Culture, Curiosity, and Becoming a Better Leader w/ Christy Pretzinger

The mirror test is the hardest and most revealing challenge you will ever face as a leader. It forces you to confront the gap between who you believe you are and how others actually experience you. Most leaders avoid that truth. The best ones run toward it. As leaders rise, fewer people are willing to give honest feedback. According to organizational psychologist Tasha Eurich, 95 percent of people believe they are self-aware, but only 10 to 15 percent actually are. That gap is where most leadership breakdowns begin. I share two personal stories that shaped my understanding of the mirror test. The first came through 360 feedback, when I learned that my tone sometimes made people feel unsafe speaking up. I was shocked. There is a biological reason for this. Bone conduction softens the sound of your own voice inside your head, which means you hear yourself calmer and gentler than others do. My intent and impact were misaligned, and I had to recalibrate how I communicated. The second story is about my evolution as a leader. I no longer need to win every argument. I care more about impact and alignment. But my team was still reacting to an older version of me. Internal change matters only if people can feel it or understand it. I needed to articulate what winning means for me now and how I want conversations and debates to feel going forward. I also explore the four most common leadership blind spots—ego, defensiveness, inconsistency, and avoidance—and how these patterns quietly undermine trust, influence, and team performance when left unchecked. From there, I walk through a simple four-step reflection framework that helps leaders realign their intention and impact. The Four-Step Reflection Framework 1. Name the pattern Identify exactly what you do when you are not at your best. No story. No justification. Just the behavior. 2. Look at the impact Ask who experiences the fallout and how it affects trust, performance, and culture. 3. Ask for feedback Accept that you cannot always see yourself clearly. Invite two or three people you work closely with to share how they experience your tone, energy, presence, listening, and consistency. Treat their input as data, not judgment. 4. Choose the correction Define what your highest self would do instead. Pick one specific behavior to practice for the next ten days and share your commitment with someone who can help hold you accountable. Mic Drop Moments • Growth does not matter if no one can feel the change. Leadership is defined by how people experience you, not how you think you show up. • If you refuse to look in the mirror, your team ends up carrying the weight of the truth you are unwilling to face. • You are not judged by your intentions. You are judged by your impact. Leaders who forget that slowly lose the room. • Self-awareness is not a trait. It is a choice. Every day you avoid the mirror, you choose stagnation over growth. Key Takeaways • You cannot outlead your own self-awareness. • Most leaders dramatically overestimate their level of self-awareness. • Ego, defensiveness, inconsistency, and avoidance are patterns—not flaws—and they can be changed once you see them clearly. • The four-step reflection framework gives you a discipline to correct your behavior and improve your impact. • True transformation begins when you choose to lead the person in the mirror first. Connect with Kerry Visit my website, kerrysiggins.com, to explore my book, The Ownership Mindset, and get more leadership resources. Let’s connect on LinkedIn, Instagram, or TikTok! Find Reflect Forward on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kerrysiggins-reflectforward Find out more about my book here: https://kerrysiggins.com/the-ownership-mindset/ Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerry-siggins/

Becoming a better leader is rarely about learning something new. It is almost always about facing something true. The moment when the tactics stop working and the truth steps in. The truth that wisdom hurts before it helps. The truth that kindness is harder than control. The truth that curiosity asks you to open your heart, not just your mind. In this conversation with Christy Pretzinger, we peel leadership back to its most human layers. The messy ones. The vulnerable ones. The ones that force you to ask, Am I showing up in a way that reflects who I want to be? If you crave leadership that feels honest and brave and deeply connected to the person you are becoming, this episode will stay with you. About My Guest Christy Pretzinger is the founder and CEO of WG Content, a nationally recognized healthcare content consultancy serving major hospital systems across the country. Her proudest accomplishment is the culture she has built on four core values: empowered, curious, kind, and fun. She is also the creator of The Better Leader Project, a cohort-based experience designed to help early-career professionals practice the power skills of leadership. Christy is the author of Your Cultural Balance Sheet, a thoughtful framework for turning cultural liabilities into assets. What We Cover • Building a business on kindness without sacrificing excellence • Why authenticity requires responsibility and emotional maturity • How simple, clear values shape decisions, behaviors, and daily interactions • Using the Enneagram to understand pace, intensity, and interpersonal impact • Curiosity as a leadership superpower that strengthens connection and innovation • The challenges and strengths of Gen Z as they enter the workforce • Why wisdom cannot be hacked, downloaded, or rushed Key Takeaways 1. Kindness is a strategy. When values are lived and reinforced, they shape culture and performance. 2. Authenticity is not an excuse. Honesty without awareness can create harm. Responsible authenticity builds trust. 3. Self-knowledge changes everything. Tools like the Enneagram help leaders moderate reactivity and create space for others to thrive. 4. Curiosity builds connection. When you ask deeper questions, you create deeper relationships and uncover better solutions. 5. Better is always available. Leadership is a practice. We improve through reflection, repetition, and the courage to face ourselves honestly. Mic Drop Moments • “There is no app for wisdom. You have to earn it over time.” • “Better, not perfect. Everyone has a better quotient they can access.” • “Authenticity without responsibility is not leadership.” • “Cultural liabilities can become assets when you pay attention and choose to change.” • “We are hardwired for community. Leadership practice needs real people, real feedback, real reps.” Connect with Christy Why This Conversation Matters Leadership is not about perfection. It is about awareness, courage, and evolution. This conversation with Christy offers a grounded and inspiring look at how to create cultures where people can thrive and how to become the kind of leader others trust, follow, and feel safe with. Connect with Kerry Visit my website, kerrysiggins.com, to explore my book, The Ownership Mindset, and get more leadership resources. Let’s connect on LinkedIn, Instagram, or TikTok! Find Reflect Forward on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kerrysiggins-reflectforward Find out more about my book here: https://kerrysiggins.com/the-ownership-mindset/ Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerry-siggins/

We humans love to be right. We defend our opinions. We double down on our beliefs. We dig our heels in, even when being right costs us our peace. As leaders, our attachment to rightness can quietly poison our relationships, decision-making, and emotional well-being. In this episode, I explore the paradox of being right and why true freedom lives on the other side of letting go. I share a story about my dad, who embodies a mix of self-righteousness and self-loathing. Watching him cling to being right, even as it isolates him from the people he says he loves, has been a powerful mirror for me. I connect this experience to leadership, to life, and to the personal transitions I am navigating right now. I share a costly patent infringement lawsuit where my desire to be right overruled my willingness to listen. I talk about my divorce and how I am intentionally choosing peace over correctness as I enter this next phase of my life and leadership. I also dive into the concept of paradox. Two truths can be true at the same time. You can be confident and still be wrong. You can love someone and feel hurt. You can lead with strength and still change your mind. ” The ability to hold paradox is the cornerstone of emotional maturity. Mic Drop Moments • “The need to be right is a cage disguised as control.” • “Freedom does not come from being right. Freedom comes from being open.” • “When you are right, you lose nothing by listening. When you are wrong, you lose everything by refusing to listen.” • “Two truths can be true at the same time. Emotionally mature leaders stop dying on the hill of being right.” • “Ask yourself. Did being right today make my life better, or did it just give me a dopamine hit followed by disconnection?” Key Takeaways Paradox is where wisdom lives Life is not black or white, and emotionally mature leaders understand this. Two truths can be true at the same time, and the more we can hold opposing ideas without needing certainty, the more grounded and effective we become. Being right gives a dopamine hit, not lasting peace Winning an argument feels good because our brains release dopamine, but the high is fleeting. Over time, clinging to rightness leads to defensiveness, disconnection, and a closed mind that keeps us stuck. Leaders who need to be right shut down their teams When leaders always have to be right, people stop speaking up. This shuts down ownership thinking, limits creativity, and prevents teams from challenging assumptions or offering better solutions. The cost of being right is often hidden and high You may win the argument but lose something far more critical, whether it is trust, money, time, or connection. When life becomes a competition instead of a relationship, the need to be right slowly erodes joy and collaboration. Choose freedom over being right with daily practice Freedom comes from intentional practice. Pause and get curious. Practice both/and thinking. Ask better questions. Prioritize connection over correctness. And reflect daily on whether being right actually made your life better. A Reflection Invitation I invite you to look at one area of your life or leadership where you might be trading your peace and freedom for the need to be right. Just one. Then experiment with letting go in that situation. Do not correct the email. Do not send the “last word” text. Do not push the point in the meeting. Let it go once and see what happens. Visit my website, kerrysiggins.com, to explore my book, The Ownership Mindset, and get more leadership resources. Let’s connect on LinkedIn, Instagram, or TikTok! Find Reflect Forward on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kerrysiggins-reflectforward Find out more about my book here: https://kerrysiggins.com/the-ownership-mindset/ Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerry-siggins/

Rewrite Your Inner Playlist with Susan Drumm and discover how music and mindset can break old patterns and elevate your leadership. Summary If you are ready to rewrite your inner playlist, here is the truth: if you are running an inner track of “I am not enough,” life will keep handing you proof that you are not enough. Until you change the track, nothing changes. In this episode of Reflect Forward, I sit down with Susan Drumm, CEO advisor, speaker, and author, to explore how our unconscious patterns drive our leadership and lives and how we can disrupt them using something as simple and profound as music. Meet Susan Drumm Susan is the bestselling author of The Leaders Playlist and founder of Meritage Leadership. She has spent more than twenty years helping leaders identify the emotional patterns holding them back and replacing them with more empowering ones. She combines neuroscience, the Enneagram, and music to help leaders create new neural pathways and transition into more conscious leadership. Why Patterns Run the Show Susan explains that our patterns are not just habits. They are deeply grooved neural highways formed over time, often beginning in childhood. These patterns once protected us, but now they can keep us stuck, repeating the same behaviors even when we know they no longer serve us. The Enneagram becomes a powerful tool here because it focuses on why we do what we do. When leaders understand their underlying motivation, they stop reading everyone else through their own filter and start leading with clarity, empathy, and purpose. I share openly about my Type Three pattern of wanting to keep everyone comfortable and how this showed up in my marriage, my divorce, and my leadership. Awareness truly is the first act of liberation. Music as a Leadership Transformation Tool Susan’s core method centers on the idea that music accelerates neuroplasticity, making it easier to break old emotional loops and build new ones. The process is simple and powerful: 1. Name your old playlist (e.g., “I am unworthy”). 2. Choose a pattern interrupt song that captures that old story. 3. Create a new playlist based on an “I am” statement you want to embody. 4. Practice being in that emotional state through movement and repetition. She shares a story of a high-achieving leader whose identity was completely tied to work. Through playlist work, he reclaimed his sense of freedom and took a six-week vacation for the first time. His company performed better without him micromanaging. Why This Matters for Leaders This conversation is for anyone who feels stuck in familiar loops, triggered by the same dynamics, or ready to take full ownership of their inner world. When you change your internal playlist, you change your leadership. You change your relationships. You change your life. Key Takeaways • Your inner playlist shapes your external reality. • Patterns are neural pathways—once protective, now restrictive. • The Enneagram helps you understand motivation, not just behavior. • Music accelerates real emotional and leadership transformation. • Owning your triggers is an act of power, not blame. Mic Drop Moments 1. “If you are running a playlist of ‘I am not enough,’ life will keep giving you evidence of that.” 2. “You built the cage—and you are holding the key.” 3. “You are not your title or success. You are your joy, impact, and freedom. Connect with Kerry Visit my website, kerrysiggins.com, to explore my book, The Ownership Mindset, and get more leadership resources. Let’s connect on LinkedIn, Instagram, or TikTok! Find Reflect Forward on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kerrysiggins-reflectforward Find out more about my book here: https://kerrysiggins.com/the-ownership-mindset/ Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerry-siggins/

Control is rooted in fear. Trust is rooted in strength. And when you shift from control to trust, you become a better leader. Control often stems from a fear of being judged, a fear of things going wrong, or a fear of losing influence. I used to believe that control equals competence. The more I managed outcomes, the more successful we would be. But what I eventually learned is that control does not create confidence; it kills it. Trust, on the other hand, unlocks potential. It multiplies leadership. It builds teams who think critically, act boldly, and take ownership for results. In this episode of Reflect Forward, I share how I transformed my leadership by moving from control to trust and why this shift changed everything for me, for StoneAge, and for my team. The turning point During the pandemic, everything changed. Suddenly, I was not in the office every day. People could not walk into my office for a quick answer or to bounce ideas off me. At first, it was disorienting. If I were not the glue holding everything together, what value did I bring? But something surprising happened: my team flourished. They made smart decisions, collaborated effectively, and solved problems without me. That was the moment I realized I had been the roadblock. My need for control, disguised as involvement, had held them back. It was humbling to realize that control does not build leaders. Trust does. As Stephen M. R. Covey says, “Control leads to compliance. Trust leads to commitment.” That realization became one of the most important lessons of my leadership journey. The three dimensions of trust Over time, I developed a simple framework to guide me in leading with trust instead of control. 1. Competence – Believe in their capability. Trust that your people can figure things out, even if they do it differently than you. 2. Character – Believe in their integrity. Know that they will do what is right, even when you are not watching. 3. Connection – Show them they matter. Why trust matters According to research by Paul Zak published in Harvard Business Review, employees in high trust companies report 74 percent less stress, 106 percent more energy, and 50 percent higher productivity than those in low trust environments. Trust is not soft; it is smart. It is the foundation of ownership, performance, and innovation. As Sheryl Sandberg put it, “Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.” That is exactly what trust does. Mic drop moments • “Control does not build leaders. Trust does.” • “Ownership and control cannot coexist.” • “When I stopped trying to control everything, I found something I did not expect: freedom.” • “Coaching is adding considerations without taking back the decision.” Key takeaways 1. Control is rooted in fear. Trust is rooted in strength. Check your motives before you step in. 2. You cannot create ownership without giving up control. Ownership requires autonomy. 3. Trust is active, not passive. Equip people, ask better questions, and coach instead of direct. 4. Develop thinkers, not followers. Build people’s confidence in their own judgment. 5. Letting go multiplies your influence. When you lead with trust, leadership spreads. Connect with Kerry Visit my website, kerrysiggins.com, to explore my book, The Ownership Mindset, and get more leadership resources. Let’s connect on LinkedIn, Instagram, or TikTok! Find Reflect Forward on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kerrysiggins-reflectforward Find out more about my book here: https://kerrysiggins.com/the-ownership-mindset/ Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerry-siggins/

Stop calling it strategy. Most leaders are not doing strategy; they are managing a glorified to-do list. In this episode of Reflect Forward, I sit down with Simon Severino, author of Strategy Sprints, TEDx speaker, Forbes contributor, and CEO of Strategy Sprints, to talk about how to lead with clarity, focus, and speed. Simon helps leaders design an operating rhythm that turns lofty visions into measurable weekly wins, all without adding more meetings or complexity. Simon has spent over two decades helping leaders enter markets, scale effectively, and remain competitive in uncertain times. His Strategy Sprints method replaces long planning cycles with focused 90-day sprints that keep teams learning, adapting, and moving fast. It is a system designed for real-life scenarios, where uncertainty is constant and leaders cannot afford to wait for perfect information. Simon reminds us that strategy is not about being right; it is about learning fast. His Focus Card is a simple but powerful tool: one page for your strategy, one tab for weekly metrics. Every Monday, teams set their priorities. Every Friday, they review what is working and what is not. It is a rhythm that keeps everyone focused and aligned, turning strategy from theory into practice. Simon also challenges leaders to build like Lego, not Duplo, modular, flexible, and fast to reconfigure. When markets shift, teams that move in small, adaptable units thrive. That mindset is not just tactical, it is cultural. It encourages curiosity, experimentation, and speed. The beauty of Simon’s method is its simplicity. It does not add complexity; it removes it. The Strategy Sprint approach helps leaders focus on what matters, cut through noise, and lead teams that win through clarity and cadence. My Takeaways 1. Plans list tasks. Strategy makes bets. Great leaders take responsibility for the assumptions they make. 2. Measure both cause and effect. Track the activities and the results they create. 3. Shorten your feedback loop. A Monday and Friday rhythm beats quarterly reviews every time. 4. Build modular. Smaller, faster systems are easier to adapt when the market shifts. 5. Seek truth, not validation. Try to invalidate your assumptions weekly. If they hold up, you are truly winning. When I asked Simon what he wished leaders understood about strategy, he said: “Do not try to prove you are right. Try to prove yourself wrong. If your assumptions survive, then you are winning.” And if you want to bring more focus and agility to your team, try Simon’s Focus Card exercise. You might be surprised at how much clarity one page can bring. Connect with Simon https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonseverino/ https://www.facebook.com/simon.severino https://x.com/simonseverino https://www.strategysprints.com/ Connect with Kerry Visit my website, kerrysiggins.com, to explore my book, The Ownership Mindset, and get more leadership resources. Let’s connect on LinkedIn, Instagram, or TikTok! Find Reflect Forward on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kerrysiggins-reflectforward Find out more about my book here: https://kerrysiggins.com/the-ownership-mindset/ Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerry-siggins/

As leaders, we all face moments when someone’s words or actions cut deep. Maybe it’s betrayal, criticism, or a costly mistake. But when justice isn’t possible, Leadership becomes about something deeper: how we process it, learn from it, and move forward. Justice and accountability are not the same. Justice is external; it’s about consequences and what happens to them. Accountability is internal; it’s about reclaiming your power, energy, and integrity, regardless of what they did. You won’t always get justice. But you can always choose accountability. That’s the moment you take your power back. When there’s no way to make it right, when justice isn’t possible, accountability looks like this. You set boundaries: stop giving the situation oxygen. You practice neutrality: train your nervous system so that their name or memory no longer triggers an emotional response. You witness yourself.: tell the truth without spin or self-gaslighting. You cut the cord: stop replaying the story and feeding the energy leak. Letting go isn’t weakness. It’s strength. Forgiveness and compassion don’t mean excusing bad behavior. They mean refusing to let it define you. I call this clean compassion; seeing the humanity in someone without justifying the harm. You can let go with love and boundaries, not bitterness. And that’s Leadership in motion: choosing peace over poison when justice isn’t possible. When you can discuss painful experiences without harboring anger, you model genuine Leadership. That’s what builds trust with others and with yourself. What you’ll learn • The real difference between justice and accountability • How boundaries and neutrality create inner accountability • How to stop rumination and reclaim your energy • Why clean compassion strengthens Leadership Reflect Forward Questions 1. Am I seeking justice or accountability? 2. Am I feeding the story or cutting the cord? 3. What boundary or choice will help me reclaim my energy right now? Key Takeaways 1. Justice is external. Accountability is internal. You can always choose your response. 2. Boundaries create accountability. Remove access and stop giving the situation oxygen. 3. Neutrality equals freedom. When the memory no longer spikes your emotions, you’ve reclaimed your power. 4. Energy management is Leadership. Rumination drains creativity and clarity. 5. Clean compassion is strength. Let go with love, not anger. Mic Drop Moments • “Letting go isn’t weakness. It’s one of the most powerful leadership skills you can master.” • “You don’t need someone else to make it right in order for you to rise.” • “Boundaries aren’t walls; they are declarations of self-respect.” • “When you release the need for justice, you make space for peace.” Connect with Kerry Visit my website, kerrysiggins.com, to explore my book, The Ownership Mindset, and get more leadership resources. Let’s connect on LinkedIn, Instagram, or TikTok! Find Reflect Forward on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kerrysiggins-reflectforward Find out more about my book here: https://kerrysiggins.com/the-ownership-mindset/ Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerry-siggins/

To lead well, you must train your brain to lead. When your nervous system is calm, you think clearly, make better decisions, and build stronger relationships. When it is hijacked by stress or fear, even the most experienced leader can lose presence and perspective. In this episode, executive leadership coach Nataly Huff, founder of Inspire Forward, explores the neuroscience behind composure, emotional regulation, and the stories we tell ourselves when we are triggered. We dive into what really happens during an amygdala hijack, why your prefrontal cortex becomes depleted, and how to use your body’s cues to regulate your nervous system in real time. Nataly shares science-based strategies to pause before reacting, leverage tools like box breathing and compartmentalization, and reframe inaccurate thoughts before they spiral into conflict. Together, we explore what it truly means to train your brain to lead, not by suppressing emotions but by understanding them. If you have ever left a meeting thinking, “Why did I react like that,” this conversation gives you the self-awareness and practical tools to stay grounded, curious, and in control. About Nataly Nataly Huff is an executive leadership coach with 15 years of corporate experience. She blends neuroscience and emotional intelligence to help emerging executives elevate their leadership impact. Learn more and book a discovery call at inspireforward.com. What we cover • The brain’s happiness chemicals and how to leverage them for better performance • Amygdala hijacks and how to recognize, interrupt, and reset • Practical nervous system regulation through box breathing, 4 7 8, and sensory grounding • Healthy compartmentalization: when to use it and when to unpack it • The Think → Feel → Do framework and Byron Katie’s Four Questions for challenging limiting stories • Triggers, ownership, and radical honesty, and how to lead yourself first • Why the goal is not perfection but a faster recovery loop Key takeaways 1. Name it to tame it. Notice your physiological cues, label the amygdala hijack, and pause before reacting. 2. Breathe with structure. Try box breathing or 4 7 8 to bring your attention back to the present. 3. Compartmentalize with intention. Put it in a box now and plan when you will process it. 4. Interrupt the story. Ask, “Is it true? Can I know for sure,” before assuming the worst. 5. Progress over perfection. The more you train your brain to lead, the faster you recover and the stronger you show up. Mic drop moments • “There is no bear. It is just an email.” • “Your prefrontal cortex cannot run on empty. Fuel it or you default to reaction.” • “Compartmentalization is powerful if you open the box later.” • “Honor the pattern before you release it. It helped you survive and succeed.” • “Leadership is not the absence of triggers. It is ownership of your recovery.” Resources mentioned • Breathwork: box breathing, 4 7 8 breathing • Frameworks: Think → Feel → Do, Byron Katie’s Four Questions Connect with Nataly Website: https://www.inspire-forward.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalyhuff Instagram: @inspirefwdcoaching Tik Tok: @https://www.tiktok.com/@inspirefwdcoaching Book a Free Call: https://www.inspire-forward.com/book-a-free-call Rewiring Your Leadership Brain https://www.inspire-forward.com/rewiring-your-leadership-brain Connect with Kerry Visit my website, kerrysiggins.com, to explore my book, The Ownership Mindset, and get more leadership resources. Let’s connect on LinkedIn, Instagram, or TikTok! Find Reflect Forward on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kerrysiggins-reflectforward Find out more about my book here: https://kerrysiggins.com/the-ownership-mindset/ Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerry-siggins/

No one is coming to save you. The moment you realize that is the moment you step into your true power as a leader. In this episode of Reflect Forward, I explore the life changing power of radical responsibility. As leaders, we all have moments when we wish someone else would fix the problem, make the decision, or show us the path forward. But waiting for someone to rescue us kills momentum. True leadership begins when we stop waiting and start owning. I talk about how to recognize when you have slipped into victim thinking, how to catch yourself in that moment, and how to reclaim your sense of agency. You will learn how to listen for the subtle signals that you are giving away your power, especially when you hear yourself saying “Yeah, but.” That phrase is the telltale sign that you have moved from ownership to avoidance. This episode will help you build the mindset of accountability and confidence that defines great leaders. It is about shifting from “Why will someone not fix this?” to “What is my next step?” and realizing that you already have everything you need to lead yourself and your team forward. As Winston Churchill once said, “The price of greatness is responsibility.” Taking ownership for your choices, your reactions, and your mindset is how you become the kind of leader others want to follow. Research backs this up. A McKinsey study found that companies with leaders who embrace ownership and accountability are 4.9 times more likely to outperform their peers in overall performance. Accountability is not just about personal growth; it is a competitive advantage. Key Takeaways 1. Ownership starts where excuses end. The moment you stop waiting for rescue, you start leading. 2. Catch your “yeah, but.” It is the red flag of victim thinking. Pause, reframe, and act. 3. Ask the three ownership questions: • What part of this situation can I own right now? • If no one else steps in, what is the best step I can take today? • Am I choosing to be a victim or the leader who changes it? 4. Clarity beats control. You cannot control circumstances, but you can always control your response. 5. Leaders go first. When you model accountability, you build a culture that owns results. Mic Drop Moments • “No one is coming to save you. The moment you realize that is the moment you step into your true power as a leader.” • “Leadership begins when we stop waiting and start owning.” • “If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you would not sit for a month.” — Theodore Roosevelt • “You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself.” — Jim Rohn If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who needs this reminder. And don’t forget to like, subscribe, and leave a review helps me spread the message of intentional leadership and the ownership mindset even further. Connect with Kerry Visit my website, kerrysiggins.com, to explore my book, The Ownership Mindset, and get more leadership resources. Let’s connect on LinkedIn, Instagram, or TikTok! Find Reflect Forward on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kerrysiggins-reflectforward Find out more about my book here: https://kerrysiggins.com/the-ownership-mindset/ Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerry-siggins/

How to be a super performer is a question every ambitious leader wrestles with. We chase higher goals, push our teams, and try to sustain momentum, but often overlook the real drivers of lasting success. True performance is not about doing more. It is about uncovering the root causes of success and creating the conditions where people can thrive. In this episode of Reflect Forward, George Pesansky joins me to flip the script on performance. With over 30 years of experience in operational excellence, George has helped companies worldwide transform through lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement. His new book Super Performance distills the lessons he has learned, and in this conversation, he shares how to apply them to your leadership, your teams, and even your personal growth. We dig into why the “Prison of Expectations” quietly kills commitment, how to stretch your most productive “Golden Hour,” and why resilience and self-awareness are non-negotiables for anyone who wants to lead well. We also explore what sustainable momentum really looks like and how leaders can empower others without bottlenecking progress. George’s insights are practical, powerful, and rooted in humility. This conversation will challenge your perspective on leadership and help you design systems for sustainable success without burning out yourself or your team. Key Takeaways 1. Find the root causes of your success. Do not just analyze problems. Dissect your wins and double down on what works. 2. Protect and extend your Golden Hour. Name the time and conditions when you are most effective and build more of it into your day. 3. Escape the Prison of Expectations. Pressure without psychological safety kills commitment. Replace it with clarity and curiosity. 4. Lead with curiosity, not control. Step out of the boardroom, go to where the work happens, and ask questions to learn. 5. Momentum is addition and subtraction. True progress comes when your gains outpace the losses created by turnover, inefficiencies, and neglect. Mic Drop Moments • “If you try to be the hero of every story, you will burn out and bottleneck your company.” • “The Golden Hour is not luck. It is a designed environment you can repeat and stretch.” • “Pressure without safety creates the Prison of Expectations where people stop committing.” • “Real leadership is when the day-to-day runs without you because the why and the what are clear.” • “Do the Five Whys on your wins. Success leaves clues.” George’s book Super Performance is available now wherever books are sold. To learn more about him and his work, visit georgepesansky.com and myblendedlearning.com. If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who could benefit. And don’t forget to like, subscribe, and leave a review helps me spread the message of intentional leadership and the ownership mindset even further. Connect with Kerry Visit my website, kerrysiggins.com, to explore my book, The Ownership Mindset, and get more leadership resources. Let’s connect on LinkedIn, Instagram, or TikTok! Find Reflect Forward on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kerrysiggins-reflectforward Find out more about my book here: https://kerrysiggins.com/the-ownership-mindset/ Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerry-siggins/