280 Steve and Steve - Leaders Who Can Lead Through Disruption

Are you prepared to lead with confidence when disruption strikes? In this episode, we share practical strategies for building leaders who can thrive in uncertain times. We explore why disruption is not a sign of failure, how vision and values provide stability, and the critical role of emotional intelligence in navigating change. You’ll also hear why creating safe opportunities for leaders to fail early builds resilience for high-pressure moments later. Whether you’re guiding a small team or an entire organization, this conversation delivers powerful insights to help you transform disruption into growth.

In this episode, Steve and Steve discuss:

• The reality of disruption in today’s organizations and why it’s unavoidable
• How dysfunctional communication and anxiety emerge during times of disruption
• The importance of returning to vision and values to guide teams
• Why developing emotional intelligence early prepares leaders for challenges
• Practical strategies for giving leaders agency and opportunities to grow

Key Takeaways: 

• Disruption should never be viewed as failure; it’s an inevitable part of business evolution, and organizations that acknowledge this reality are better positioned to adapt.
• When turbulence hits, leaders must rally their teams around a clear vision and core values, creating a stabilizing force that keeps everyone moving in the same direction.
• Poor communication and unmet expectations are common byproducts of disruption, and if left unchecked, they quickly snowball into organizational dysfunction.
• Emotional intelligence isn’t built overnight—leaders who cultivate it ahead of time are far more equipped to navigate uncertainty with calm and clarity.
• Allowing leaders to experiment and even fail in low-stakes environments early on fosters resilience, making them stronger and more confident when high-pressure challenges arrive.

“There's nothing wrong with you. You are going through a disruption. Your organization going through a disruption does not mean, in and of itself, that you have done anything wrong as a leader in your organization. That's the nature of doing business in 2025 in the world. Disruption happens, and that's why some organizations they'd rather be the disruptor than the disruptee. And that has its own problems, but you're going to be on either side of that equation. So that's just a natural byproduct of doing work in the world.” - Steve Longan

Connect with Steve and Steve:

LinkedIn: Steve or Steve

Website: Rewire, Inc.: Transformed Thinking 

Email: [e-mail]

Show notes by: Angelo Paul Tagama

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