Influence Instead of Convince: Leadership and the Future of Work

What if the most important leadership skill in today’s workplace isn’t having the perfect answer—but knowing how to influence with clarity, humanity, and conviction? In this episode, Anna Morgan sits down with Kat Kibben (founder of Three Ears Media, two-time author) for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership, resilience, community, and what it means to stay human as work evolves. From the hidden mechanics behind broken job postings to the deeper mindset shifts leaders need right now, Kat shares frameworks and real talk on why “good enough” systems produce generic outcomes—and why connection is the most reliable form of career stability. In this episode, you’ll learn: What “influence instead of convince” looks like in leadership, recruiting, and consulting Why “good enough” hiring systems create generic results—and how leaders raise the bar How to define roles beyond “years of experience” using autonomy, aptitude, peopling, and communication Why job descriptions shouldn’t be a legal CYA—and how job postings should actually function How experimentation builds resilience (and why teams hide AI usage at work) Why quitting is a valuable skill—and how “pruning” protects your energy and growth How community and networking become career insurance in uncertain markets What event organizers get wrong about education, equity, and speaker experience Key moments / timestamps00:00 Anna introduces Kat Kibben + the “more human” mission02:50 The real issues teams bring to Kat (and what’s underneath)03:53 “Influence instead of convince.”06:18 The “good enough” culture problem09:11 Skills-based hiring: why words aren’t universal10:08 A better role framework: autonomy, aptitude, peopling, communication14:21 Why job posting work is actually process + culture work23:18 Why people hide AI usage—and how leaders normalize experimentation25:11 Resilience as the outcome of safe experimentation26:17 Kat’s new book + navigating uncertainty as a life strategy32:19 Functional leadership: model the behaviors you want mirrored35:11 Knowing when to quit (and why it matters)49:50 Speaker + event insights: reduce friction, increase clarity54:07 Networking is caring about others in disguise01:00:22 Speaker compensation: minimums, equity, and value exchange01:04:20 Why continuing education gets deprioritized—and the cost Kat Kibben is the founder of Three Ears Media and a recruitment consultant and writer who helps organizations transform how they hire by improving role clarity, job storytelling, and the systems behind recruiting. She’s a two-time author, a sought-after speaker, and known for blending practical talent strategy with deeply human leadership and resilience insights. |Follow Us| Follow Kat KibbenWebsite | https://threeearsmedia.com/LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrinakibben/Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/KatrinaKibben Follow Anna MorganWebsite | https://yourcareerbff.com/LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/evolve-conference-careerbff/posts/?feedView=allInstagram | https://www.instagram.com/annamorgancareerbff/?hl=enFacebook | https://web.facebook.com/anna.morgan.351104 Join the EVOLVE Shine 2027 waitlist:https://yourcareerbff.com/evolve-2027 Interested in collaborating or sponsoring EVOLVE experiences?Book an EVOLVE partnership call:https://calendly.com/anna-morgan-careerbff/evolve-by-careerbff?back=1 If this resonates, subscribe, share with a fellow HR or Talent leader, and leave a review to help more people-first leaders find the show.