It’s Finally Here: Done, Not Perfect

I almost didn’t hit record.

Like many academic leaders, I wanted it to be polished, perfectly timed, and perfectly executed. But then I remembered the kind of leadership I believe in—and the kind I teach.

In this very first episode, I’m sharing why I stopped waiting for perfect and chose to begin anyway. You’ll hear the real story behind this podcast, the moments that almost derailed it, and what it means to lead with honesty, clarity, and courage—even when things feel messy.

If you’ve ever held back because something wasn’t “ready,” this one’s for you.

Let’s lead out loud—imperfectly but intentionally.

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Well, hello, and welcome to the very first
episode of the Lead With Youpodcast.
I am so excited to be here withyou today.
And if I'm honest, I am a littlebit nervous about being here
with you today because I'm doingsomething that I usually don't
do.
And that is that I'm presentingsomething to the world that is

(00:21):
not what I call perfected.
And any of you who know me, youknow that making sure that
things are perfect or as perfectas possible is very important to
me, especially when it comes tohow I support my community.
I'm your host, Dr.
Nicole Robinson.
I am founder and CEO of CulturalConnections by Design.

(00:43):
And today, I believe it'simportant that we dive into
something that I believe everysingle academic leader needs to
hear, that we don't have to beperfect to lead well.
Now, I want to be completelyhonest with you.
This podcast has been on myto-do list for a long time.
And when I mean a long time, Idon't mean for a few weeks.

(01:05):
or for a few months, I mean fora couple of years.
And then I made a commitmentthat this past January, I was
going to launch my podcast for2025.
And actually in a big emailblast out to my community, I
said, get ready, the podcast iscoming.
But I kept putting it off.
And I realized I was waitingbefore I had the perfect setup.

(01:29):
I was waiting for the perfecttime.
I was waiting for the perfectcontent plan.
I was waiting for the perfectmoment to actually record
without interruptions.
I was waiting for the perfecttime that I looked the part of a
podcast, I guess a podcaster.
But there's a spoiler alert.
That moment never came.

(01:49):
And if you are a leader,especially if you're a leader in
academia or mission-driven work,You already know this, that
perfection is actually a movingtarget.
And it is if we wait foreverything to be perfectly
aligned, we risk never gettingstarted at all.
So in this first episode, I wantto share a bit about what

(02:14):
finally helped me push therecord button.
I made a decision, one that manyleaders wrestle with quietly.
I decided not to wait forperfection.
Because if I had, this podcastepisode would not exist.
There were disruptions,real-life interruptions,
shifting priorities, the kind ofmessiness that doesn't always

(02:36):
make it into leadership manualsto help us understand how to
navigate them.
People needed me.
Plans changed, and I kepttelling myself, once things
settle down, I'll get to it.
And to be honest, I was doingit, trying to do it in the way
in which the world says thatyou're supposed to do this.
You should batch record yourepisodes.

(02:57):
You need to have a 90-day plan.
You need to build a flawlesslaunch strategy.
You need a great marketinginitiative.
And you need to be ahead.
You need to be polished.
You need to be professional.
But here's the truth.
And those of you who know meknow, I rarely do things the way
the world dictates.
Not because I'm trying to bedifferent.

(03:18):
Because I've learned over theyears that what works for others
does not always align with howI'm built.
And the moment I gave myselfpermission to actually do it my
way, I decided that to hit therecord button without a
stockpile of episodes, ourperfect studio setup, I felt

(03:38):
more alignment than I had inmonths.
So that's actually what I wantto talk to you about today.
I started thinking, what does itmean to lead imperfectly
perfect?
I trust to trust your ownrhythm, to act before everything
is in play.
to lead from the inside out andnot from a script that someone

(04:00):
else has written for you.
Because real leadership, truetransformative leadership is
rarely tidy, is brave, isresponsive, is human, and it can
be messy.
So what does it mean to leadwith you?
Like, what exactly is it that Imean by that?

(04:21):
Leave With You is more than apodcast title.
It's a philosophy, and it's achallenge, and it's an
invitation to lead with yourwhole self, to make decisions
that are grounded, not just instrategy, but in values, to stop
outsourcing your leadershipstyle to expectations that don't
fit you.
Too often, we're taught thatleadership means fixing everyone

(04:45):
else's problems around us, butLeave With You actually comes
Flips the script on that.
And it starts with you.
And it starts with you notbecause you're the problem, but
because you're the foundation.
So here's what I've learnedafter more than 25 years working
with leaders.
The strongest, most effectiveleadership comes from within.

(05:05):
It's not about mastering thenext framework.
It's about mastering your voice.
It's not about performingleadership.
It's about embodying it.
Lead with you means that youlead with clarity, even in
complexity.
Lead with compassion, especiallywhen the work is hard.

(05:26):
Lead with integrity, even whenit costs you everything.
And lead with alignment, so yourrole doesn't conflict with your
values.
So you may be wondering, wheredid this philosophy come from?
Well, it's the heartbeat of mycompany, Cultural Connections by
Design.
or as we affectionately call it,CCBD.

(05:48):
CCBD was created to helpacademic leaders build
people-centered, purpose-driveninstitutions by addressing
something most leaders avoid themost, or most leadership models
avoid, culture.
Not just the aspirationalstatements and our mission
statements, but the realculture.

(06:09):
I mean, like how people actuallyfeel, how they interact, how
they operate within yourorganization.
At CCBD, we work withinstitutions, organizations,
universities, colleges,healthcare organizations,
purpose-driven teams to unpackwhat I call the four hidden
culture challenges.
And we tackle them through mypriority framework, the four

(06:30):
peaks.
People, because leadership isall about relationship and not
results.
Place, because culture lives inthe environment we create.
Process, because systems areeither support or sabotage
change.
And power, because influencewithout equity is performative.

(06:50):
Our work at CCBD centers onhelping academic leaders see
beneath the surface, not justmanage change, but to lead it
thoughtfully.
strategically, sustainably.
And honestly, this podcast is anextension of that word.
Because whether I'm on a campusfacilitating a retreat or in a
room with senior leadersbuilding a strategic plan or

(07:13):
here behind the microphone, mymessage is the same.
Culture doesn't shift byaccident.
It shifts when the leaders do.
So what to expect from thispodcast?
So you can expect quite a fewthings from this podcast.
Each week, I will bring youstories, strategies, reflections
designed to help you lead withmore clarity, courage, and

(07:34):
culture awareness.
Some episodes will be solo.
Others will feature conversationwith leaders who are navigating
the real work of change.
We'll talk about transition.
We'll talk about trust.
We'll talk about institutionalresistance, burnout, visions.
power, team dynamics, and all ofthe unseen things to shape

(07:56):
whether your leadership canactually succeed, it isn't a
podcast about fixing people.
It is a podcast about growing asa person so you can lead in the
ways that truly make an impact.
Now, before we wrap up today,let me circle back around to
where we started.
Whatever you've been putting offbecause you've been waiting for

(08:16):
the right time, the perfectplan, or just more confidence.
This is your sign.
Start now.
Start today.
Not because everything's ready,but because you are.
Thank you for joining me in thisvery first episode.
I am deeply honored to be doingthis work with you.
And sometimes something intoday's episode resonate with

(08:38):
you.
I'd love for you to subscribe orfollow the podcast, maybe leave
a review.
Or for this old colleague whomay be leading change and might
need a reminder that perfectionisn't a prerequisite for impact.
You can also learn more aboutour leadership programs and
retreats at ccbydesign.org or byjoining our mailing list to stay

(09:00):
in the loop.
Until next time, lead withcourage, lead with clarity, and
always leave with you.