What is a leader, really? Not a title. Not a personality. Not the loudest voice in the room.

In this episode, Esther and Paul sit down with Renzo Del Castillo to redefine leadership as a way of being: servant leadership rooted in purpose, empathy, and enabling others to succeed. If you have ever been promoted because you were great at your job, then felt unprepared to lead people, this conversation will land.

Leadership is not “doing more.” It is removing obstacles, building psychological safety, and creating conditions where a team can deliver far beyond what one person can do alone.

As a preview:

• Servant leadership as “I work for you” leadership that clears the path
• Accountability vs blame, plus guardrails that make learning possible
• Ready-to-wear vs made-to-measure vs bespoke: why leadership growth must be tailored
• The Disney World moment: the shift from “I do” to “I enable others to do”
• EQ as trainable, and self-awareness as the foundation of empathy
• Why art and poetry deepen empathy, and why empathy is not fluff
• A coaching moment on authenticity and ambition in a male-dominated workplace: test assumptions and build agency through self-knowledge

This episode is a blueprint for leaders at any level, including the “leader without a title” who sets the tone, interrupts gossip, and helps the team make the soup together.

ABOUT RENZO DEL CASTILLO
Renzo Del Castillo is a corporate leader and poet who builds bridges through empathy, discipline, and creation. He is the author of Still (Amazon bestseller), created to keep art accessible, including a low-cost Kindle edition. He also co-hosts Reel Poetry with Scott Raven, spotlighting poets and highlighting poetic movies.

Connect with Renzo
Instagram: @renzodelcastillo.author
LinkedIn: Renzo Del Castillo

SEND US YOUR QUESTIONS!
This show is for YOU! Let us know if you have a question you would like us to answer, if you would like to appear on the show, or if you have a topic you would like for us to discuss. Find us:
Instagram: @be.act.change
Website: beactchange.com
Email: [email protected]

THEME SONG
“HIGHER” by Kingsley
Written and performed by Kingsley exclusively for the podcast.

Stream “Higher” here: https://www.iamkingsley.com/higher-by-kingsley
More music: kingsleymusic.bandcamp.com/track/higher-awaken-the-trailblazer-within-podcast
Instagram: @yokingsleymusic
Website: iamkingsley.com

Keywords: leadership, servant leadership, emotional intelligence, empathy, psychological safety, leadership development, managing vs leading, accountability culture, workplace culture, authentic leadership, inclusive leadership, coaching leaders

#JustWhatINeeded #Podcast #Leadership #ServantLeadership #EmotionalIntelligence #Empathy #PsychologicalSafety #WorkplaceCulture #AuthenticLeadership #Coaching #TeamLeadership #PersonalGrowth