Ep 110 - Kevin Eikenberry, Chief Potential Officer at the Kevin Eikenberry Group - The Power of The Flexible Leader (and How to Become One)

Learn more about Michael Wenderoth, Executive Coach: www.changwenderoth.com

How do you lead with confidence in uncertain times, and get the outcomes you seek? In this episode of 97% Effective, host Michael Wenderoth speaks with leadership expert Kevin Eikenberry about his new book, Flexible Leadership (available March 2025). They examine where most leadership training has failed – and where Kevin’s latest work fills a critical gap. In a pointed conversation packed with tips and examples, they discuss the power of the “both/and” mindset and why context is so critical. Michael also has Kevin apply the book’s framework to improve Kevin’s own leadership in 2025. You’ll leave this episode with fresh thinking and a more robust toolkit to power your organization, yourself, and others.

 

SHOW NOTES:

• Why Kevin wrote Flexible Leadership
• The “Both/and Thinking” mindset – and a simple way you can start to develop it
• The danger of relying on one style and the unintended consequences of applying best practices
• The importance of context
• Unpacking the paradox: Everything seems to be changing, yet the most important things aren’t changing at all
• “Well, I’m an engineer” and other self-limiting labels that can hold us back
• Michael puts Kevin on the hot seat: How Kevin would use his book to develop his own leadership in 2025
• Step #1: How Kevin would get data about where he needs to improve in 2025
• Practical tip (Ensuring Intention and Action): How to make sure Kevin follows through on improving – and isn’t just talking about it
• Step #2: How Kevin would assess the context – is it clear, complex, complicated, or chaotic?
• Practical examples: How Kevin’s leadership and his team responded to the context of generative AI
• Step #3: How Kevin creates the habitset
• Practical tip and example: Find the trigger -> replace the trigger -> add a reinforcement mechanism
• What Kevin is reading
• How to get a special gift from Kevin for 97% Effective listeners

 

BIO AND LINKS:

Kevin Eikenberry is the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group – a leadership and learning company based in Indianapolis, Indiana, with a team across the United States. He has spent over 30 years helping organizations and leaders from more than 53 countries become more effective. Global Gurus has listed him on the list of most influential thinkers on leadership for the last three years, and his blog and podcast are among the most popular on leadership. The author of several bestselling leadership books, Kevin believes his latest book Flexible Leadership: Navigate Uncertainty and Lead with Confidence, is his best and most important work yet.

• Gift from Kevin (mention you heard the episode on 97% Effective): Get for FREE Kevin’s Confidence Masterclass ($79 value): https://kevineikenberry.com/flexible-leadership-podcasts/
• Kevin’s new book, Flexible Leadership: https://kevineikenberry.com/flexible-leadership/
• Kevin on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevineikenberry/
• “The C.E.O’s Are Tripping” (Article in NY Times – paywall): https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/12/business/psychedelic-retreats-ceos.html
• Kevin interviews Michael on the Remarkable Leadership podcast: https://remarkablepodcast.com/get-promoted-with-michael-wenderoth/
• Who is Ani DiFranco? https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ani_DiFranco
• The Cynefin framework (HBR article “A Leader’s Framework for Decision Making”) https://hbr.org/2007/11/a-leaders-framework-for-decision-making
• Atomic Habits: https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits
• Michael’s book, Get Promoted: What Your Really Missing at Work That’s Holding You Back https://tinyurl.com/453txk74

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