positive Influence: Be the I in Team." Join us and embrace your influence!

What happens when life shatters the plan you carefully designed?

In this powerful and deeply personal episode of Daily Influence, Gregg-Brooke Koleno sits down with Jennifer Wren Tolo—award-winning health and wellness coach, former critical care nurse, best-selling author, and transformational speaker known as The Soul Connector.

Jennifer shares the pivotal experiences that shifted her life from logic-driven achievement to soul-aligned living—including navigating her son’s stroke at birth and another child’s leukemia diagnosis. Through adversity, she discovered that thriving isn’t about controlling outcomes—it’s about regulating yourself, trusting your intuition, and leading from within.

In this conversation, Jennifer introduces her signature A.B.C. Method of Stress Management:

• A – Awareness: Recognizing when you’re dysregulated or in survival mode

• B – Balance: Resetting your nervous system through breath and presence

• C – Choice: Making empowered, aligned decisions from calm—not fear

Together, Gregg and Jennifer explore:

• The difference between ego-driven reactions and soul-led responses

• Why calm is a leadership superpower

• How stress impacts decision-making at home, at work, and in community

• The hidden cost of perfectionism and people-pleasing

• How responsible influence begins with radical self-awareness

Jennifer reminds us that influence doesn’t start by fixing others—it starts by reconnecting with ourselves. When we regulate our own nervous system, set boundaries, and lead with alignment, the ripple effect transforms families, workplaces, and communities.

If you’ve been operating on autopilot or feeling overwhelmed by expectations, this episode will help you pause, breathe, and reclaim your power.

Because sustainable leadership doesn’t come from burnout.

It comes from alignment.

Connect With Jennifer:

Website: https://jenniferwrentolo.com

Instagram and Facebook: @jenwrentolo

LinkedIn: https://Linkedin.com/jennifer-tolo-rn-ma

Remote and hybrid work are now permanent parts of the modern workplace. Technology allows teams to communicate instantly from anywhere in the world, but communication alone does not create cohesion.

In this episode of Daily Influence, Brian Smith explores the leadership challenge many organizations face today: the digital illusion of connection. When teams rely heavily on messaging platforms, video calls, and digital collaboration tools, it can appear that everyone is aligned—while trust, clarity, and shared culture quietly weaken.

Brian explains why culture is not created by proximity, but by behavior that is repeated visibly and consistently. Leaders who want to rebuild cohesion in dispersed teams must move beyond constant communication and instead establish structural habits that reinforce clarity, accountability, and shared direction.

You will learn why successful distributed organizations focus on:

• Creating structured clarity around goals and priorities

• Establishing consistent rhythms that support accountability

• Recognizing the growing importance of individual responsibility and influence in remote environments

Because in the end, technology connects people—but discipline and behavior create culture.

When emotions spike, leadership is no longer theoretical — it’s neurological.

In Episode 687 of Daily Influence, Brian Smith sits down with conflict resolution expert Doug Noll, Distinguished Fellow of the International Academy of Mediators, co-founder of Prison of Peace, Adjunct Professor at Pepperdine University's Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, and author of the bestselling book De‑Escalate: How to Calm an Angry Person in 90 Seconds or Less.

After 20 years as a commercial trial lawyer, Doug shifted from fighting conflict to transforming it — including teaching emotional literacy inside one of the most violent maximum-security prisons in the United States. What he discovered is simple, counterintuitive, and backed by neuroscience:

Ignore the words.

Name the emotions.

Reflect them back.

In this conversation, Doug and Brian explore:

Why conflict is fundamentally about the need to be heard and validated

What happens in the brain when tension rises — and why logic fails under stress

How leaders can regulate nervous systems before attempting to solve problems

Why empathy is not a feeling, but a leadership skill

How de-escalation becomes responsible influence in a divided world

If you lead a team, manage clients, raise children, or simply want stronger relationships, this episode offers practical tools that can transform how you show up under pressure.

Authority can silence people.

Position can override people.

But influence regulates emotion before it directs behavior.

The question is: when emotions rise… do you escalate — or do you stabilize?

Be sure to check out the exclusive web page for Daily Influence listeners at dougnoll.co/influence

Is communication really a “soft skill” — or is it one of the most powerful profit drivers in your business?

In this episode of Daily Influence, Gregg-Brooke Koleno sits down with Shelley Goldstein, leadership development coach, creator of the Remarkable Framework, and author of the #1 international bestselling book Remarkable Speaking. Shelley works with executives and business owners in high-stakes environments, helping them transform communication into a measurable leadership advantage.

Shelley shares how her own fears and communication challenges shaped her work — and why true leadership transformation begins with identity, not just outcomes. From guiding CEOs out of the weeds and back into their visionary role, to reframing meetings as measurable ROI opportunities, Shelley makes a compelling case that communication is not “nice to have” — it’s a strategic lever that saves time, builds trust, and drives results.

The conversation also explores:

• Why identity is a leader’s greatest competitive advantage — especially in the age of AI

• How responsible influence begins with ownership, clarity, and invitation

• The difference between being goal-focused and vision-driven

• How AI can serve as a copilot — without replacing authenticity

• Practical ways to reduce meeting time, increase clarity, and reclaim thousands of productive hours

Shelley reminds us that influence cannot be forced — but it can be invited. When leaders communicate with intention, share their journey, and stay grounded in their identity, they inspire alignment rather than compliance.

If you lead a team, run a business, or want to strengthen your impact, this episode will challenge how you think about communication — and show you how to turn it into a measurable asset.

Connect with Shelley at RemarkableSpeaking.com or on LinkedIn (links in show notes).

As always, at Daily Influence, we believe that when leaders take responsibility for how they show up and communicate with clarity and purpose, the ripple effects are lasting.

Small actions. Clear communication. Big impact.

In today’s business environment, leaders are surrounded by constant noise—tariffs, regulatory changes, political rhetoric, and nonstop commentary about what might happen next. Markets react quickly, headlines amplify uncertainty, and organizations often feel pressure to respond just as quickly.

But responsible leadership requires something different.

In this episode of Daily Influence, Brian Smith explores how mature leaders build structural resilience instead of emotional reactivity. Drawing on principles from The I in Team Series and S.M.A.R.T. Management, he explains why reacting to every external signal destabilizes organizations and how disciplined leadership creates stability even when the environment around you is unpredictable.

Brian discusses how leaders can design policy-agnostic strategies, maintain decision discipline, and stabilize teams during periods of economic and political uncertainty.

Because in leadership, reaction is not strategy — discipline is.

🎧 Listen now and learn how to lead with clarity when the world becomes noisy.