In the first-ever guest episode of Leading Edge, John sits down with entrepreneur, author, and leadership coach Jeff Sesol. Jeff shares the powerful skydiving story behind his company's name, "Pull the Chute," and how it serves as a metaphor for leaders feeling overwhelmed in today's fast-paced environment. They dive deep into the core themes of Jeff's book, The New Leadership Landscape, exploring why so many Millennial and Gen Z leaders feel unprepared, the critical importance of building trust through vulnerability and empathy, and why emotional intelligence is the non-negotiable skill for modern leadership. This conversation is packed with actionable advice on delegation, time management, and the simple-yet-profound mindset shifts required to lead effectively in our new world of work.

Guest Information:

• Jeff Sesol: Leadership Coach, Entrepreneur, and author of The New Leadership Landscape.

• Website: https://www.pullthechute.net

• Book: The New Leadership Landscape

• LinkedIn: Jeff Sesol (Last name spelled S-E-S-O-L)

• Email: jeff@pullthechute.net

• [00:00:29] Introduction to Jeff Sesol and his new book, The New Leadership Landscape.

• [00:02:56] The powerful origin story of "Pull The Chute" and how a skydiving experience relates to being an overwhelmed business leader.

• [00:05:29] Why the leadership landscape is changing and the challenge facing Millennial leaders (69% feel unprepared).

• [00:08:28] The critical need for leaders to build trust and psychological safety within their teams.

• [00:09:31] The shift from "command and control" leadership to a modern style where leaders don't need all the answers.

• [00:11:27] Connecting modern leadership to Daniel Pink's three motivators: Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose.

• [00:12:29] Actionable advice on how to build trust: listen more, show appreciation, and explain the "why" behind tasks.

• [00:15:03] The concept of "slowing down to speed up" by focusing on relational, human connection instead of purely transactional work.

• [00:17:43] A practical strategy for leaders who feel overwhelmed: manage yourself in time by tackling small wins first.

• [00:20:01] Using the "Big Rocks and Little Rocks" analogy to manage large, overwhelming projects.

• [00:22:01] The two most important rules of emotional intelligence for leaders: "It's not about you" and the power of taking a pause.

• [00:23:40] Introducing the S.T.O.P. acronym for practicing impulse control.

• [00:25:29] How to connect with Jeff Sesol and learn more about his work.

Resources Mentioned:

• Book: The New Leadership Landscape by Jeff Sesol

• Book: Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink

• Concept: The S.T.O.P. Acronym (Stop, Take a step back, Observe, Proceed mindfully)

Connect with Leading Edge:

• Website: https://www.fairwindstraining.com

• Listen On: Spotify and other major podcast platforms.

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