In this episode, Kevin and Drew Smith discuss:

• Turning fear into curiosity as a leadership superpower
• The danger of self-censorship and how leaders can create judgment-free spaces
• Building psychological safety and trust to unleash creativity and innovation
• The overlooked influence of middle managers on team culture and resilience
• Why embracing your full story, including failures, makes you a better leader

Key Takeaways:

• Fear can either be a barrier or a catalyst, depending on whether you let it control you or get curious about it.
• Even the most brilliant ideas can die in silence if people feel unsafe or judged. Innovation thrives in rooms where wild, half-baked thoughts are welcomed.
• Psychological safety isn’t a bonus feature for teams; it’s the soil where loyalty, creativity, and performance grow. Without it, leaders breed quiet quitting.
• The best leaders are those who don’t pretend to have it all figured out. Vulnerability, honesty, and humility are often what win people’s trust.
• Leadership isn’t reserved for titles. The way you treat people when you have no positional power shapes the kind of leader you’ll be when you eventually do.

"Start practicing now how to treat the people you work with as humans and recognize them as humans and love them as humans." – Drew Smith

About Drew Smith:

Dr. Drew Smith is a powerhouse of insight and innovation. Drew is a professor of management, transpersonal psychology, and organizational resilience at Walsh College, where he helps future leaders navigate the intersection of human potential and organizational strength.

With a mind wired for both strategy and spirit, Drew brings a rare blend of academic depth and real-world application. His work explores how inner transformation creates outer impact—how organizations become resilient not just by changing systems, but by transforming the people within them.

Drew is known for asking the deeper questions that ignite purpose, unlock performance, and spark sustainable leadership. Whether he’s teaching about emotional intelligence, psychological safety, or leading in crisis, his lens is always holistic, human, and forward-thinking.

Connect with Drew Smith:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewhsmith 

Website: https://www.saybrook.edu/faculty/byname/drew_smith/ 

Connect with Kevin Neal:

Website: https://drkdneal.com 

Book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0C47RZDSS 

Email: coachkd63@gmail.com 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachkd63 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coachkd63 

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@coachkd63