The Leadership Vision Blog & Podcast Archive
What Are You Still Carrying? A Leadership Lesson from a Zen Story
A simple Zen parable about two traveling monks reveals a powerful leadership lesson: what are we still carrying long after the moment has passed? In this episode, we explore perspective, letting go, and the journeys we share with others. Listen now!
Challenge, Change, and Uncertainty: How Leaders Can Respond with Confidence, Clarity, and Courage
Leaders today face challenge, change, and uncertainty — often all at once. But these experiences are not the same, and responding well depends on knowing the difference. In this episode of The Leadership Vision Podcast, we explore how challenge stretches existing capacity, change requires intentional adaptation, and uncertainty confronts us with the unknown. Through practical questions and powerful metaphors, we offer leaders a framework to navigate turbulence with courage, clarity, and confidence. Before reacting, ask: What are we really facing? The answer may change how you lead. Listen now!
The Soul and Science of Service: Why the Future of Leadership Is Emotional
What if the future of leadership isn’t primarily intellectual—but emotional? In this episode of the Leadership Vision Podcast, Nathan, Dr. Linda, and Brian explore the soul and science of service and why serving others reshapes both the heart and the brain. From neuroscience and empathy to identity formation and team culture, this conversation reveals how service expands emotional capacity rather than depletes it. Leaders who practice service don’t just help others—they refold their own assumptions, strengthen compassion, and build healthier teams. In a complex and uncertain world, service may be the most strategic leadership practice of all. Listen now!
Executive Leadership Strategy: Why Presence Matters More Than Performance
Executive strategy isn’t just about plans and performance metrics. It begins with presence. In this episode of the Leadership Vision Podcast, we explore how executive leaders grow not by doing more, but by seeing more clearly. When leaders cultivate presence, they become aware of the real opportunities for growth within themselves and their teams. And when they shift from a scarcity mindset to recognizing the abundance of resources around them, they create forward momentum that sustains change. Presence, growth, and resources form a powerful leadership cycle — one that strengthens culture, sharpens decision-making, and builds resilient, emotionally healthy teams. Listen now!
“Yes, And”: A Leadership Practice for Building Trust, Momentum, and Culture
Great leadership doesn’t start with having the right answer—it starts with how we respond to people in the moment. In this episode of The Leadership Vision Podcast, Laura Johnson and Nathan Freeburg explore the leadership power of “Yes, and,” a principle borrowed from improvisation that helps leaders build trust, maintain momentum, and foster psychological safety. Rather than shutting ideas down or rushing to solutions, “Yes, and” invites leaders to acknowledge people first and then move the work forward. This conversation offers practical language shifts and mindset changes leaders can use immediately to strengthen team culture—even in fast-paced, virtual environments. Listen now!
How Leaders Help Their Teams Fly: Trust, Transformation, and the Courage to Let Go
In this episode of The Leadership Vision Podcast, Dr. Linda and Brian Schubring unpack the Fly stage from Unfolded—when the playground gets bigger, the stakes rise, and trust becomes the air teams breathe. We explore how leaders recognize they’ve entered this moment, empower people to lead, and prevent a “supportive” culture from becoming a comfort zone. You’ll hear a lively debate—Is it always time to fly?—plus practical ways to match your team’s flight environment (paper planes to NASA) with the right expectations, courage, and safeguards. We also dig into how to celebrate progress (and crashes), the leader’s “Eagle” role of naming growth and offering perspective, and three reflection questions to help your team take off together. Read the full post for key takeaways and pull quotes, then listen to the episode for the stories, nuance, and tools you can use this week.
Why Every Transformation Needs a Little Courage to Take Flight
Every transformation comes with moments of resistance — the point where self-doubt, fear, and exhaustion whisper, “You can’t do this.” In our continuing series of the book Unfolded: Lessons in Transformation from an Origami Crane, with Dr. Linda and Brian Schubring, we explore what it takes to keep going when things get hard. Inspired by Chapter 4, Fly, this episode invites leaders to trust their preparation, lean on their community, and take one more step of belief — even when they’re scared. Together we talk about how courage builds slowly, through practice, vulnerability, and the people who remind us of our strength when we forget. If you’ve ever stood at the edge of something new and hesitated, this episode will help you find the courage to keep unfolding — and to fly.
Why Place Matters: Notre Dame, Symbols, and the Spaces That Shape Our Leadership
Places aren’t passive backdrops—they’re active partners in our leadership story. In this episode, Nathan and Brian revisit Notre Dame and the rose window that inspired the Leadership Vision logo to explore how place anchors identity, shapes team culture, and invites reflection. From the transept’s “waiting place” to the power of shared retreats and simple artifacts, they share practical ways leaders can name and return to meaningful spaces for deeper connection. Listen in, reflect on your own shaping places, and consider how your team might adopt shared spaces that become part of your culture.
Why “Trying” is the Secret to Organizational Growth
Trying isn’t weakness—it’s the path to growth. In this episode of The Leadership Vision Podcast, Dr. Linda and Brian Schubring explore what it means for organizations to create a culture of “try.” From overcoming fear and resistance to celebrating small experiments, the conversation highlights how intentional practice leads to innovation and resilience. Listen in to discover why trying isn’t about failing—it’s about finding the courage to adapt, refold, and move closer to your shared vision.
Unfolded: Why “Trying” Is the Courageous Middle Step Toward Transformation
Trying isn’t about perfection—it’s about movement, resilience, and the courage to keep going even when the voices of doubt grow loud. In this episode of The Leadership Vision Podcast, we dive into Chapter 3 of Unfolded: Lessons in Transformation from an Origami Crane with Dr. Linda and Brian Schubring. Discover why “try” is more than practice—it’s the messy middle where dreams are tested, self-doubt signals growth, and courage is built one intentional step at a time.
How Susan Inouye is Transforming Leadership Through Human Connection
What happens when leaders truly see their people—not just for what they do, but for who they are? In this powerful episode of the Leadership Vision Podcast, we talk with Susan Inouye, executive coach and author of Leadership’s Perfect Storm. She shares the transformational impact of Sawubona Leadership, a method rooted in the Zulu greeting “I see you.” Along with co-hosts Dr. Linda and Brian Schubring, we explore how identifying people’s innate gifts—especially the ones hidden behind “bad behavior”—can shift culture, increase performance, and create lasting belonging. Listen in and reflect on what gifts might be hiding in plain sight on your team.
The Folds That Shape Us: Embracing Life’s Permanent Creases
In this episode of The Leadership Vision Podcast, Dr. Linda and Brian Schubring explore the metaphor of “folds”—those permanent creases in our lives shaped by early experiences. From work ethic to limiting beliefs, our folds tell stories that influence how we lead and live. Discover how to name them, embrace them, and even refold them into something new. Tune in to reflect on the folds that have shaped your own story.
Unfolded Maps: Discover Your Inner Landscape of Leadership
In this episode of the Leadership Vision Podcast, Dr. Linda and Brian Schubring explore one of the central ideas of their book Unfolded: the metaphor of maps. Our maps represent our inner landscapes—our lived experiences, values, and relationships—and they hold both the well-traveled roads of habit and the hidden folds where growth emerges.
Together, we discuss how reflection, not just action, can unlock meaning from our stories. We look at how origin stories shape leadership, why seasons of life matter, and how mentors and guides can help us read our maps with fresh eyes. Brian and Linda remind us that our maps are not something to hide but to honor—with dignity, compassion, and curiosity.
Whether you’re a leader navigating change or someone seeking personal clarity, this conversation invites you to pause and ask: What does your map look like, and what story is it telling about you?
Work That Shapes Us: A Labor Day Reflection on Purpose and Leadership
In this short Labor Day reflection, we share an unexpected leadership insight inspired by the Benedictine monks’ philosophy of work. Drawing on the ancient motto Ora et Labora—“Pray and Work”—this episode explores how viewing our work as sacred, balanced, and community-driven can transform the way we lead and build team culture.
Whether you’re running a team, leading a company, or simply reevaluating your relationship with work, this episode invites you to reframe work as more than just a task—it’s a shaping force.
How Your Strengths Shape the Way You Communicate
How do your unique Strengths shape the way you communicate? In this episode of The Leadership Vision Podcast, Nathan Freeburg, Dr. Linda Schubring, and Brian Schubring explore the deep connection between identity and communication. Drawing from decades of consulting experience and their book Unfolded, they reveal four shaping influences—family, culture, environment, and time in history—that define how we express ourselves and listen to others. You’ll hear real client stories, practical strategies for adapting your communication, and insights into why nonverbal cues matter just as much as words. Whether you’re leading a team, navigating relationships, or simply wanting to connect more effectively, this episode will help you communicate with greater clarity, empathy, and impact. Listen now and discover one change you can make in your next conversation.
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