What if the boldest leadership move you could make wasn’t about vision or execution, but self-awareness? In this powerful episode of the Leaders Rising Podcast, listeners are invited into a candid conversation about leadership transformation that begins not with image, but with truth.

Dr. Tom Nebel, founding partner and executive chairman of Leaders Rising Network, shares the raw and redemptive story of his leadership journey. From early signs of defiance as a child to pioneering faith communities and coaching leaders around the world, Tom’s path has been marked by bold starts, painful pivots, and deep personal work. Through it all, a single theme stands out: leaders grow when they choose to liberate others, not control them.

Listeners will walk away with a deeper understanding of what it means to build liberating cultures, how visual tools like the Support Challenge Matrix and 5 Gears can transform relationships, and why your scars often tell a more powerful story than your success. Whether you're leading a team, a company, or yourself, this episode offers both challenge and clarity for the road ahead.

Resources Mentioned on the Show

[download the Scatterplot exercise]

Key Quotes

“Your scars will tell better stories than your trophies.”

— Dr. Tom Nebel (26:33)

“Liberation happens when someone brings support and challenge. And you know they’re for you.”

— Dr. Tom Nebel (23:00)

“We didn’t just fix the relationship. The tools gave us a way to finally have one.”

— Dr. Tom Nebel (32:40)

Show Outline + Timestamps

• 00:00 – Setting the tone and revisiting early podcast attempts
• 01:47 – Childhood defiance and the first signs of leadership potential
• 05:02 – Entrepreneurial roots and lessons from a legacy of builders
• 08:21 – Leading from conviction in college as an outlier
• 12:59 – The moment Tom chose to start something from scratch
• 18:29 – Crisis, transition, and redefining purpose after personal loss
• 20:29 – What it really means to be a liberator using the Support Challenge Matrix
• 27:41 – How the 5 Gears tool changed Tom’s relationship with his adult son
• 34:16 – Founding Leaders Rising Network and designing environments for others to thrive
• 47:00 – One bold step for leaders: use the scatterplot to see how others experience your leadership