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How a Disney Leadership Coach Handles a Crisis
Today, the world feels like it's in a constant state of crisis. Every day news seems to destabilize us. We don't need to contribute to that. But how can we maintain clarity in our communication when everything else seems so muddy?
In this episode of the Speak In Flow podcast, host Melinda Lee sits down with Dr. David Yudis, a leadership psychologist and former head of talent development at Disney. Together, they break down the art of leading under pressure, sharing the simple mental tools and human-first principles that transform you from a reactive participant into a grounded leader who provides calm and clarity.
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
The Grounding Power of “So What?”
Discover the simple, two-word tool to immediately center yourself and your message in any high-pressure situation.
How to transform reactive panic into a clear, actionable focus for your team by asking, “So what does this mean for us, and what do we do about it?”
The Two Leadership Traps in a Crisis
Understand why leaders often fail to connect when the pressure is on.
The dangers of reactive, emotionally-hijacked communication versus the potential disconnect of appearing “too calm,” and how to find the authentic, grounded middle path.
Self-Awareness Before Strategy
“What is the message that you are trying to communicate, and to whom, and… how can you best make that connection?”
How to cultivate the self-awareness that forms the foundation of emotional intelligence and prevents “stress leakage” that can undermine your leadership over time.
The Strength in “I Don’t Know”
“Here’s what we know, here’s what we don’t, here’s our next step.”
Admitting uncertainty and pairing it with a clear action plan is the ultimate leadership move in an uncertain situation.
BLOG:
Do you need the right words at the right time? As we all know, this is harder than it looks. However, in critical moments, this skill can mean the difference between sinking and staying afloat.
Learn how in our latest blog post, "The Art of Crisis Communication."
About the Guest:
Dr. David Yudis is a transformational leadership architect who builds executive capability through designed experience. As a licensed clinical psychologist, former Head of Enterprise Executive Development at The Walt Disney Company, and founder of his leadership lab, Potential Selves, he bridges the profound gap between human behavior and high-stakes organizational performance.
Guided by a belief that the deepest learning is visceral, not theoretical, he has pioneered a proprietary methodology called "The Game." A co-author of The Secret Sauce for Leading Transformational Change and a Forbes Coaches Council contributor, Dr. Yudis now guides Fortune 500 executives through the ambiguity of capital raises, strategic pivots, and succession challenges.
Social Handles:
Website: www.davidyudis.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidyudis/
Fun Facts:
- 🎤 Former Frontman: Was the lead singer for the new wave band New Millennium.
- 🍽️ Curator of Curiosity: Once hosted a dinner that included a world-renowned quantum physicist, an NBA play expert, and an Olympic coach.
- 🗣️ Polyglot: Speaks three languages: English, Spanish, and New York.
- 🧳 Five Lives Lived: He has authentically lived five distinct professional and personal lives so far.
About Melinda:
Melinda Lee is a Presentation Skills Expert, Speaking Coach, and nationally renowned Motivational Speaker. She holds an M.A. in Organizational Psychology, is an Insights Practitioner, and is a Certified Professional in Talent Development as well as Certified in Conflict Resolution. For over a decade, Melinda has researched and studied the state of “flow” and used it as a proven technique to help corporate leaders and business owners amplify their voices, access flow, and present their mission in a more powerful way to achieve results.
She has been the TEDx Berkeley Speaker Coach and has worked with hundreds of executives and teams from Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Caltrans, Bay Area Rapid Transit System, and more. Currently, she lives in San Francisco, California, and is breaking the ancestral lineage of silence.
Website: https://speakinflow.com/
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/speakinflow
Instagram: https://instagram.com/speakinflow
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mpowerall
Thanks for listening!
Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.
Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!
Subscribe to the podcast
If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app.
Leave us an Apple Podcast review.
Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.
View all episodes
By Melinda LeeToday, the world feels like it's in a constant state of crisis. Every day news seems to destabilize us. We don't need to contribute to that. But how can we maintain clarity in our communication when everything else seems so muddy?
In this episode of the Speak In Flow podcast, host Melinda Lee sits down with Dr. David Yudis, a leadership psychologist and former head of talent development at Disney. Together, they break down the art of leading under pressure, sharing the simple mental tools and human-first principles that transform you from a reactive participant into a grounded leader who provides calm and clarity.
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
The Grounding Power of “So What?”
Discover the simple, two-word tool to immediately center yourself and your message in any high-pressure situation.
How to transform reactive panic into a clear, actionable focus for your team by asking, “So what does this mean for us, and what do we do about it?”
The Two Leadership Traps in a Crisis
Understand why leaders often fail to connect when the pressure is on.
The dangers of reactive, emotionally-hijacked communication versus the potential disconnect of appearing “too calm,” and how to find the authentic, grounded middle path.
Self-Awareness Before Strategy
“What is the message that you are trying to communicate, and to whom, and… how can you best make that connection?”
How to cultivate the self-awareness that forms the foundation of emotional intelligence and prevents “stress leakage” that can undermine your leadership over time.
The Strength in “I Don’t Know”
“Here’s what we know, here’s what we don’t, here’s our next step.”
Admitting uncertainty and pairing it with a clear action plan is the ultimate leadership move in an uncertain situation.
BLOG:
Do you need the right words at the right time? As we all know, this is harder than it looks. However, in critical moments, this skill can mean the difference between sinking and staying afloat.
Learn how in our latest blog post, "The Art of Crisis Communication."
About the Guest:
Dr. David Yudis is a transformational leadership architect who builds executive capability through designed experience. As a licensed clinical psychologist, former Head of Enterprise Executive Development at The Walt Disney Company, and founder of his leadership lab, Potential Selves, he bridges the profound gap between human behavior and high-stakes organizational performance.
Guided by a belief that the deepest learning is visceral, not theoretical, he has pioneered a proprietary methodology called "The Game." A co-author of The Secret Sauce for Leading Transformational Change and a Forbes Coaches Council contributor, Dr. Yudis now guides Fortune 500 executives through the ambiguity of capital raises, strategic pivots, and succession challenges.
Social Handles:
Website: www.davidyudis.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidyudis/
Fun Facts:
- 🎤 Former Frontman: Was the lead singer for the new wave band New Millennium.
- 🍽️ Curator of Curiosity: Once hosted a dinner that included a world-renowned quantum physicist, an NBA play expert, and an Olympic coach.
- 🗣️ Polyglot: Speaks three languages: English, Spanish, and New York.
- 🧳 Five Lives Lived: He has authentically lived five distinct professional and personal lives so far.
About Melinda:
Melinda Lee is a Presentation Skills Expert, Speaking Coach, and nationally renowned Motivational Speaker. She holds an M.A. in Organizational Psychology, is an Insights Practitioner, and is a Certified Professional in Talent Development as well as Certified in Conflict Resolution. For over a decade, Melinda has researched and studied the state of “flow” and used it as a proven technique to help corporate leaders and business owners amplify their voices, access flow, and present their mission in a more powerful way to achieve results.
She has been the TEDx Berkeley Speaker Coach and has worked with hundreds of executives and teams from Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Caltrans, Bay Area Rapid Transit System, and more. Currently, she lives in San Francisco, California, and is breaking the ancestral lineage of silence.
Website: https://speakinflow.com/
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/speakinflow
Instagram: https://instagram.com/speakinflow
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mpowerall
Thanks for listening!
Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.
Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!
Subscribe to the podcast
If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app.
Leave us an Apple Podcast review.
Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.