EP135 | Flexible Leadership In An Era Of Unprecedented Uncertainty | Kevin Eikenberry

 

How effectively are you adapting your leadership approach to meet the challenges of our increasingly uncertain world?

Discover how to break free from rigid leadership identities on this episode of the Work Positive Podcast with Dr. Joey Faucette. Kevin Eikenberry, author of "Flexible Leadership: Navigate Uncertainty and Lead with Confidence," reveals why the key to leading in today's VUCA world (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) isn't abandoning what you know about leadership—it's thinking differently about what you already know.

Listen as Dr. Joey and Kevin explore:

☀️ Why attaching too strongly to leadership labels and identities limits our ability to adapt 

☀️ How to break the cycle of treating assessments as absolute truths rather than helpful clues 

☀️ The confidence-competence loop that creates an upward spiral of leadership effectiveness 

☀️ Practical ways to analyze context before automatically using familiar approaches 

☀️ The importance of maintaining both a "worm's eye view" and a "bird's eye view" as a leader

Kevin transforms organizations by helping leaders understand that flexibility doesn't mean abandoning your values or core identity—it means being willing to adapt your approach based on what each unique situation requires. His approach emphasizes that true leadership confidence comes not from rigid consistency but from intelligent adaptability.

🔑 Key Insight: "Once we have said 'I am this' rather than saying 'I have these tendencies' or 'I have these preferences,' once I say 'I am this,' it's very hard for me to change. Being a flexible leader is focusing on what we do, which is different than who we are. We need to be careful that the identities we create for ourselves don't automatically limit us."

💡 Your DOT (Do One Thing): Recognize that flexing is valuable. Whatever situation you find yourself in, consider how to respond, communicate, decide, and act in that moment to serve both outcomes and your team best. When you balance outcomes and people as a leader, you create a more positive workplace and better results.

Connect with Kevin Eikenberry:

• Get his book: "Flexible Leadership: Navigate Uncertainty and Lead with Confidence" https://a.co/d/fO0LVdN
• Claim your FREE masterclass: kevinikenberry.com/gift ($79 value) https://kevineikenberry.com/gift
• Connect on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevineikenberry/
• Visit his website: https://kevineikenberry.com/

#FlexibleLeadership #LeadershipConfidence #NavigatingUncertainty #AdaptiveLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #WorkPositive

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🔗 Stay connected with Dr. Joey Faucette:

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@workpositive7529
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjoeyfaucette/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WorkPositiveToday/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/workpositive.today/

📧 Know someone who'd make a great guest on the show? Email [e-mail] with your recommendation!