E115 - Crafting Your Leadership Style featuring Simon Kardynal

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Leadership isn’t just about being in charge; it’s about showing strength and resilience when the stakes are high. 

This episode of Trench Leadership: A Podcast From the Front, explores the essential elements of crafting your authentic leadership style that stands strong in the face of adversity.

At the core of exceptional leadership lies mindset—the perspective that transforms challenges into opportunities for growth.

Authenticity emerges as the rare currency that establishes genuine connection with teams. When leaders operate with transparency, admitting their vulnerabilities while maintaining clear direction, they earn the trust that powers collective resilience. This honesty creates an environment where team members commit not just their compliance, but their hearts to the shared mission. Meanwhile, resilience becomes the backbone that sustains leadership through inevitable setbacks.

The most impactful leaders understand that while position grants authority, true leadership operates through influence earned by integrity and consistency. 

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Episode Transcript

Simon Kardynal (00:07):
I would like to begin this episode by
acknowledging that I am locatedin Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and
I am privileged and honoured tolive and learn on the unceded,
unsurrendered territory of theAnishinaabeg Algonquin Nation.

Glen (00:24):
Hello, you're listening to Trench Leadership
From the Front, a show foremerging leaders from all
professions to hear from otherleaders who have led from the
front, made the mistakes, hadthe triumphs and are still
learning along the way.
Produced by Jennifer Lee atIt's a Legit Business, a podcast

(00:44):
launch and management company.
And now here's your host, SimonKardynal.

Simon Kardynal (00:52):
Hello everyone and welcome to episode 115 of

Trench Leadership (00:57):
A Podcast From the Front, a show for
emerging leaders across allprofessions.
I'm your host, Simon Kardynal,and today we'll explore how to
craft your leadership style,providing quotes and insight
from proven leaders, equippingyou with the mindset and
strategies necessary to standtall when it matters most.

(01:17):
So gear up, because our journeyinto what it takes to lead from
the front begins right now.
Leading people is more thanjust giving orders.
It's about embodying the valuesthat inspire courage, trust and
resilience.
And when crazy hit, everydecision counts, and the way you
handle adversity will rallyyour team or fracture it.

(01:39):
To rally your team, you mustshow up consistently, embody
calmness amidst chaos and modelperseverance regardless of the
obstacles.
I'm not suggesting you need tochange who you are, but what I
am suggesting is that it'simportant to learn how to focus
your energy in a calm, clearmanner, because during difficult

(02:00):
times, authenticity becomesyour strongest asset.
People follow leaders theytrust and respect most often
when they're staying calm andproviding clear guidance, and
this doesn't matter what sectoryou're in.
Whether it's military, acorporate crisis or overcoming a
personal hardship.
Surviving and thriving dependson your ability to remain

(02:22):
steadfast and focused on thepurpose so up.
First, we're going to talk aboutmindset, because the mindset a
leader adopts determines theirresilience and effectiveness.
It's easy to become overwhelmedwhen faced with setbacks, but
success comes to those who seechallenges as opportunities to
learn and grow.
Developing mental toughnessinvolves cultivating optimism,

(02:44):
staying focused on the long-termgoal and reframing failures as
lessons.
I know it sounds hokeysometimes that we just say be
strong, be positive, but we'renot saying it's always important
to be positive.
What's being suggested here isto look at all of the failures
and all of the successes as waysto learn and grow, to evolve,
because that's what leaders areexpected to do.

(03:06):
This resilience is whatsustains leaders when everything
appears to be falling apart.
Brian Tracy famously said thereal test of leadership is how
well you function in a crisis.
That means staying composed,making decisions with clarity
and inspiring confidence despiteuncertainties.
Building this mindset is acontinuous process, reinforced

(03:30):
by experience, reflection andthe willingness to adapt.
The next thing we'll talk aboutis authenticity.
In the chaos of leading,authenticity is a rare and

(03:55):
powerful currency for leaders.
When leaders are genuine,admitting, rick Warren said.
Instead, they communicate withhonesty and integrity, showing
vulnerability where appropriate.
Rick Warren said honesty andtransparency make you vulnerable
.
Be honest and transparentanyway.
This highlights that trueleadership involves embracing

(04:16):
vulnerability as a strength,when people see their leader is
real and consistent and thatthey are also a person they are
more likely to follow withcommitment and loyalty,
especially during those mostdifficult times.
I like to talk about resilienceand perseverance because in
high-pressure environments,resilience is the backbone of

(04:38):
leadership.
It's about the capacity towithstand setbacks, recover
quickly and maintain a focus onthe objectives.
Leaders often face situationswhere quick thinking and
emotional fortitude arenecessary and perseverance
becomes even more paramount.
Vince Lombardi, one of thegreatest football coaches of all
time, once famously said, "it'snot whether you get knocked

(05:01):
down, it's whether you get up,and his words are a way to
remind us that failure isinevitable.
But what really matters is howwe choose to respond to that
failure.
Resilient leaders see failureas temporary setbacks.
They see them as a learningopportunity and motivate their
teams to keep pushing despitethe hardships.
Cultivating resilience requiresdiscipline, resilience, training

(05:23):
and a strong support network tolean on during those tough
times.
But when we're leading, we haveto do it through influence,
because while being in chargeultimately means you give the
orders.
True leadership is aboutinfluence earned through
integrity, respect andconsistency.
When the stakes are high andthe environment is uncertain,

(05:44):
people look to leaders who setthe temper of the group.
Influence is built throughactive listening, showing
genuine concern anddemonstrating commitment to
shared goals.
Nelson Mandela said, "hegreatest glory in living lies
not in never failing, but inrising every time we fall.
Mr Mandela exemplifiedresilience and he continues to

(06:04):
inspire others to do the samethrough his example.
Leaders who use positiveinfluence often foster an
environment built on initiative,strong team morale and ignite a
collective effort to overcomeobstacles, creating a cohesive
team that pulls together intough times.
Leaders also have to have thevision, especially in the chaos,

(06:26):
because leaders are expected tohave that vision to meet the
company's goals, but also totake that vision and aptly use
it for the team.
Visionary leaders communicatetheir purpose passionately and
consistently, keeping everyonealigned.
When team members understandthe why behind their efforts,
they're more motivated topersevere through hardship.

(06:47):
Well, that's a wrap from thefront.
In this episode, we talked aboutthe various aspects to consider
while you are crafting your ownleadership style.
Remember, leading from thefront is about more than just
making decisions.
It's about embodying resilience, authenticity and purpose in
the face of adversity.
Whether you're navigating apersonal challenge, guiding a

(07:11):
team through uncertainty orfacing a crisis head-on, your
leadership will be the beaconthat guides others through the
storm.
Keep forging your path withcourage, conviction and
integrity.
If these insights resonatedwith you, be sure to subscribe
and share this episode withfellow leaders who are shaping
their own way in the trenches.
As always, I'm Simon Kardynal,your host of Trench Leadership:

(07:33):
A Podcast From the Front.
Thank you for joining me andremember, "eadership without
passion limits the depth of yourvision.

Glen (07:42):
Be sure to join us next week with your host, Simon
Kardynal, for another episode ofTrench Leadership: A Podcast
From the Front, produced by It'sa Legit Business, music
provided by Ashamaluev Music.
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(08:04):
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