Leadership is quite nuanced, making it exciting, rewarding, and highly challenging all at the same time. Perhaps, one of the trickiest parts of being a leader in both our personal and professional lives is finding a balance between getting things done while keeping our teams happy, motivated, and proactive with a growth mindset. Our core values and leadership style are made evident in our choices and actions. For Chief Operations Officer, Sam Zehngut, healthy leadership means being transparent, authentic, and kind. She holds a firm belief that when leaders are not clear and honest about who they are, their message gets garbled and loses its meaning. 

Joining us today is Samantha Zehngut, COO at H-Wave - Electronic Waveform Lab, Inc., an exceptional leader, mother, spouse, and dear friend. Sam contributes to increasing the company's revenue by helping people learn to take risks. She develops teams built on a strong foundation of trust and care for one another, enabling them to execute innovative ideas and strategies. Sam holds a double degree in Education & History from California State University, Long Beach, and an MBA in Organizational Leadership & Change Management from Pepperdine University, The George L. Graziadio School of Business and Management. 

Sam is the perfect person to answer today's question: How can I be clear and kind? Together, we explore various aspects and challenges of being a servant leader. Sam explains her leadership style; she tells us what inspired it, and what circumstances in her life helped her build it. We also talk about the importance of making employees feel heard and cared for, the proper way of approaching hard conversations, why leaders must always set their egos aside, and much more.

Some Questions We Ask:

• What is your process for preparing to have challenging conversations? (18:13)
• Could you speak a bit about what your self-care practices are? (24:51)
• How do you balance showing up in all these ways where your staff feel cared for, safe, and included, while also taking care of yourself? (39:05)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• The consequences of not being transparent and authentic as a leader (10:12)
• About Sam's love for having challenging conversations (15:34)
• The benefits of approaching challenging conversations with a curious mindset (20:25)
• Some brilliant insights about blended families (41:55)
• The importance of building and maintaining clear boundaries for others and ourselves (49:13)

Resources: 

• Book: Brené Brown - Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.
• Book: Marilee Adams - Change Your Questions, Change Your Life: 12 Powerful Tools for Leadership, Coaching, and Life
• H-Wave Electronic Waveform Lab, Inc.

Connect with Sam:

• LinkedIn

Connect With Bridget Sampson:

• Website
• Instagram
• LinkedIn

Connect With Todd Parker:

• Instagram
• LinkedIn

Sampson Coaching and Consulting:

• Sampson Coaching and Consulting
• The Right Questions Podcast on YouTube
• Sampson Coaching and Consulting Videos on YouTube
• TED Talk
• Instagram
• Facebook

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