People Process Progress: Leadership for Real Life

Practical leadership lessons that help you simplify the noise, lead with purpose, and create focused, sustainable progress that lasts. People, Process, Progress is a show for leaders who want clarity in the middle of complexity. Each episode brings steady, real-world guidance from Kevin Pannell, a program and project leader who has spent decades helping teams align, communicate, and move forward through pressure, change, and competing priorities. Whether you lead a team, manage a project, guide a program, or support people through challenging work, you will find clear steps you can use today. Kevin shares lessons from years of coordinating large efforts, building team cohesion, and creating order when the plan falls apart. The focus is simple: strong people practices, practical process, and the kind of progress that sticks. This show is for leaders who understand that results come from intention, preparation, communication, and steady execution. If you want leadership you can actually use, delivered in a grounded, real-life voice, you’re in the right place. People. Process. Progress. Leadership for Real Life.

AI for Leaders: The Data Advantage in Healthcare Strategy

AI is no longer just an operational tool. It’s becoming one of the most important strategic lenses healthcare leaders can use. In this episode, Kevin explains how AI can sharpen decision-making, strengthen business cases, highlight opportunities you can’t see from the boardroom, and help leaders measure progress with smarter, predictive metrics.You’ll hear how executives can use AI to guide portfolio decisions, forecast ROI, identify gaps across the system, and build KPIs that actually show future impact. Kevin also shares how governance and a focused analytics team can turn AI into a leadership advantage rather than a scattered set of tech projects.If you want to bring more clarity to complex decisions and lead with greater purpose, this episode is for you.

12-01
06:38

Shake It Off and Step Up When Life Pressures Hit

Pressure shows up without warning. Some days you shake it off, other days it sits heavy. This episode is about what you do next.Today I’m talking about what it means to step up when life hits you harder than you planned for. I’ll share a moment where I felt worn down, what helped me regroup, and the simple steps you can take to steady your mind and move forward. We’ll look at this through people, process, and purpose so you can respond with clarity instead of frustration. By the end, you’ll have one action you can use today to get back on track.

11-28
06:35

How to Set Expectations so “Done” Actually Gets Done

Most teams think “done” means the same thing until a deadline hits. Then you find out it doesn’t.In this episode I break down why “done” falls apart on teams and how you can fix it with clear expectations and steady communication. I’ll share a moment where my own project drifted because I assumed everyone shared the same definition. We’ll walk through how to line people up, how to simplify the process, and how to follow through without micromanaging. This is a practical episode you can put to work today.

11-24
10:25

How to Trust the Right People When You Feel Unsteady

When life shakes you, trusting the right people can be the difference between staying stuck and stepping forward.This is an episode about leaning on the people who show up when it matters. I share a personal moment when I needed support and how one steady voice made all the difference. Through the lens of people, process, and purpose, we’ll talk about how to recognize who’s truly in your corner, how to let them help, and how faith plays a part in keeping you grounded.

11-21
04:50

Get the Right People in the Room and Keep Progress Moving

You can have the best plan in the world, but if the wrong people are in the room, nothing moves.Today we dig into why progress slows when the right people aren’t part of the conversation. I’ll share a moment where a project stalled because the wrong voices were leading, and what happened when we finally aligned the room. You’ll learn how to choose the right stakeholders, how to guide tough conversations, and how to move teams from confusion to action.

11-17
12:01

What Viktor Frankl Taught Me About Faith in Hard Seasons

Some lessons hit you years after you read them. Frankl’s did that for me.In this episode I reflect on a lesson from Viktor Frankl that changed the way I view faith, purpose, and suffering. I’ll share how it helped me during a tough season and how it can help you hold steady when life feels heavy. We’ll talk about meaning, resilience, and the inner posture that keeps you from getting swept away by the moment.

11-14
04:33

Fix a Failing Project Without Losing Your Team

A project can be saved. The team can’t always be—unless you lead it the right way.Today we dig into how to pull a project back from the edge without burning out the people doing the work. I’ll share a moment where tension was high, trust was low, and what it took to turn things around. You’ll learn how to reset intent, create calm, and give your team a path forward that feels doable and honest.

11-10
08:53

Leadership Lessons from the Greatest Night in Pop History

Sometimes leadership lessons show up in unexpected moments.This episode breaks down what made that night work, how big personalities stayed aligned, and what leaders today can take from it. We talk vision, humility, coordination, and how to rally people toward something bigger than themselves.

11-04
06:41

Get the Right People on the Bus Before You Start the Journey

You can’t move toward progress if the wrong people are sitting in the front seat.In this episode I talk about why choosing the right people matters more than choosing the direction. I share a moment when I learned this the hard way and how it changed the way I build and lead teams. We look at trust, readiness, talent, and the quiet signals that tell you whether someone is the right fit.

10-31
04:11

Build the Sidewalk Where People Already Walk

If you want adoption and stable progress, go where people already are.This episode focuses on designing processes and solutions that match the natural flow of how people work. I share a moment where following human patterns, not idealized ones, turned a project around. You will learn how to observe behavior, simplify decisions, and build systems that actually stick.

10-27
08:25

Simple Tools to Reset Your Intent and Move Forward

A small reset can change the direction of your entire day.Here I walk through a few grounded tools that help you reset your intent when things feel off. These are practices I use in my own life when the week gets noisy or I start drifting. We talk grounding, clarity, and momentum, and you will leave with one small shift you can use today.

10-24
08:41

When Strategy Fails Fix the Intent Gap First

A strong strategy can fall apart fast if the intent behind it is unclear.This episode walks through how to recognize the intent gap, how to close it, and why it derails even good teams. I share a moment where strategy was not the issue at all and what happened once the intent was reset. You will learn how to bring people back to the why before you ask them to execute the how.

10-20
08:20

Build Resilience Before the Emergency Not During It

Resilience is built long before the stress shows up.This episode shares lessons from healthcare, emergency management, and personal experience on how to build resilience into your daily routines and team culture. We talk preparation, mindset, and the habits that make you harder to knock down.

10-14
11:28

Lead Early Instead of Responding Late

Most problems get harder the longer you wait.This episode focuses on leading early before tension or confusion take hold. I walk through the cues that tell you when to step in and how early action prevents bigger issues later. You will get a clear practice you can use to stay ahead instead of catching up.

10-10
04:06

Lead Portfolio Work Under Pressure with Clarity and Confidence

Pressure rises from every direction when you lead portfolio work.In this episode we talk about how to stay calm, create clarity, and set a tone of confidence when expectations stack up. I share lessons from healthcare IT, emergency response, and large scale programs that help you guide teams with steadiness and purpose.

10-06
08:03

Owning Your Response to Grief | S7 Ep9

Grief shows up uninvited, and it doesn’t leave on our timeline. But we can own how we respond.In this Reset Friday episode, Owning Your Response to Grief, of People, Process, Progress, I share tools that helped me face grief and keep moving forward: journaling, routines, connection, and honoring those we’ve lost.

10-03
04:39

How are YOU Mentoring Others? - Reset Friday | S7 Ep8

In this Reset Friday road edition, Kevin reflects on the importance of sharing what we know instead of keeping it bottled up. Too often, knowledge, skills, and experience leave with us when we move on from a job, a team, or even life itself. Mentorship—formal or informal—is how we make sure others don’t have to start from scratch.Kevin shares examples from the workplace, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and fitness to illustrate how anyone can be a mentor, whether by giving pointers, offering structure, or simply encouraging someone to start. Whether you’re brand new or seasoned, you have something to offer. The challenge is simple: How are YOU mentoring others today????? Learn more in Kevin’s books:The Stability Equation: 7 Pillars for a More Balanced Life → https://a.co/d/fyLPR0QThe People, Process, & Progress of Project Management → https://a.co/d/bJTqTNG???? Own your mind, move your body, anchor your spirit.

09-27
05:28

How to Lead Through Information Overload | S7 Ep7

We live in a time where more information does not always mean more clarity. In this episode of People, Process, Progress, I share how leaders, project managers, and parents can filter the flood of information and focus on what matters. We will cover why people need direction not noise, how to set critical information requirements for work and home, and how progress is made by responding with purpose instead of reacting to every ping.The Stability Equation: 7 Pillars for a More Balanced Life → https://a.co/d/fyLPR0QThe People, Process, and Progress of Project Management → https://a.co/d/bJTqTNGYouTube Channel → https://www.youtube.com/@peopleprocessprogressBlog and resources → https://peopleprocessprogress.com

09-24
10:20

Stop Fear, Rumors, and Pressure From Running Your Life - Reset Friday #2 | S7Ep6

In this Reset Friday, Kevin Pannell shares how one jack rabbit can spook a herd of sheep and how the same happens to us when fear, rumors, or groupthink take over. Drawing from Deuteronomy 32:30 and Joyce Meyer’s 15 Minutes in the Word, Kevin shows how this plays out at work, in politics, in church, and at home, then offers three ways to stay steady: mindfulness, ownership, and connection.

09-20
07:31

Why People, Process, Progress Matters Now | S7Ep5

Season 7, Episode 5 of People, Process, Progress, Why People, Process, Progress Matters Now, looks at how this week’s tragedies, a young man’s murder, another school shooting, and police officers killed in the line of duty, mirror the same disconnect we see in our workplaces. I share how the 7 Project Pillars can guide us not just in projects, but in our lives and communities, helping us re-engage with each other and move progress forward together. These lessons are about more than management; they are about rebuilding trust where it matters most.

09-18
07:53

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