The Data and Humanity Behind Great People Decisions with Brandon Kinsey, Co-Founder of Kinsey Management

When financial pressure rises, even the best leaders can fall into the “layoff trap”—cutting too quickly, hiring too emotionally, or keeping the wrong person in the right seat.

In this powerful conversation, Kristyn Drennen and Brandon Kinsey challenge how founders make people decisions when it matters most. They explore how behavioral strategy and data-driven insight can help leaders move from reaction to reflection—pairing heart with hard truth.

Brandon shares how Predictive Index helps identify alignment, resilience, and pressure-handling styles within teams, while Kristyn brings an operational and leadership lens to show how structure and data work together to create clarity.

Listeners will learn how to:

• Avoid emotional bias when restructuring or hiring
• Diagnose leadership health and team fit
• Use behavioral data to strengthen decision-making
• Balance courage, clarity, and compassion in moments of pressure
• Create alignment around vision, communication, and credibility

If you’ve ever wrestled with a tough leadership call, this episode will help you see people decisions through a more courageous, strategic lens—one grounded in both data and humanity.

Key Highlights

• The hidden cost of the “layoff trap” and how founders can avoid it
• Why gut-based decisions often create long-term culture damage
• Five alignment anchors every healthy team needs
• The right time to use behavioral assessments in hiring or restructuring
• How to combine emotional intelligence with objective data
• Why courageous clarity is the ultimate leadership multiplier

Links & Resources

• Learn more about Kinsey Management: https://kinseymgmt.com
• Connect with Brandon Kinsey on LinkedIn
• Explore leadership transformation with TransformCXO: https://transformcxo.com

Stay Connected

If this episode resonates, share it with a fellow leader who needs to hear it. And if you’re ready to unlock your capacity and lead from your zone of genius, book a conversation with Kristyn and the TCXO team.

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Learn more about TransformCXO: https://transformcxo.com

Connect with Kristyn Drennen on LinkedIn: Kristyn’s LinkedIn 

Follow Kristyn on Instagram: @kristyndrennencxo