Bonus Episode – Flexible Leadership featuring Kevin Eikenberry

What separates good leaders from exceptional ones?

The answer might be simpler—and harder—than we think. In this illuminating conversation with leadership expert Kevin Eikenberry, Chief Potential Officer of the Kevin Eikenberry Group and host of the Remarkable Leadership Podcast, we dig into the critical skill of flexibility that so many leaders understand conceptually but struggle to practice.

Kevin reveals why most new leaders get trapped in rigid thinking patterns from the start. Promoted for technical expertise rather than leadership ability, they feel compelled to have immediate answers—creating a pattern of quick decisions based on limited perspective. This pattern becomes particularly problematic in today's complex world where old solutions rarely fit new problems.

Using the powerful metaphor of a mature tree, Kevin reframes the relationship between consistency and flexibility. Much like a tree with strong roots yet flexible branches, effective leaders remain consistent in their values and purpose while adapting their methods to changing circumstances. "We should be consistent in our what and why and flexible in our how," he explains, cutting through the false choice between being principled or adaptable.