All Episodes

January 7, 2025 27 mins
Kon Apostolopoulos or Coach Kon is the Founder & CEO of Fresh Biz Solutions. This Human Capital Management consulting group provides performance improvement and training solutions to help organizations develop their people, improve business results, and benefit from a comprehensive talent management strategy. He is also the author of the best-selling book, “The Engagement Blueprint: Building a Culture of Commitment and Performance.” His first book, “7 Keys to Navigating a Crisis: A Practical Guide for Emotionally Dealing with Pandemics & Other Disasters”, helped establish him as a Thinkers 360 Global Top-50 Thought Leader. When not working with business leaders, “Coach Kon” gives back to his community by developing young soccer players in local, state, and Olympic Development Programs.   “How do we deal with unexpected change? And crisis can take many forms, as you know, there are personal crises, there are professional crises. There are, there's never a shortage of them. And what seems like a day-to-day kind of occurrence to some people seems it's a much bigger deal for others. And so we have to learn how to apply those skills. That Winston Churchill quote that you mentioned truly illustrates the power of resilience. And resilience is getting to that other side and knowing that you can do that.” – Kon Apostolopoulos   Key Takeaways include:   What are the most common crises businesses face? Kon mentions that businesses often reach out when things have gone south, particularly in the people space. He highlights crises such as poor communication, lack of cultural alignment, and inadequate succession planning as common issues that leaders face. How can leaders navigate a crisis effectively? Kon emphasizes the importance of having a roadmap for crisis management, which includes self-care, mindfulness, and flexibility. He uses the analogy of a palm tree to illustrate the need for adaptability and resilience during challenging times. What role does communication play in managing crises? Kon stresses that effective communication is crucial, especially in larger organizations. He suggests that leaders should engage employees by explaining the 'why' behind decisions and fostering open channels of communication to build trust and understanding. How should leaders address the fear of AI among employees? Kon advises that leaders should focus on building trust and emphasizing the unique human traits that machines cannot replicate, such as ethics, intuition, and creativity. He suggests that familiarizing employees with AI and involving them in discussions can help alleviate fears. What is the leadership paradox in modern management? Kon introduces the concept of the leadership paradox, where leaders need to balance empathy with setting boundaries and managing outcomes instead of outputs. He highlights the importance of using technology to enhance human interactions and focusing on results rather than effort.   #employeeengagement #HR #workplaceculture #unhappyworkers #productivity #workplace #humanresource #recruiting #hiring #retention #jobhoppers #businesscrisis #crisis #hrcrisis #failingbusiness   Connect with Coach Kon   https://www.freshbizsolutions.com/ https://x.com/Kon_Ap https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachkon/     Connect with Manage Smarter Hosts   ·         Website: ManageSmarter.com  ·         LinkedIn: Audrey Strong                                                                    ·         LinkedIn: C.Lee Smith     Connect with SalesFuel ·         Website: http://salesfuel.com/  ·         Twitter: @SalesFuel  ·         Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/salesfuel/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!

Dateline NBC

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

Stuff You Should Know

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.