How can leaders create more clarity in uncertain times? In this episode, Kevin and Karl Hebenstreit discuss why clarity has become such a critical leadership need, especially in uncertain times, and why so many performance problems can be traced back to assumptions instead of explicit conversations. They talk about the danger of relying on the Golden Rule in leadership, the importance of moving toward the Platinum Rule by understanding how others want to be treated, and the reality that expectations must flow in every direction, not just from leader to team member. Karl shares practical insights on making one-on-ones more effective, keeping goals current as priorities change, and creating the consistency, communication, coaching, and compassion that build confidence and engagement.

00:00 Why clarity matters in leadership 01:49 Guest introduction Karl Hebenstreit 02:50 Why this topic is so timely 03:10 Clarity vs inclusivity in leadership 04:11 Clarity builds confidence 05:36 The big idea behind explicit expectations 05:54 The problem with the golden rule 06:40 Why expectations must be explicit 07:10 Expectations go both ways 09:02 The cost of unclear expectations 11:04 The platinum rule explained 12:22 Emotional intelligence and expectations 13:55 What if you cannot meet expectations 18:06 Why leaders struggle with expectations 20:26 Why one on ones matter 23:09 How to run effective one on ones 25:04 Why goals must be updated regularly 27:04 The seven Cs of expectations 31:57 Final leadership challenge

Karl's Story: R. Karl Hebenstreit Ph.D., PCC, PHR is the author of the PenCraft Award-winning and international conference best-seller The How and Why: Taking Care of Business with the Enneagram (now in its third edition), the PenCraft Award and Readers' Favorite 5-Star Award-winning Nina and the Really, Really Tough Decision (available in English, Spanish, French, Greek, and Portuguese), and the Axiom Award-winning Explicit Expectations: The Essential Guide & Toolkit of Management Fundamentals. He has 25+ years of global experience in the biotechnology, healthcare, telecommunications, high-tech, pharmaceutical, and real estate services industries. He holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology from Alliant International University/California School of Professional Psychology, a MS in Human Resource Management from the Rutgers Graduate School of Management and Labor Relations, and a BA in Psychology, French, and Political Science from Rutgers College. Karl received his executive coaching training through Fielding Graduate University. He is an accredited Enneagram Teacher, an IEA Accredited Professional with Distinction, and is also certified in the Myers-Briggs Type Instrument (MBTI).

http://www.performandfunction.com/

https://linkedin.com/in/rkarlhebenstreit

Want help developing the leaders in your organization? Reach out to explore how the Kevin Eikenberry Group can support your team at [email protected]

• Explicit Expectations: The Essential Guide & Toolkit of Management Fundamentals by R. Karl Hebenstreit Ph.D.
• The How and Why: Taking Care of Business with the Enneagram
• Nina and the Really, Really Tough Decision

• Making One-on-Ones More Effective (in 20 Minutes or Less)
• Transforming the Workplace with Purpose and Authenticity with Kelly Winegarden Hall
• Coaching Power with Luciana Núñez

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How can leaders build stronger relationships that lead to greater trust, influence, and results? In this episode, Kevin talks with Ravi Rajani about the idea of "relationship currency" and why success in leadership and business ultimately comes down to how effectively we communicate and connect with others. Ravi explains that relationship currency is created when two people engage in a meaningful value exchange focused on helping the other person achieve their goals without self-interest. Their discussion explores the importance of shaping our internal story, recognizing how the labels and identities we give ourselves influence our behavior and conversations. Ravi also reframes charisma as a natural ability we all possess: the capacity to make others feel significant in our presence. He shares practical tools such as giving authentic, specific compliments and asking story-worthy questions that deepen connection. They also examine the role of influence as a positive force for change and the three C's of trust—connection, character, and competence.

Ravi's Story: Ravi Rajani is the author of Relationship Currency: Five Communication Habits for Limitless Influence and Business Success. He is an international keynote speaker, communication expert, and LinkedIn Learning instructor, with over 65,000 people having taken his courses on Conscious and Charismatic Communication. Recognized as one of the world's leading thought leaders in storytelling and communication, Ravi has worked with mission-driven leaders, teams, and organizations such as Oracle NetSuite, T-Mobile, and Sherwin-Williams. Over the years, Ravi has helped companies and people like this become masterful communicators, tell compelling stories, listen with intention and build meaningful relationships that amplify revenue growth and cultivate a culture of trust. Off stage or camera, Ravi lives just outside of London, UK, with his wife, son, daughter and furry little West Highland Terrier.

http://www.theravirajani.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/theravirajani

https://www.youtube.com/@theravirajani

https://www.tiktok.com/@theravirajani

https://www.instagram.com/theravirajani/

Want help developing the leaders in your organization? Reach out to explore how the Kevin Eikenberry Group can support your team at [email protected]

• Relationship Currency: Five Communication Habits For Limitless Influence and Business Success by Ravi Rajani
• Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown

• Write to Influence with Carla Bass
• Improve Your Relationships One Conversation at a Time with Jeremie Kubicek
• Relationship Building is Business Building with Mo Bunnell

If you liked this conversation, we'd be thrilled if you'd let others know by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Here's a quick guide for posting a review. Review on Apple: https://remarkablepodcast.com/itunes

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Are you willing to ask for help? I've learned that asking for help isn't weakness—it's awareness. And as a leader, it can make all the difference in your results and your relationships.

You've been there—I know I have.

You're stuck. You know you could ask for help… but you don't.

So the real question is: why?

In this episode of Remarkable TV, I share why asking for help is one of the most important (and most overlooked) leadership habits—and what happens when we avoid it.

Here's what I want you to think about: - Why asking for help is awareness, not weakness - The real cost of waiting too long to ask - How asking creates stronger connections and better results - Why, as leaders, we must model this behavior for others

If we want more collaboration, better outcomes, and stronger teams, it starts with us being willing to ask.

Join my free weekly newsletter: Unleashing Your Remarkable Potential https://kevineikenberry.com/newsletter

My name is Kevin Eikenberry and I'm here to help you reach your goal as a leader and a human being with Remarkable TV and the Remarkable Leadership Podcast.

I am also the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group. We provide speaking, training, consulting, and coaching services to organizations who believe in investing in their most valuable assets – their people. Whether we are leading a training workshop, speaking to a group, facilitating a planning meeting, consulting with a leadership team, helping with team building, writing or developing products, our vision will be clear in everything we do – We want to be Your Leadership Help Button.

Learn more about our offerings:

➡️ FREE NEWSLETTERs: Sign up for any of our newsletters: https://kevineikenberry.com/newsletters ➡️ LEADERSHIP WORKSHOPS: Sign up for any of our online workshops to help you become a better leader: https://kevineikenberry.com/store/?product_type=Workshops ➡️ SPEAKING: Learn more about our Speaking opportunities for your next event: https://kevineikenberry.com/how-we-can-help-speaking/

Connect with Kevin Eikenberry on Social Media: https://kevineikenberry.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevineikenberry https://instagram.com/kevineikenberry https://www.facebook.com/KevinEikenberryFanPage/

About Kevin Eikenberry: Kevin Eikenberry is the Chief Potential Officer of the Kevin Eikenberry Group, a world expert on leadership development, best-selling author, sought-after speaker, popular blogger, husband and dad, a fan of Purdue athletics and antique tractors (especially John Deere's).

About The Remarkable Leadership Podcast: The Remarkable Leadership Podcast with Kevin Eikenberry is dedicated to all things leadership. Twice a week Kevin shares his thoughts about leadership development and ideas to help you lead more confidently and make a bigger difference for those you lead. He also has weekly conversations with leadership experts discussing a wide range of topics including teamwork, organizational culture, facilitating change, personal and organizational development, human potential and more.

What would it take for your organization to become truly superintelligent in the age of AI? In this episode, Kevin sits down with Stephen Wunker to explore how leaders must move beyond simply layering AI onto existing processes and instead rethink their organizations from first principles. Steve uses the metaphor of the octopus, with its distributed intelligence and interconnected yet autonomous arms, to explain how AI enables a shift from rigid, top-down hierarchies to flexible, horizontally connected "work charts" where information gets to the right people at the right time. They discuss why electrification and the railroads offer powerful historical parallels, what most organizations are getting wrong about AI adoption, and why middle managers are not becoming obsolete but must evolve into change leaders. This conversation challenges leaders to stop bolting AI onto yesterday's structures and instead reimagine how work gets done.

Stephen's Story: Stephen Wunker is the co-author with Jonathan Brill of AI and the Octopus Organization: Building the Superintelligent Firm. He is the Managing Director of New Markets Advisors, a global consulting firm that helps ambitious innovators—including 29 of the Fortune 500—find their next wave of growth. He's founded four pioneering companies, developed one of the world's first smartphones, and worked with AI initiatives for over a dozen years. A longtime collaborator of Harvard Business School legend Clayton Christensen, Wunker has advised hundreds of organizations and is considered one of the world's leading authorities on innovation. He's written over 100 articles for Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and others, and authored four other bestselling books. Steve holds an MBA with Honors from Harvard Business School, a Master's of Public Administration from Columbia University, and a BA cum laude from Princeton University.

https://www.newmarketsadvisors.com/books/ai-and-the-octopus-organization

https://www.newmarketsadvisors.com/speaker

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenwunker/

Want help developing the leaders in your organization? Reach out to explore how the Kevin Eikenberry Group can support your team at [email protected].

• AI and the Octopus Organization: Building the Superintelligent Firm by Jonathan Brill and Stephen Wunker
• Why New Technologies Don't Transform Incumants - an HBR article

• How AI Can Help You Create a SuperIntelligent Enterprise with Nada Sanders
• The Octopus Organization with Phil Le-Brun

If you want to view our live podcast episodes, hear about new releases, or chat with others who enjoy this podcast join one of our communities below.

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Are you unintentionally slowing your team down by rewarding overpreparation?

In this episode of Remarkable TV, I explore a leadership trap many of us fall into: equating more preparation with better results. But in today's fast-moving, uncertain world, that assumption can cost us time, momentum, and better decisions.

You'll learn:

• Why "what gets rewarded gets done" matters more than you think
• The difference between progress and polish
• How overpreparation is often fear in disguise
• Why more prep doesn't always lead to better decisions
• How leaders set the tone for speed, clarity, and results

If you want a team that moves faster, thinks better, and delivers results—not just polished presentations—this episode is for you.

Get my free Your Remarkable Day newsletter: https://KevinEikenberry.com/newsletters

My name is Kevin Eikenberry and I'm here to help you reach your goal as a leader and a human being with Remarkable TV and the Remarkable Leadership Podcast.

I am also the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group. We provide speaking, training, consulting, and coaching services to organizations who believe in investing in their most valuable assets – their people. Whether we are leading a training workshop, speaking to a group, facilitating a planning meeting, consulting with a leadership team, helping with team building, writing or developing products, our vision will be clear in everything we do – We want to be Your Leadership Help Button.

Learn more about our offerings:

➡️ FREE NEWSLETTERs: Sign up for any of our newsletters: https://kevineikenberry.com/newsletters ➡️ LEADERSHIP WORKSHOPS: Sign up for any of our online workshops to help you become a better leader: https://kevineikenberry.com/store/?product_type=Workshops ➡️ SPEAKING: Learn more about our Speaking opportunities for your next event: https://kevineikenberry.com/how-we-can-help-speaking/

Connect with Kevin Eikenberry on Social Media: https://kevineikenberry.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevineikenberry https://instagram.com/kevineikenberry https://www.facebook.com/KevinEikenberryFanPage/

About Kevin Eikenberry: Kevin Eikenberry is the Chief Potential Officer of the Kevin Eikenberry Group, a world expert on leadership development, best-selling author, sought-after speaker, popular blogger, husband and dad, a fan of Purdue athletics and antique tractors (especially John Deere's).

About The Remarkable Leadership Podcast: The Remarkable Leadership Podcast with Kevin Eikenberry is dedicated to all things leadership. Twice a week Kevin shares his thoughts about leadership development and ideas to help you lead more confidently and make a bigger difference for those you lead. He also has weekly conversations with leadership experts discussing a wide range of topics including teamwork, organizational culture, facilitating change, personal and organizational development, human potential and more.

What if you treated every meeting you lead as a product you were responsible for designing? In this conversation, Kevin sits down with Rebecca Hinds to explore why meetings—arguably the most important product in any organization—are often created with less intention than the products and services we sell. Rebecca shares why meetings become organizational "junk drawers" and explains how applying a product-design lens can transform them from time drains into high-leverage leadership tools. Drawing on the seven principles from her book, she challenges leaders to rethink meeting volume, confront "meeting debt," clarify communication systems, and use meaningful measures like return on time investment to evaluate effectiveness.

Rebecca's Story: Rebecca Hinds is the author of Your Best Meeting Ever: 7 Principles for Designing Meetings that Get Things Done. She is a leading expert on organizational behavior and the future of work and holds a BS, MS, and PhD from Stanford University. Rebecca founded the Work Innovation Lab at Asana and the Work AI Institute at Glean, first-of-their-kind corporate think tanks dedicated to conducting cutting-edge research on the future of work. Her research is consistently featured in top-tier publications and has appeared in places like Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fast Company, Wired, TIME, CNBC, Bloomberg, Axios, the Washington Post, and more. Rebecca has been invited to speak on major stages all across the world, including Dreamforce, SXSW, INBOUND, Ai4, Cloudfest, and the Gartner Digital Workplace Summit. She regularly appears on podcasts, webinars, and online education programs, including appearances on Adam Grant's Worklife podcast, Deloitte's Capital H podcast, and as an instructor for CNBC's Make It Masterclass, "How to Use AI to be More Productive and Successful at Work."

https://www.rebeccahinds.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hinds/

Want help developing the leaders in your organization? Reach out to explore how the Kevin Eikenberry Group can support your team at [email protected]

• Your Best Meeting Ever: 7 Principles for Designing Meetings That Get Things Done by Rebecca Hinds
• When the Dove Appears by Steve Barley

• Making Meetings Matter with Elise Keith
• Managing the Modern (Hybrid) Meeting with Karin Reed
• Reducing Meeting Fatigue (in 20 minutes or less) with Jennifer Moss

If you liked this conversation, we'd be thrilled if you'd let others know by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Here's a quick guide for posting a review. Review on Apple: https://remarkablepodcast.com/itunes

If you want to view our live podcast episodes, hear about new releases, or chat with others who enjoy this podcast join one of our communities below.

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Podcast Better! Sign up with Libsyn and get up to 2 months free! Use promo code: RLP

How often do you think about your habits?

The reality is that a large portion of what we do every day is automatic. And while habits help us function efficiently, they can also quietly limit our growth—especially if we never stop to examine them.

In this episode, I explore the double-edged nature of habits: why they are essential, why they can be dangerous, and how unexamined habits may be holding you—and your organization—back from improving.

If you want to grow as a leader, it starts with awareness.

If you'd like help improving your leadership or your organization's results, reach out: [email protected]

My name is Kevin Eikenberry and I'm here to help you reach your goal as a leader and a human being with Remarkable TV and the Remarkable Leadership Podcast.

I am also the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group. We provide speaking, training, consulting, and coaching services to organizations who believe in investing in their most valuable assets – their people. Whether we are leading a training workshop, speaking to a group, facilitating a planning meeting, consulting with a leadership team, helping with team building, writing or developing products, our vision will be clear in everything we do – We want to be Your Leadership Help Button.

Learn more about our offerings:

➡️ FREE NEWSLETTERs: Sign up for any of our newsletters: https://kevineikenberry.com/newsletters ➡️ LEADERSHIP WORKSHOPS: Sign up for any of our online workshops to help you become a better leader: https://kevineikenberry.com/store/?product_type=Workshops ➡️ SPEAKING: Learn more about our Speaking opportunities for your next event: https://kevineikenberry.com/how-we-can-help-speaking/

Connect with Kevin Eikenberry on Social Media: https://kevineikenberry.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevineikenberry https://instagram.com/kevineikenberry https://www.facebook.com/KevinEikenberryFanPage/

About Kevin Eikenberry: Kevin Eikenberry is the Chief Potential Officer of the Kevin Eikenberry Group, a world expert on leadership development, best-selling author, sought-after speaker, popular blogger, husband and dad, a fan of Purdue athletics and antique tractors (especially John Deere's).

About The Remarkable Leadership Podcast: The Remarkable Leadership Podcast with Kevin Eikenberry is dedicated to all things leadership. Twice a week Kevin shares his thoughts about leadership development and ideas to help you lead more confidently and make a bigger difference for those you lead. He also has weekly conversations with leadership experts discussing a wide range of topics including teamwork, organizational culture, facilitating change, personal and organizational development, human potential and more.

Are you designing your employee experience or just letting it happen? Most leaders talk about employee experience, but few intentionally shape it. In this episode, Kevin sits down with Dean Carter to explore why that's a costly mistake. Dean gets to the point: What do your employees actually experience every single day? Because while culture is what your organization is, employee experience is what your people feel. Dean emphasizes that designing employee experience must be intentional, continuous, and co-created with employees rather than imposed on them. He also shares real stories showing how listening in real time, acting on feedback, and giving people genuine agency can transform engagement, trust, and performance, even in struggling organizations.

Dean's Story: Dean E. Carter is the co-author of Employee Experience Design: How to Co-create Work Where People and Organizations Thrive. He is newly named CEO at Instill.ai and has over two decades of experience as an executive officer for renowned, and Fortune50 companies, such as Patagonia and Sears, as well as a board director for private and publicly traded companies. His views on employee experience and the future of work are frequently featured in global publications, podcasts, corporate events, and mainstage keynotes.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/deancarter/

Want help developing the leaders in your organization? Reach out to explore how the Kevin Eikenberry Group can support your team at [email protected].

• Employee Experience Design: How to Co-create Work Where People and Organizations Thrive by Dean E. Carter, Samantha Gadd , Mark Levy
• Primal Intelligence: You Are Smarter Than You Know by Angus Fletcher

• Understanding the Employee Experience with Jacob Morgan
• Leading Change Intelligently with Barbara Trautlein
• Building Community (in 20 minutes or less) with Jennifer Moss

If you want to view our live podcast episodes, hear about new releases, or chat with others who enjoy this podcast join one of our communities below.

Join the Facebook Group Join the LinkedIn Group

If you liked this conversation, we'd be thrilled if you'd let others know by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Here's a quick guide for posting a review. Review on Apple: https://remarkablepodcast.com/itunes

Podcast Better! Sign up with Libsyn and get up to 2 months free! Use promo code: RLP

Clarity is one of the most powerful — and most overlooked — leadership advantages. When leaders are clear about goals, priorities, strategy, and expectations, their teams can perform at a much higher level. But when clarity is missing, confusion spreads quickly throughout the organization.

In this episode of Remarkable TV, we explore a critical leadership question: Are your leaders clear?

Want help building clarity in your organization? Email [email protected]

My name is Kevin Eikenberry and I'm here to help you reach your goal as a leader and a human being with Remarkable TV and the Remarkable Leadership Podcast.

I am also the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group. We provide speaking, training, consulting, and coaching services to organizations who believe in investing in their most valuable assets – their people. Whether we are leading a training workshop, speaking to a group, facilitating a planning meeting, consulting with a leadership team, helping with team building, writing or developing products, our vision will be clear in everything we do – We want to be Your Leadership Help Button.

Learn more about our offerings:

➡️ FREE NEWSLETTERs: Sign up for any of our newsletters: https://kevineikenberry.com/newsletters ➡️ LEADERSHIP WORKSHOPS: Sign up for any of our online workshops to help you become a better leader: https://kevineikenberry.com/store/?product_type=Workshops ➡️ SPEAKING: Learn more about our Speaking opportunities for your next event: https://kevineikenberry.com/how-we-can-help-speaking/

Connect with Kevin Eikenberry on Social Media: https://kevineikenberry.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevineikenberry https://twitter.com/KevinEikenberry https://instagram.com/kevineikenberry https://www.facebook.com/KevinEikenberryFanPage/

About Kevin Eikenberry: Kevin Eikenberry is the Chief Potential Officer of the Kevin Eikenberry Group, a world expert on leadership development, best-selling author, sought-after speaker, popular blogger, husband and dad, a fan of Purdue athletics and antique tractors (especially John Deere's).

About The Remarkable Leadership Podcast: The Remarkable Leadership Podcast with Kevin Eikenberry is dedicated to all things leadership. Twice a week Kevin shares his thoughts about leadership development and ideas to help you lead more confidently and make a bigger difference for those you lead. He also has weekly conversations with leadership experts discussing a wide range of topics including teamwork, organizational culture, facilitating change, personal and organizational development, human potential and more.