Change is unavoidable in today’s workplace. But confusion, resistance, and stalled initiatives don’t have to be. In this episode of The Leadership Habit, Jenn DeWall sits down with change strategist Rebecca Reynolds to explore why most transformations struggle—and how leaders can guide their teams through change with clarity, confidence, and lasting impact.

Rebecca Reynolds is the founder and CEO of RRC and a trusted advisor to leaders navigating complex organizational change. With more than 30 years of experience across corporate, nonprofit, and public sector organizations, she helps executives align teams, strengthen communication, and lead transformations that stick.

Rebecca is also the author of Thresholds of Change: The Way Through Transformational Times, a practical playbook for guiding personal and organizational transformation. Her work focuses on designing change processes that support leaders while keeping people engaged, resilient, and focused on results.

In the episode, Reynolds shares a powerful insight: nearly 70% of people naturally resist change. That means most leaders are working against human instinct when introducing new strategies, systems, or priorities.

Too often, organizations treat change as a one-time announcement rather than a structured journey. Leaders introduce a new idea, hope it works, and move on. When results fall short, teams become frustrated and disengaged.

Sustainable change requires intention, pacing, and continuous communication—not quick fixes.

Reynolds’ “Thresholds of Change” framework explains how people and organizations move through transformation in predictable stages.

This stage is about noticing when something is no longer working. Declining morale, repeated mistakes, missed deadlines, and customer complaints are all indicators that change may be necessary.

Effective leaders pay attention early, before small problems become major disruptions.

Often called the “messy middle,” this phase is where many leaders lose patience. Instead of rushing to solutions, Reynolds encourages leaders to pause and listen.

This stage allows teams to challenge assumptions, explore possibilities, and develop better ideas. It is uncomfortable—but essential for meaningful change.

Once clarity emerges, teams begin experimenting. Leaders pilot ideas, gather feedback, and refine processes.

This stage builds confidence and helps employees feel ownership of the change.

In the final stage, the organization operates with stronger alignment and renewed momentum. Performance improves, people trust the direction, and new habits become part of everyday work.

When leaders engage the full process, change becomes lasting rather than temporary.

Throughout the conversation, Jenn and Rebecca highlight several common mistakes that derail transformation:

One key takeaway is that leaders are often more adaptable than their teams. Without intentional support, this gap leads to resistance and frustration.

Successful change is rarely built in isolation.

Instead of designing plans behind closed doors, strong leaders invite input throughout the process. This improves solutions, builds trust, and prevents costly blind spots.

When people feel heard and involved, they are far more likely to support new initiatives.

This episode offers practical guidance for leaders at every level. As you reflect, consider:

Change does not fail because people are incapable. It fails when leaders underestimate its complexity.

One of the biggest reasons change efforts stall is that teams aren’t aligned on how significant the change actually is. To help with that, Rebecca is offering Leadership Habit listeners a complimentary tool called The Change Scale Assessment. It helps leadership teams quickly align on the true scale of change they’re facing—before decisions are made or momentum is lost. 

Designed for groups of any size, the assessment brings multiple perspectives into the conversation, creating shared clarity and a more durable path forward. You can download the Change Scale Assessment for free at [https://changeauthor.myflodesk.com/ey39shovqa].

Leading change effectively requires strong communication, decision-making, and accountability skills.

Crestcom’s Complimentary Leadership Skills Workshop is a two-hour, interactive experience designed to help leaders and teams work better together and navigate challenges with confidence.

Request your free workshop today at: https://crestcom.com/freeworkshop

The post Leading Through Change with Rebecca Reynolds appeared first on Crestcom International.

Employee engagement is at its lowest point in more than a decade. Many organizations are filled with talented, capable people who want to contribute, yet hesitate to take action. The missing link is often not skill or motivation. It is empowerment.

In a recent minisode of The Leadership Habit, host Jenn DeWall delivers a focused masterclass on how empowerment drives better decisions, stronger ownership, and sustainable performance.

This episode explores why empowered leaders and teams consistently outperform those operating in environments of hesitation and dependency.

Low engagement, burnout, and slow decision-making are becoming common challenges across industries. Teams are capable, but without clear authority, confidence, and trust, they often wait for approval instead of taking initiative.

As Jenn explains in the episode:

“Empowerment is equipping people with the authority, confidence, information, and psychological safety to make meaningful decisions.”

Without these elements, leaders become bottlenecks. Projects stall. Innovation slows. Accountability weakens.

Empowerment is what turns leadership development into measurable business impact.

In the minisode, Jenn outlines four essential components of empowerment:

People must know what decisions they are allowed to make.

They need training, support, and trust to act effectively.

They must have access to the right data, tools, and context.

They need to feel safe taking risks without fear of punishment.

When even one of these is missing, hesitation grows, and performance suffers.

Empowerment does not start with policies or programs. It starts with leaders themselves. Jenn introduces the ABC framework for self-empowerment:

Understand which decisions belong to you and which can be delegated.

Waiting for perfect information increases stress and delays results.

You will never feel 100 percent ready. Progress requires action.

As Jenn reminds listeners:

“Not making a decision is still a decision.”

Avoiding choices often creates bigger problems than making an imperfect one.

Many leaders struggle with decision fatigue after managing constant demands. Over time, this leads to hesitation, stress, and disengagement.

In the episode, Jenn shares practical ways to overcome this:

She also encourages leaders to regularly document wins to reinforce self-trust and momentum.

One of the most powerful sections of the minisode focuses on delegation. Too often, leaders delegate tasks without context. This creates dependency rather than growth.

Jenn distinguishes between task delegation and thinking delegation. When you delegate tasks, you may say something like, “Do this. Follow these steps.” However, if you are delegating thinking, it may sound more like, “Here is the desired outcome, how would you approach this?”

To delegate effectively, leaders must provide:

When these elements are present, teams make faster, smarter decisions and require less supervision.

When empowerment becomes part of workplace culture, organizations experience:

Jenn summarizes it clearly:

“You can’t empower others if you can’t empower yourself.”

Empowered leaders create empowered organizations.

If you want to take a deeper dive into empowered leadership, the first step is to listen to the full episode! 

Then, explore Crestcom’s additional leadership resources designed to help leaders apply these principles in real-world settings, including:

You can also request a complimentary leadership skills workshop to bring these concepts directly to your team.

The post Minisode: Empowerment, Engagement, and Better Decisions at Work appeared first on Crestcom International.

Many leaders believe delegation is simply about assigning tasks. In reality, poor delegation is one of the biggest drivers of burnout, bottlenecks, and disengaged teams.

In the latest episode of The Leadership Habit, host Jenn DeWall sits down with CEO strategist and productivity expert Atiba de Souza, author of The Delegation Trap. Together, they unpack why most leaders feel stuck answering the same questions, doing too much themselves, and struggling to build true bench strength on their teams.

This conversation goes beyond delegation theory. Atiba shares hard-earned lessons from more than 30 years in business and coaching, along with a practical framework leaders can use immediately to help their teams think more clearly, take ownership, and perform at a higher level.

Atiba de Souza is known as a secret weapon for organizations with underperforming teams. As a CEO, strategist, and team productivity expert, he helps leaders remove delegation bottlenecks and transform how work gets done.

With more than three decades of business experience and over 15 years as a championship football coach, Atiba brings a rare blend of real-world leadership, team development, and performance discipline. His work focuses on practical frameworks that improve productivity by teaching leaders to empower others rather than becoming bottlenecks themselves.

Many leaders start with good intentions. They train their teams. They explain expectations. They provide resources.

Yet over time, the same frustrations appear:

As Atiba explains in the episode, this often leads leaders to believe they have a people problem when in reality they have a delegation problem.

Too often, delegation becomes telling instead of teaching. When leaders jump in with answers, they unintentionally train their teams to depend on them rather than think for themselves.

Atiba describes the “delegation trap” as the moment leaders realize their business or team cannot move without them.

Even when performance looks strong on the surface, leaders feel trapped because:

In the episode, Atiba shares how he discovered this problem firsthand when he realized he spent much of his day answering questions he felt he had already addressed. That realization became the catalyst for developing a new way to delegate that focuses on thinking, not just doing.

At the heart of Atiba’s book is a simple but powerful framework called the CASE Method. Rather than telling people what to do, this approach helps leaders coach their teams to think through problems independently.

Leaders begin by asking team members what challenges they encountered. This opens the conversation without judgment and creates psychological safety.

Next, employees articulate each step they took. This allows leaders to see how the person is thinking, not just what outcome they reached.

Together, leaders and employees study selected steps, exploring assumptions, decisions, and outcomes. Instead of correcting mistakes directly, leaders ask questions that guide discovery.

This is where learning accelerates. Employees begin connecting cause and effect on their own.

Finally, leaders ask what felt easier than expected. This step often reveals hidden strengths and talents leaders may not have recognized.

Over time, this process helps employees move beyond task completion and toward true ownership.

Throughout the conversation, one message stands out: effective leaders do not teach people what to do. They teach people how to think.

Atiba explains that as artificial intelligence continues to reshape work, leadership will increasingly depend on asking better questions rather than providing faster answers.

Leaders who rely on telling will struggle. Leaders who coach thinking will build resilient, adaptable teams.

This shift requires curiosity, patience, and restraint. It also requires leaders to talk less and listen more.

One of the most impactful moments in the episode comes when Atiba shares a personal story from early in his coaching journey. After a difficult season, his young son told him he never wanted to play football again because of his coaching style.

That moment forced Atiba to look in the mirror and confront an uncomfortable truth: leadership without empowerment creates disengagement.

The lesson applies far beyond sports. Leaders must be willing to examine their own habits and recognize when their approach may be unintentionally limiting others.

To dive deeper into the CASE Method and practical delegation strategies, visit TheDelegationTrap.com, where you can find Atiba’s book and additional resources designed to help leaders delegate more effectively.

You can also connect with Atiba to learn how his frameworks help leaders build stronger, more autonomous teams.

Delegation, coaching, and empowerment are core leadership capabilities. They do not develop by accident.

Crestcom helps leaders strengthen these skills through structured learning, discussion, and application. If you want to sharpen your ability to lead, coach, and empower your team, you can request a complimentary two-hour leadership workshop at crestcom.com/freeworkshop.

If you know a leader who feels overwhelmed, stuck answering every question, or struggling to step out of the weeds, share this episode with them. One new approach could change how they lead.

The post How To Escape the Delegation Trap with Atiba de Souza appeared first on Crestcom International.

Leadership does not stand still. It changes as people change, as work changes, and as expectations evolve. In this special spotlight episode of The Leadership Habit, host Jenn DeWall speaks with Heather Rosenfeld, a Crestcom franchise owner celebrating 20 years of leadership development experience.

Heather’s perspective is grounded in real-world application. Over two decades, she has worked with leaders across industries, generations, and shifting workplace norms. Her insights reveal not only how leadership has changed, but also what leaders must do to remain effective today.

Heather Rosenfeld is a Crestcom franchise owner and Area Representative serving the Massachusetts market since 2005. Originally from the United Kingdom, Heather built her early career working with diverse teams before transitioning into leadership development in the United States.

In her 20 year tenure with Crestcom, she has facilitated hundreds of leadership workshops, helping leaders move from task-focused management to people-centered leadership. Heather believes leadership development is a lifelong journey — one that shapes both professional success and personal growth.

Over the past two decades, leadership expectations have shifted in fundamental ways. Changes in workforce dynamics, communication norms, and employee expectations have reshaped how leaders are expected to show up every day. In this episode, Heather and Jenn discuss how the core responsibility of leadership remains the same, but how leaders achieve results has evolved significantly.

Twenty years ago, leadership often relied on hierarchy and authority. Leaders gave instructions, and teams were expected to follow.

Today, effective leadership looks very different. Heather explains that modern leaders must focus on engagement, collaboration, and shared purpose. Employees want to understand how their work matters and how they contribute to outcomes. Leadership has shifted from control to connection.

Change has always existed in organizations, but the pace has accelerated dramatically. Technology, market shifts, and evolving workforce expectations mean leaders are navigating overlapping changes rather than isolated ones.

Heather highlights that while change is faster, human reactions to change remain the same. Leaders must recognize resistance, provide support, and guide people through uncertainty with empathy and clarity.

One of the biggest leadership shifts over the past 20 years is generational diversity. Leaders today may be working with up to five generations at once, each with different communication styles, motivations, and expectations.

Heather emphasizes that successful leadership requires self-awareness and adaptability. There is no single leadership style that works for everyone. Leaders must learn to bring different perspectives together while fostering alignment and trust.

Despite advances in technology and changes in work structure, one truth remains constant: leadership is about people.

Heather stresses the importance of trust, listening, and meaningful connection. Email and messaging tools may improve efficiency, but they do not replace human interaction. Trust is built through conversations, curiosity, and consistent engagement, not just transactions.

In this episode, Heather shared four clear leadership lessons she has learned over the last two decades:

Leaders who thrive remain open to learning. A growth mindset allows leaders to adapt, reflect, and improve rather than resist change.

Leadership effectiveness increases when leaders listen more than they speak. Asking questions and staying curious builds stronger relationships and better outcomes.

Many leadership challenges stem from unspoken assumptions. Clear norms around communication, technology use, and collaboration reduce friction and confusion.

Leadership development impacts more than performance. The skills leaders build at work influence confidence, relationships, and decision-making beyond the workplace.

Leadership growth does not happen in isolation. If Heather’s perspective resonated with you and sparked reflection on how your own leadership has evolved (or needs to), this is an opportunity to keep the conversation going. Be sure to listen to the full episode to get all of Heather’s insights!

You can connect with Heather Rosenfeld on LinkedIn to follow her insights, engage in leadership conversations, and learn more about the work she does supporting leaders and organizations through meaningful development.

If you are exploring what leadership development could look like for your team, Crestcom also offers a complimentary two-hour Leadership Skills Workshop designed to introduce practical tools leaders can apply immediately.

The post Crestcom Spotlight: How Leadership Has Evolved Over 20 Years With Heather Rosenfeld appeared first on Crestcom International.

As a new year begins, many leaders feel pressure to move faster, set bigger goals, and accomplish more. Calendars fill quickly. Expectations rise. The pace rarely slows.

But what if becoming a better leader starts with doing the opposite?

In the latest episode of The Leadership Habit, host Jenn DeWall is joined by entrepreneur and CEO Jordan Peace to explore how stillness can improve leadership clarity, decision-making, and connection. Their conversation challenges the belief that constant motion leads to better results and offers leaders a practical habit that supports long-term effectiveness.

Jordan Peace is the CEO and co-founder of Fringe, a husband, and a father of five. He describes himself as an ADHD entrepreneur navigating the realities of leadership, family life, and business growth at the same time.

Jordan is also the author of an upcoming book titled Stop, which challenges modern addiction to speed, distraction, and hustle. His work focuses on helping leaders rediscover stillness, presence, and meaning in both their professional and personal lives.

Rather than positioning himself as an expert who has everything figured out, Jordan openly shares that his interest in stillness stems from necessity. Like many leaders, he has experienced what happens when life moves too fast for reflection.

Most leaders understand the value of slowing down. Yet few actually do it.

Jordan explains that over-scheduling, constant communication, and endless task lists have become the norm. Leaders move quickly from one decision to the next without pausing to reflect, process, or connect.

One reason stillness feels uncomfortable is that it forces leaders to feel. Without distractions, emotions surface. Stress, frustration, fear, or uncertainty become harder to ignore. For many high performers, staying busy becomes a way to avoid those feelings altogether.

The cost of avoiding stillness shows up in leadership behavior. Leaders react instead of respond. They assume intent. They miss nuance. Over time, this creates unnecessary conflict, weakens trust, and strains relationships at work and at home.

Stillness, Jordan argues, creates space to think more clearly and see situations with greater perspective.

When leaders move too fast, decisions often become reactive. There is little room to consider context, explore alternatives, or seek understanding. Stillness slows the moment just enough to allow clarity to emerge.

Jordan shares that slowing down helps leaders recognize the gray areas that are often missed in high-pressure environments. It supports better listening, stronger empathy, and more thoughtful problem-solving.

This habit is especially important in leadership roles where decisions affect people, culture, and long-term outcomes. Taking time to pause reduces unnecessary tension and helps leaders respond with intention rather than impulse.

Stillness does not require hours of meditation or a complicated routine. Jordan emphasizes that the practice can be simple and accessible.

He recommends starting with three steps:

The goal is not productivity. There is no agenda or checklist.

A helpful starting prompt is simple:

What am I feeling right now?

Not busy. Not overwhelmed. Actual emotions such as frustration, fear, hope, or gratitude.

This question helps leaders move thoughts out of their heads and into awareness. Over time, it builds self-awareness and emotional intelligence, both essential leadership skills.

Practicing stillness strengthens leadership in practical ways.

Leaders who slow down are more likely to:

Stillness is not about doing less permanently. It is about creating the space needed to lead well.

As Jordan explains, leaders are often forced to step back due to burnout, illness, or crisis. Choosing stillness earlier helps prevent those outcomes and supports sustainable leadership over time.

To continue exploring Jordan’s work on stillness, leadership, and intentional living, you can follow and connect with him online.

Jordan regularly shares insights on leadership, entrepreneurship, and navigating a fast-paced world with greater clarity and presence.

Stillness is a leadership habit that supports focus, connection, and long-term performance. It helps leaders show up with clarity and intention in an environment that rarely slows down on its own.

To hear the full conversation with Jordan Peace, listen to this episode of The Leadership Habit and explore how stillness can strengthen the way you lead.

If you want hands-on support in building leadership habits that improve communication, accountability, and decision-making, Crestcom can help.

Request a complimentary two-hour leadership workshop at:

Sometimes, the most powerful step a leader can take is to pause, reflect, and choose their next move with intention.

The post How To Slow Down and Lead Better With Jordan Peace appeared first on Crestcom International.

As we close out a strong year for The Leadership Habit Podcast, we are revisiting three standout conversations that resonated most with listeners. These episodes sparked reflection, challenged assumptions, and gave leaders practical ideas they could use right away. This final post in our Best of 2025 series features a topic that matters in every workplace: trust.

In this episode, host Jenn DeWall sits down with executive coach and culture strategist Andrea Wanerstrand to explore what it really takes to build trust in leadership. Their focus is refreshingly practical. Trust is not built through big speeches or one-time gestures. It is built through consistency in how leaders communicate, make decisions, and show up day after day.

Andrea explains how inconsistency can create uncertainty and stress, even when leaders have good intentions. She introduces a simple leadership framework centered on Authenticity, Autonomy, and Accountability. Together, these behaviors help leaders create clarity, reduce fear-based reactions, and strengthen team performance over time.

This episode is a strong reminder that trust is not a soft skill. It is a performance driver. When leaders lead with consistency, teams feel safer, communication improves, and people are more willing to take ownership and contribute ideas.

We are grateful for the conversations we had in 2025 and excited to bring more fresh voices and real-world leadership insights in 2026. Until then, this episode is a powerful one to revisit if you want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and credibility.

Listen to the Best of 2025 episode: The Secret to Building Trust in Leadership with Andrea Wanerstrand

Ready to strengthen trust in your team? Request a complimentary two-hour leadership workshop at crestcom.com/freeworkshop.

The post Best of 2025: Building Trust in Leadership with Andrea Wanerstrand appeared first on Crestcom International.

As we close out a strong year for The Leadership Habit Podcast, we are revisiting three of the most impactful conversations from 2025. These episodes challenged conventional thinking, encouraged deeper reflection, and offered leaders practical insight for navigating change. Our Best of 2025 series brings these standout conversations back as we look ahead to new voices and ideas in 2026.

The second episode in this series features leadership strategist and author Caroline Stokes. In Emotional Intelligence Still Matters in the Age of AI, Caroline explores the mindset shifts leaders must make to remain effective in a world shaped by artificial intelligence, climate disruption, and societal change.

This conversation challenges outdated leadership models that prioritize speed and scale over emotional awareness. Caroline explains why emotional intelligence, radical listening, and trauma-aware leadership are not optional skills but core capabilities for leading in a polycrisis era. As technology reshapes work, leaders must focus just as much on how people experience change as on the change itself.

Revisiting this episode is a timely reminder that the most future-ready leaders are those who combine adaptability with empathy and clarity. Rather than resisting uncertainty, Caroline encourages leaders to meet it with curiosity, courage, and a willingness to rethink how leadership systems are designed.

We look forward to sharing more conversations with innovative and forward-thinking leaders in 2026. Until then, this episode remains one of the most important discussions of the year for leaders preparing for what comes next.

Listen to the Best of 2025 episode: Emotional Intelligence Still Matters in the Age of AI with Caroline Stokes

The post Best of 2025: Emotional Intelligence Still Matters in the Age of AI with Caroline Stokes appeared first on Crestcom International.

As we wrap up another incredible year on The Leadership Habit Podcast, we are revisiting three of our most impactful conversations from 2025. These episodes sparked reflection, inspired change, and created real momentum for leaders across industries. To celebrate the year, we are launching a short series called Best of 2025.

Our first featured episode returns to a listener favorite: How to Make a Purpose Pivot: Finding Balance and Fulfillment with Melissa Gonzalez. In this conversation, Melissa shares how leaders can step back, realign their energy, and redefine what meaningful success looks like. Her insights continue to resonate, especially during moments of transition and year-end reflection.

This replay is the perfect reminder that leadership growth often begins with a pause. As you prepare for the year ahead, Melissa Gonzalez offers a powerful guide for reconnecting with intention and building a more balanced approach to work and life.

We look forward to bringing even more innovative voices and fresh perspectives to The Leadership Habit Podcast in 2026. Until then, enjoy this standout episode and revisit the ideas that shaped our conversations this year.

The post Best of 2025: How to Make a Purpose Pivot with Melissa Gonzalez appeared first on Crestcom International.

Conflict is part of being human, but many leaders still struggle to approach difficult conversations in a healthy, productive way. Whether it shows up as tension on a team, discomfort around identity-based issues, or uncertainty about when to speak up, many professionals have never been given the tools to navigate conflict with confidence.

In this episode of The Leadership Habit Podcast, host Jenn DeWall speaks with Dr. Jen Fry, a social justice educator, speaker, and researcher who helps individuals and organizations understand how identity, communication, and power dynamics shape the way we engage with one another. Through her deeply practical and accessible approach, she shows leaders how to build stronger relationships, develop healthy boundaries, and embrace conflict as an opportunity for growth.

Dr. Jen Fry is the founder of JenFryTalks, a social justice education firm that works with organizations, teams, and leaders to help them better understand race, identity, conflict, and communication. With a background in collegiate athletics, a doctorate focused on social justice and higher education, and years of experience coaching leaders through difficult conversations, Dr. Fry brings a grounded and approachable style to complex topics. She has worked with companies, universities, and sports organizations across the country, helping people understand how identity shows up in everyday interactions and how to communicate compassionately, directly, and effectively. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, ESPN, NPR, and other major outlets.

Many professionals have been conditioned to think of conflict as something to avoid. Dr. Fry challenges this belief by explaining that conflict is not inherently harmful. It is simply a signal that something needs attention. When handled with clarity and care, conflict creates opportunities to repair, improve, and deepen relationships.

She explains that conflict avoidance often comes from fear. People fear being misunderstood, disliked, or labeled as difficult. As a result, they gloss over issues that need to be addressed, causing those small moments to grow into long-term resentment. Healthy conflict, on the other hand, creates space for honesty, accountability, and trust.

Dr. Fry emphasizes that leaders must get comfortable being uncomfortable. Growth requires willing participation in conversations that may feel awkward or tense. By learning to name what is happening, set appropriate boundaries, and stay present in the moment, leaders can strengthen their teams and reduce long-term friction.

Managing conflict requires understanding your own identity and how it shapes how you show up. Dr. Fry encourages leaders to consider how their lived experiences, cultural background, and social identity shape their lens.

For example, someone who grew up in a family that avoided conflict may naturally default to silence. Someone who learned early in life that speaking up had negative consequences may hesitate to voice concerns. Someone who carries marginalized identities may navigate conversations with stakes or risks different from those of colleagues who hold more privilege.

Recognizing these influences is not about judgment. It is about awareness. When leaders understand their own communication patterns, they can approach conflict more intentionally instead of reacting from old habits.

One of the most powerful messages from Dr. Fry is that boundaries are not barriers. They are tools for clarity, safety, and mutual respect. Boundaries allow individuals to say what they need, articulate what is not acceptable, and protect their emotional and psychological well-being.

Dr. Fry explains that many people struggle with boundaries because they confuse them with ultimatums. Boundaries are not threats. They are statements about what you can and cannot manage. For example:

Healthy boundaries help teams function more effectively. They reduce assumptions, prevent miscommunication, and build trust.

Another key insight Dr. Fry highlights is the difference between intent and impact. Good intentions do not erase harm. Leaders often justify their actions by explaining what they meant rather than acknowledging the other person’s experience.

Dr. Fry recommends focusing on impact first. When someone is hurt, the priority is to understand the harm, take responsibility where appropriate, and repair the relationship. This approach builds credibility and strengthens team cohesion.

Throughout the episode, Dr. Fry shares practical strategies leaders can use to navigate challenging conversations with more skill and confidence. A few include:

These simple practices can shift even the most tense conversation into a constructive one.

Dr. Fry emphasizes that leaders must learn to regulate their emotions during conflict. This includes being aware of physiological responses such as tension, increased heart rate, or defensive body language. Emotional regulation allows leaders to stay present, think clearly, and communicate intentionally.

She encourages leaders to develop a toolkit of grounding strategies. These may include mindful breathing, taking a brief pause, writing down thoughts before responding, or seeking support from a trusted colleague. Emotional regulation is not about suppressing feelings. It is about creating enough space to respond thoughtfully instead of reacting automatically.

At Crestcom, effective leadership requires courage, clarity, and the ability to navigate conflict with compassion. Our leadership development programs help leaders build the self-awareness, communication skills, and emotional intelligence needed to create strong, inclusive teams. Participants learn how to have difficult conversations, set healthy boundaries, and build environments where people feel respected and heard.

These skills are essential for building trust and driving meaningful results. When leaders approach conflict with intention and care, they create cultures that are resilient, collaborative, and aligned.

Listen to the full episode with Dr. Jen Fry to learn how you can navigate conflict more confidently and strengthen your leadership presence.

To bring these concepts to your team, request a complimentary two-hour leadership workshop at crestcom.com/freeworkshop.

The post How to Navigate Conflict and Set Boundaries at Work with Dr. Jen Fry appeared first on Crestcom International.

The latest episode of The Leadership Habit Podcast welcomes globally recognized leadership coach Will Linssen to discuss how leaders can drive measurable results through better coaching. Hosted by Jenn DeWall, this conversation explores what separates good leaders from great ones and why sustainable leadership growth depends on one crucial shift: moving from know-how to show-how.

Leadership coaching has become one of the most effective ways to enhance results and strengthen teams, especially when paired with comprehensive leadership development programs.

Will Linssen is one of the world’s top executive coaches and the CEO of Global Coach Group. Named the world’s number one leadership coach by Global Gurus and the top coach trainer by Thinkers50, Will is also a Master Certified Coach through the International Coaching Federation (ICF), the highest professional designation in the field.

He is a number one Amazon international bestselling author and serves as an advisor to the Harvard Business Review, shaping global conversations around leadership development, coaching, and performance growth. Will’s work has influenced more than 100,000 leaders worldwide through data-driven coaching frameworks designed to deliver measurable impact for leaders, their teams, and their organizations.

Leadership today is harder than ever. Teams are stretched thin, priorities are constantly shifting, and leaders are expected to balance results, engagement, and well-being all at once. As Jenn DeWall noted during the episode, “Being a leader today is challenging. Being a coach is hard, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the tools or best practices within it.”

Will agrees—and he believes much of the problem starts with how we prepare people to lead. “Most people never got any education in people skills,” he explains. “They step into leadership roles without preparation, and organizations just say, ‘Now it’s up to you.’ It’s like becoming a parent with no manual.”

That gap between what leaders know and what they actually do creates frustration, burnout, and disengagement. It’s why many leaders, despite their best intentions, struggle to truly develop their teams or sustain results.

One of Will Linssen’s central insights is that most leaders don’t fail because they lack knowledge—they fail because they lack application.

“Most leaders we work with already know the right thing to do,” he says. “The challenge isn’t know-how. It’s show-how—doing the right things consistently so it impacts the people around them.”

When leaders are overwhelmed, buried in meetings, or constantly reacting to problems, their good intentions don’t translate into meaningful behavior. As Will puts it, “When things heat up, the show-how suffers, and that’s how leadership effectiveness suffers.”

This approach echoes the principles discussed in Crestcom’s Be the Coach They Need training module, which focuses on helping leaders turn awareness into consistent behavior. By choosing just two key areas to improve—and committing to practice those behaviors daily—leaders can make visible, lasting progress.

At the core of Will’s method is the idea of a Triple Win—helping leaders grow, improving team performance, and achieving better organizational results simultaneously.

He explains, “We reverse engineer success. We define what success looks like for the leader, the team, and the business, then build a plan to get there.” This data-backed approach has been tested with more than 100,000 leaders worldwide, achieving a remarkable 95% success rate in measurable improvement.

Here’s how the framework works in practice:

This process not only creates accountability but also builds shared ownership of the change. “Leadership,” Will emphasizes, “is about co-creating change with coworkers. When the leader and the team work together, performance must increase. It always works.”

Even with a solid process, many organizations struggle with one key challenge—getting honest feedback. Employees often hold back from sharing candid observations out of fear of retaliation or hierarchy.

Will’s advice is simple but powerful: create psychological safety from the start. “Before sending out a 360-degree survey, ask the leader to send an email inviting open and honest feedback,” he says. “When leaders show humility and curiosity, people respond with candor.”

This step transforms a typical evaluation into a collaborative experience. Will adds, “When coworkers see that the leader is serious about improving and that their input is valued, they become part of the change process.”

He also emphasizes combining quantitative data from surveys with qualitative insights from behavioral interviews. This two-part approach provides a complete picture of a leader’s strengths and development opportunities—and helps avoid blind spots that pure numbers can miss.

Will’s approach also reinforces the value of building a coaching culture, where feedback, accountability, and trust fuel performance improvement at every level.

Of course, insight alone doesn’t drive change—action does. Will recommends that leaders invest about 2% of their monthly work time—roughly four hours—into reflection and implementation. “Five minutes a day and a little discipline go a long way,” he explains.

This consistent, focused effort turns new behaviors into habits that eventually shape culture. Over time, leaders move from conscious practice to automatic execution, and their teams begin to mirror that growth.

Jenn DeWall summarizes it well: “Leadership isn’t about grand gestures. It’s about small, consistent actions that improve how we think, behave, and interact.”

Even the best coaching plans face resistance. Some leaders struggle to control emotions, others lose focus or motivation. Will stresses the importance of addressing these issues directly through honest conversation and self-reflection.

“When something goes wrong, ask: what was the impact of my behavior?” he says. “You always have the right to be upset—but it comes with consequences. If you want better results, you have to choose different behavior.”

That mindset—taking responsibility for one’s influence—is what separates average leaders from exceptional ones. As Will notes, “It’s not about perfection. It’s about progress. Pick two things you’re excited to improve, involve your team, and stick with it.”

Perhaps the most powerful message from the episode is Will’s reminder that leadership is not a solo journey. “Leadership coaching for leaders getting better is actually simple,” he says. “It’s not about more know-how. It’s about show-how. And the coworkers are the holy grail of creating forward momentum—because now it becomes a we movement, not a me movement.”

That shift—from self-improvement to collective growth—is what creates lasting cultural change. When leaders model vulnerability, consistency, and collaboration, their teams follow.

Listen to the full episode for all the great insights Will and Jenn have to offer! Then, to explore Will Linssen’s proven approach in greater depth, check out his book, Triple Win Leadership Coaching, available on Amazon and major booksellers.

And if this episode inspires you to strengthen your own leadership skills, Crestcom offers a powerful next step. You can request a complimentary two-hour leadership workshop designed to help your team enhance decision-making, build trust, and increase accountability. Visit crestcom.com/freeworkshop to get started.

The post How to Drive Results as a Leadership Coach with Will Linssen appeared first on Crestcom International.