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Strategy isn’t just about plans and execution. In this episode, we explore a deeper framework for executive leadership — one rooted in presence, growth, and resources.

In high-pressure environments filled with distraction and complexity, leaders are often pulled in multiple directions. Instead of reacting faster, what if executive strategy began with slowing down long enough to see clearly?

We discuss:

• Why presence is the foundation of executive leadership
• How distraction impacts decision-making and team culture
• The difference between performance improvement and true leadership growth
• Why awareness, compassion, and curiosity are essential for executive formation
• How to redefine “resources” beyond money, time, and headcount
• Moving from a scarcity mindset to recognizing abundance
• What it means for a leader to become a resource for others

“Leadership begins with presence, the ability to see clearly where we are and what is real.”

“There is an abundance of resources to solve our problems and ways to pursue our challenges.”

This conversation offers practical insight for executive leaders navigating pressure, change, and organizational complexity — and invites you to rethink strategy from the inside out.

Reflection

Which area needs your attention right now:
 Presence? Growth? Or Resources?

🔗 Learn more about our executive coaching and team development work:
 www.leadershipvisionconsulting.com

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🎉 Unfolded is a National Bestseller!
#1 in Business & #5 Overall on USA Today
#17 on Publisher’s Weekly Nonfiction
📘 Grab your copy + get the FREE Reflection Guide!

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Read the full blog post here!

CONTACT US

• email: [email protected]
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• Leadership Vision Online

ABOUT
The Leadership Vision Podcast is a weekly show sharing our expertise in discovering, practicing, and implementing a Strengths-based approach to people, teams, and culture. Contact us to talk to us about helping your team understand the power of Strengths.

Send a text

What if better leadership starts not with having the right answer—but with how you respond in the moment?

In this episode of The Leadership Vision Podcast, Nathan Freeburg is joined by Laura Johnson to explore the power of “Yes, and,” a principle borrowed from improvisation that helps leaders build trust, maintain momentum, and strengthen team culture.

Drawing on Laura’s background in improvisation, live-event hosting, and business leadership, this conversation unpacks how acknowledgment, presence, and small language shifts can dramatically improve collaboration—especially in fast-moving or virtual teams.

If you lead people, serve on committees, or collaborate across teams, this episode offers practical ideas you can start using immediately.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why “Yes, and” is about acknowledgment—not agreement
• How leaders unintentionally shut down momentum
• The connection between “Yes, and” and psychological safety
• How to say no without breaking trust
• Simple ways to practice presence in everyday leadership moments

About the Guest

Laura Johnson is a new member of the Leadership Vision team, helping bring clarity and alignment to complex, fast-moving work. She draws on her background as a former talent agency owner, live-event host, and trained improviser, with deep experience in communication, presence, and relationship-centered leadership.

🎉 Unfolded is a National Bestseller!
#1 in Business & #5 Overall on USA Today
#17 on Publisher’s Weekly Nonfiction
📘 Grab your copy + get the FREE Reflection Guide!

Support the show

-
Read the full blog post here!

CONTACT US

• email: [email protected]
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Leadership Vision Online

ABOUT
The Leadership Vision Podcast is a weekly show sharing our expertise in discovering, practicing, and implementing a Strengths-based approach to people, teams, and culture. Contact us to talk to us about helping your team understand the power of Strengths.

Send a text

In this reflective conversation, Nathan Freeburg sits down with Dr. Linda Schubring and Brian Schubring to explore the prelude and postlude of Unfolded: Lessons in Transformation from an Origami Crane. Together, they unpack how dreams shape identity, why borrowed belief matters, and how our personal “maps” can never be erased—even when they’re marked by struggle or uncertainty.

Key Themes:

• Dreams that shape us—even when they aren’t fulfilled literally
• Borrowed belief and the courage to try
• Identity, growth, and integration
• Why our creases and imperfections matter
• Living “unfolded” as a daily practice

Key Quotes:

• “The clues about our greatest potential lie in the creases of our dreams.”
• “No one can erase your map.”
• “Unfolded is a mindset and a practice.”

🎉 Unfolded is a National Bestseller!
#1 in Business & #5 Overall on USA Today
#17 on Publisher’s Weekly Nonfiction
📘 Grab your copy + get the FREE Reflection Guide!

Support the show

-
Read the full blog post here!

CONTACT US

• email: [email protected]
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Leadership Vision Online

ABOUT
The Leadership Vision Podcast is a weekly show sharing our expertise in discovering, practicing, and implementing a Strengths-based approach to people, teams, and culture. Contact us to talk to us about helping your team understand the power of Strengths.

Send a text

“Being nice” isn’t the same as being human—and it’s often not good leadership. In this episode of The Leadership Vision Podcast, Dr. Chip Kimball reflects on 37 years of leadership and shares why great leaders refuse to separate systems and people, why hard conversations are an act of care, and how belief, challenge, and clarity create the strong foundations teams need to do hard things—and do them well. This episode will leave you with a clearer sense of how to hold people and performance together as you navigate change, uncertainty, and growth.

👤 About Our Guest

Dr. Chip Kimball is an educator, innovator, systems thinker, and former superintendent with 37 years of leadership experience across U.S. and international education systems. Recently retired from formal educational leadership, Chip now works as a consultant supporting leaders, organizations, and boards through complex change. He is known for his ability to define vision, build strong teams, and design systems that deliver meaningful results without losing sight of the people inside them.

🔑 Three Key Takeaways for Leaders

1. Systems and humanity are inseparable

Strong systems don’t replace human leadership—they depend on it. Chip argues that meaningful change only happens when structure, strategy, and systems are intentionally built around people, relationships, and purpose.

2. Hard conversations are an act of care

Avoiding difficult conversations doesn’t protect relationships—it weakens them. Effective leaders approach clarity with compassion, knowing that challenge and honesty are essential to helping people reach their highest potential.

3. Teams—not individual performance—drive lasting success

Over time, Chip’s leadership shifted from prioritizing individual excellence to cultivating strong, healthy teams. Leaders who focus on trust, shared purpose, and collective effort create environments where people—and results—can thrive.

🎉 Unfolded is a National Bestseller!
#1 in Business & #5 Overall on USA Today
#17 on Publisher’s Weekly Nonfiction
📘 Grab your copy + get the FREE Reflection Guide!

Support the show

-
Read the full blog post here!

CONTACT US

• email: [email protected]
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Leadership Vision Online

ABOUT
The Leadership Vision Podcast is a weekly show sharing our expertise in discovering, practicing, and implementing a Strengths-based approach to people, teams, and culture. Contact us to talk to us about helping your team understand the power of Strengths.

Send a text

Change is inevitable—but agency is not automatic.

In this episode of the Leadership Vision Podcast, Nathan Freeburg is joined by Dr. Linda Schubring and Brian Schubring for a deep, practical conversation on how leaders can apply the principles from their book, Unfolded: Lessons in Transformation from an Origami Crane, when change feels disruptive, unexpected, or out of our control.

Rather than focusing on theory, this conversation explores how transformation actually unfolds in real life—through reflection, lived experience, community, and courage. Brian and Linda invite leaders to examine the people and places that have shaped them, recognize the patterns they carry forward, and rediscover their capacity to adapt, grow, and lead with intention.

If you’re navigating uncertainty, leadership transitions, or personal change, this episode offers clarity, reassurance, and practical next steps.

Key Topics Covered

• Why change often happens to leaders—and how agency still exists
• The power of reflection in understanding how we’ve been shaped
• How people and places influence leadership behavior and identity
• Why lived experience is a leader’s greatest teacher
• The role of community in personal and professional transformation
• Giving yourself permission to try, play, practice, and even fail
• How leaders can support transformation in others—not just themselves
• Choosing to give life rather than drain it through leadership presence

Key Takeaways

• You’ve already changed before—and you can change again
• Agency begins with awareness, not certainty
• Reflection helps leaders understand their strengths, patterns, and limits
• Transformation is sustained through community and shared effort
• Leadership includes becoming a supportive voice in someone else’s story

Practical Reflection Questions for Leaders

Use these prompts personally or with your team:

1. Who are the people who have most shaped how you lead today?
2. What places or environments have influenced your leadership patterns?
3. Who or what is shaping you right now—intentionally or unintentionally?

🎉 Unfolded is a National Bestseller!
#1 in Business & #5 Overall on USA Today
#17 on Publisher’s Weekly Nonfiction
📘 Grab your copy + get the FREE Reflection Guide!

Support the show

-
Read the full blog post here!

CONTACT US

• email: [email protected]
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Leadership Vision Online

ABOUT
The Leadership Vision Podcast is a weekly show sharing our expertise in discovering, practicing, and implementing a Strengths-based approach to people, teams, and culture. Contact us to talk to us about helping your team understand the power of Strengths.

Send a text

In this episode of The Leadership Vision Podcast, Nathan Freeburg is joined by Dr. Linda and Brian Schubring to explore the reflection and application practices behind their book, Unfolded: Lessons in Transformation from an Origami Crane. Together, they unpack the questions they use with leaders and teams to create clarity, safety, and momentum—starting with one simple prompt: What stands out?

This conversation invites listeners to slow down, listen differently, and reflect on the people, places, and voices shaping their leadership and life.

What You’ll Learn

• Why reflection is a leadership skill—not a luxury
• How simple questions create psychological safety
• The role of voice in shaping team dynamics
• Why growth is more about the map than the playground

🎉 Unfolded is a National Bestseller!
#1 in Business & #5 Overall on USA Today
#17 on Publisher’s Weekly Nonfiction
📘 Grab your copy + get the FREE Reflection Guide!

Support the show

-
Read the full blog post here!

CONTACT US

• email: [email protected]
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Leadership Vision Online

ABOUT
The Leadership Vision Podcast is a weekly show sharing our expertise in discovering, practicing, and implementing a Strengths-based approach to people, teams, and culture. Contact us to talk to us about helping your team understand the power of Strengths.

Send a text

What happens after growth? After the dream is realized? After the change takes its toll?

In this episode of the Leadership Vision Podcast, Nathan Freeburg is joined by Dr. Linda and Brian Schubring to revisit Chapter Five—Home—from Unfolded: Lessons in Transformation from an Origami Crane.

Together, they explore why transformation requires a place to land, how excitement and exhaustion can coexist, and what leaders can learn from creating space for reflection, rest, and reintegration. This conversation offers practical wisdom for leaders, teams, and anyone navigating change.

Key Topics Covered

• Why transformation doesn’t end with achievement
• The role of “home” in integrating growth
• Excitement and exhaustion as signs of meaningful effort
• The leadership power of open-ended questions
• How individual growth impacts the community
• Why the dream continues after the dream is lived

Reflection Question

Where do you—or your team—have permission to return, reflect, and rest after growth?

Links

• Learn more about Unfolded.
• Leadership Vision Consulting.
• Subscribe to our newsletter.

🎉 Unfolded is a National Bestseller!
#1 in Business & #5 Overall on USA Today
#17 on Publisher’s Weekly Nonfiction
📘 Grab your copy + get the FREE Reflection Guide!

Support the show

-
Read the full blog post here!

CONTACT US

• email: [email protected]
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Leadership Vision Online

ABOUT
The Leadership Vision Podcast is a weekly show sharing our expertise in discovering, practicing, and implementing a Strengths-based approach to people, teams, and culture. Contact us to talk to us about helping your team understand the power of Strengths.

Send a text

In this episode, we revisit a conversation originally recorded in 2019 about wellbeing—and why it remains essential to leadership today. Rather than offering a single definition, we explore wellbeing as something dynamic, personal, and contextual. From physical and relational health to awareness, boundaries, and values, this conversation invites leaders to reflect on how wholeness shapes influence, presence, and culture.

Key Topics Covered:

• Why well-being is foundational to leadership
• Wellbeing as wholeness, not a checklist
• The role of context, values, and personal practices
• Why wellbeing must be practiced—not perfected
• How leaders can start meaningful wellbeing conversations

Reflection Questions:

• What does well-being mean to me in this season?
• When do I experience it most clearly?
• How does my well-being shape my leadership presence?

🎉 Unfolded is a National Bestseller!
#1 in Business & #5 Overall on USA Today
#17 on Publisher’s Weekly Nonfiction
📘 Grab your copy + get the FREE Reflection Guide!

Support the show

-
Read the full blog post here!

CONTACT US

• email: [email protected]
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Leadership Vision Online

ABOUT
The Leadership Vision Podcast is a weekly show sharing our expertise in discovering, practicing, and implementing a Strengths-based approach to people, teams, and culture. Contact us to talk to us about helping your team understand the power of Strengths.

Send a text

In the quiet space between Christmas and New Year’s, we revisit a favorite 2025 conversation with Dr. Linda and Brian Schubring on alignment.

This episode explores why high-performing teams aren’t just working hard—but moving in the same direction—and how leaders can create clarity, trust, and momentum at every level.

Reflection for the year ahead:
Can your team clearly see how their daily work connects to the bigger mission?

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How organizational alignment fosters clarity and momentum.
• Why leadership alignment sets the tone for team success.
• The role of team alignment in creating a high-trust culture.
• How personal well-being impacts leadership effectiveness.
• Practical steps for ensuring alignment within your team and organization.

Key Quotes:

• "When an organization is aligned, people feel enthusiastic, energized, and connected." – Brian Schubring
• "The speed of the leader is the speed of the team." – Linda Schubring
• "When leaders communicate their vision clearly, their teams feel seen and heard." – Nathan Freeburg

🎉 Unfolded is a National Bestseller!
#1 in Business & #5 Overall on USA Today
#17 on Publisher’s Weekly Nonfiction
📘 Grab your copy + get the FREE Reflection Guide!

Support the show

-
Read the full blog post here!

CONTACT US

• email: [email protected]
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Leadership Vision Online

ABOUT
The Leadership Vision Podcast is a weekly show sharing our expertise in discovering, practicing, and implementing a Strengths-based approach to people, teams, and culture. Contact us to talk to us about helping your team understand the power of Strengths.

Send a text

In this solo reflection, Nathan Freeburg explores how some of the most important leadership work happens quietly, long before problems appear. Inspired by a parenting moment, Nathan reflects on stewardship, foresight, invisible leadership, and the power of small, preventative actions that shape long-term growth. This episode invites leaders to step back from urgency and trust the slow formation that creates healthy teams and cultures.

What You’ll Learn

• Why preventative leadership often goes unnoticed
• How stewardship and foresight shape long-term outcomes
• The importance of creating space before growth is needed
• Why small adjustments made early compound over time

Resources

• Unfolded: Lessons in Transformation from an Origami Crane – Dr. Linda & Brian Schubring
• Leadership Vision Consulting: https://www.leadershipvisionconsulting.com

🎉 Unfolded is a National Bestseller!
#1 in Business & #5 Overall on USA Today
#17 on Publisher’s Weekly Nonfiction
📘 Grab your copy + get the FREE Reflection Guide!

Support the show

-
Read the full blog post here!

CONTACT US

• email: [email protected]
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Leadership Vision Online

ABOUT
The Leadership Vision Podcast is a weekly show sharing our expertise in discovering, practicing, and implementing a Strengths-based approach to people, teams, and culture. Contact us to talk to us about helping your team understand the power of Strengths.