Dominate Your Day

In this episode, I'm joined by Shaunna Black, a transformation and turnaround leader who has spent decades helping organizations navigate change and move from chaos to clarity. We talk about why successful transformation starts with people not action plans and why leaders must enter challenging situations as students first, listening, learning, and building trust before trying to fix anything. Shaunna shares her approach to servant leadership, creating cultures rooted in trust and psychological safety, and leading from the inside out during times of uncertainty. We also explore the current challenges leaders are facing with disengagement, layoffs, AI, and organizational change and why heart-centered leadership may be more important now than ever. At the heart of our conversation is a powerful reminder: relationship is the container in which all work is done. Top 3 Takeaways: 1. Lead from the inside out. Before you can effectively lead others through chaos, you have to develop self-awareness, practice self-care, and create calm within yourself. 2. Enter transformation as a student, not a hero. Listen to people, understand the history, and build trust before coming in with solutions. People need to know that you care before they care what you know. 3. Make relationships the priority. Your job as a leader isn't simply to get things done. It's to serve the people who get the work done—and create an environment where they feel safe, valued, connected, and empowered to succeed Episode Minutes: Minute 5: Leadership Roots: Culture Of Service, Sports and Family Minute 13: How Purpose, Trust, Accountability, and servant leadership shape a healthy culture Minute 38: How overwhelmed leaders need to tune out the noise and start with self-awareness and self-care. Minute 45: Leading With Heart Links + Resources from This Episode: Learn more about Shaunna's work at www.shaunnablack.com Get Shaunna's book, Leading with Heart Connect with Shaunna Black on LinkedIn Take the free 3-minute Authentic Imprint™ Assessment Get a copy of Dana's book, The Internal Revolution: Lead Authentically and Build Your Personal Brand from Within Learn more about The Strengths Journal 

AI is changing the way organizations work, and leaders are being asked to figure out what it means for their teams, their businesses, and their future  often before anyone actually knows the answer. In this episode, I share lessons from a recent leadership panel I moderated with Linda Rutherford, Dr. Marc Nivet, and Emily Crawford about what it really looks like to lead through uncertainty and change. The key isn't becoming the expert or waiting until you feel ready. It's learning how to take the next honest step, develop the expertise around you, stay connected to your team's capacity, and build the playbook as you go. Top 3 Takeaways 1. You don't need the whole playbook. When you're leading through something new, waiting for certainty can keep you stuck. Leadership often means taking the next step and building the path as you go. 2. You don't have to be the expert  develop one on your team. Your job isn't to master every new technology. Know your strengths, identify the people on your team who are curious and capable, and give them room to develop the expertise. 3. Pay attention to capacity, not just output. Ask your team, "What's getting in the way of you doing your best work?" That simple question can uncover obstacles and capacity issues before they become bigger problems. Episode Minutes: Minute 1: Looking For A Non-existent Playbook Minute 3: You don't Have To Be The Expert Minute 4: Leading Through A Period When The Bar Keeps Changing Links + Resources from This Episode: Watch the Accelerating Leadership Wellbeing Panel on Youtube or listen on Spotify or Apple Take the free 3-minute Authentic Imprint™ Assessment Get a copy of Dana's book, The Internal Revolution: Lead Authentically and Build Your Personal Brand from Within  Learn more about The Strengths Journal

Change is happening faster than ever from AI and digital transformation to increasingly distracted and stretched teams. But effective leadership through change isn't always about doing more. Sometimes, it requires changing how you see your role. This special episode was recorded at the live Accelerating Leadership Wellbeing Panel, which took place on August 25, 2026, hosted by Bank of Texas. I was joined by three remarkable leaders who have navigated change at scale: Linda Rutherford — Former Chief Administration Officer and current Executive Advisor at Southwest Airlines, with 33 years of experience leading through change. Dr. Marc Nivet — Executive Vice President at UT Southwestern Medical Center, bringing three decades of leadership experience in academic medicine. Emily Crawford — A leader in change management and AI transformation at Credera, helping major organizations navigate what's next. Together, we explored what it really takes to lead through change when your people  and you are already stretched thin. Top 3 Takeaways 1. Capacity matters as much as capability. Leaders can't effectively lead change when they're running on empty. 2. Leadership starts from within. How you see your role shapes how you lead through uncertainty. 3. Doing more isn't always the answer. Sometimes the most powerful leadership move is to shift how you show up. Episode Minutes: Minute 17: Leading through uncertainty as a vessel, not a hero Minute 37: Why AI must be tied to objectives, not treated as a checkbox Minute 48: Communication during change and why silence is risky Minute 60: Grace, good-enough leadership, and asking what blocks best work Links + Resources from This Episode: Take the free 3-minute Authentic Imprint™ Assessment Get a copy of Dana's book, The Internal Revolution: Lead Authentically and Build Your Personal Brand from Within Learn more about The Strengths Journal

What happens when being a helpful, highly involved leader actually keeps your team from growing? In this episode, I share the story of a leader who solved problems, answered questions, and did the work herself because she cared deeply about getting things right. You'll discover how shifting from solving to coaching, and from delegating tasks to handing off real decisions, can build trust, strengthen your team's judgment, and create greater ownership and accountability. Top 3 Takeaways: 1. Being helpful can create dependency. When leaders constantly step in to solve problems, they can unintentionally prevent their teams from developing confidence and judgment. 2. Coach instead of solve. Pause before jumping in, ask "What would you do here?" and give your team space to work through the answer. 3. Delegate decisions, not just tasks. True empowerment means letting go of the wheel not simply handing off the work while keeping control of the important decisions.  Episode Minutes: Minute 2: Executing vs Leading Minute 4: The Difference Between Bossing and Coaching Minute 7: Leading Differently Links + Resources from This Episode:  Take the free 3-minute Authentic Imprint™ Assessment Get a copy of Dana's book, The Internal Revolution: Lead Authentically and Build Your Personal Brand from Within Learn more about The Strengths Journal 

What happens when uncertainty hits and a good leader suddenly falls back into old habits? In this episode, I explore why even capable, self-aware leaders can revert to command-and-control when pressure rises and how to recognize when you're leading authentically versus performing the version of leadership you think others expect. You'll learn a simple question to interrupt reactive patterns, identify when you're tempted to take ownership back from your team, and recognize when organizational structures not just personal habits are getting in the way of effective leadership. Top 3 Takeaways: 1. Pressure can trigger old leadership patterns. Even leaders who have done the work can revert to familiar behaviors when uncertainty feels threatening. 2. Authentic leadership requires a moment of choice. Ask yourself: Am I leading from who I actually am, or performing who I think I'm supposed to be? 3. Not every leadership challenge is personal. Structural barriers can limit your team's ownership, so leaders need to distinguish between what they can change themselves and what needs to be addressed within the system. Episode Minutes: Minute 1: The Moment Change Gets Real Minute 3: Authentic Imprint vs Default Performance Minute 6: Give Trust to Get Trust Links + Resources from This Episode: Take the free 3-minute Authentic Imprint™ Assessment Get a copy of Dana's book, The Internal Revolution: Lead Authentically and Build Your Personal Brand from Within Learn more about The Strengths Journal