What if the biggest barrier to innovation in your organization isn't a lack of ideas but a lack of trust?

Most leaders say they want change. They want innovation, creativity, teams that take initiative. But when someone actually steps up to try something new, the response is usually some version of "Wait, did you get approval for that?" We've created systems that demand permission slips for experimentation, and then we wonder why nothing actually changes.

On this episode, host Jason Stonehouse interviews Kim Bohr, President and COO of SparkEffect, architect of the Trust Elasticity framework, and a leader with over 25 years of experience guiding organizations through leadership transitions, AI rollouts, and messy restructures. Kim helps executive teams lead through disruption without losing their people in the process, and she doesn't deal in theory or aspirational vision statements. She's all about what actually works when you're trying to shift culture, build trust, and create space for people to fail forward without getting crushed.

Jason and Kim dig into why so many change initiatives collapse under their own weight, what it really takes to move from talking about innovation to actually doing it, and how leaders can stop micromanaging outcomes and start trusting their teams to figure things out. They explore the difference between building a culture of permission and building a culture of trust, why failure has to be safe before experimentation becomes possible, and how to lead change when you don't have all the answers yet.

If you've ever felt stuck between wanting your team to take ownership and feeling terrified when they actually do, this conversation will challenge how you think about control, risk, and what it means to lead in the middle of uncertainty.

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Connect with Kim Bohr: kimbohr.com

If this episode challenged your thinking, share it with another leader who needs to hear it. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss a conversation that helps you lead with clarity and confidence.

What if the polished version of you is actually keeping you from real influence?

In this powerful episode, host Jason Stonehouse sits down with Amos Balongo, global leadership coach and communication expert who's trained everyone from senior military commanders to Fortune 500 executives. Amos challenges one of the biggest lies in leadership culture: that you need to fake confidence until you make it.

Amos breaks down why authenticity beats polish every single time, comparing "fake it till you make it" to building a house on eggshells. He reveals that the longest distance between two points is actually a shortcut, and that real communication power comes from genuinely believing in what you're saying. This isn't about sounding good, it's about being real.

This conversation digs into why so many leaders know their stuff but still struggle to communicate clearly, the difference between confidence and performance, and why people can sense when you're not genuinely passionate about what you're talking about. Jason and Amos explore practical ways to communicate with authenticity, how to connect across generational divides in team meetings, and why asking better questions beats demanding confirmation every time.

If you've ever walked into a meeting trying to sound confident but ended up winging it with PowerPoint slides and a prayer, this episode will help you find your real voice, the one people actually trust and remember.

Links:

• Amos's website: amosbalongo.com

• Jason's coaching resources: jasonstonehouse.com
• Free growth resource: totalpackageplaybook.com

Know a leader who needs to stop performing and start connecting? Share this episode with them, and subscribe to the Calm and Confident Leader podcast for conversations that cut through the noise.

What if everything you believed about your potential was based on someone else's opinion of you?

In this powerful episode, host Jason Stonehouse sits down with Hanna Bauer, executive leadership coach and author, to unpack why so many talented leaders feel stuck living lives that don't actually fit them. Hanna reveals a truth that hits hard: most of us are operating from beliefs about ourselves that were handed to us by teachers, parents, bosses, or critics—and we never questioned whether those beliefs were actually true.

Hanna shares her own story of being told she wasn't leadership material, only to discover years later that she'd internalized a lie that shaped her entire career trajectory. She introduces the concept of "reclaiming your potential"—not finding some hidden superpower, but excavating the real you from underneath all the shoulds, supposed-tos, and other people's expectations that have been piled on top.

This conversation tackles the messy work of identifying the beliefs that are quietly running your life, why high achievers are often the most disconnected from who they really are, and how to start making decisions based on what's actually true about you rather than what you've been told. Jason and Hanna dig into practical ways to recognize when you're living someone else's script, how to get honest about what you actually want (not what you think you should want), and why reclaiming your potential might mean disappointing some people.

If you've ever felt like you're working hard at the wrong things, or wondered why success doesn't feel the way you thought it would, this episode will challenge everything you think you know about yourself.

Links:

• Hanna's book: Reclaim Your Potential (available wherever books are sold)
• Hanna's website: hannabauer.com
• Jason's coaching resources: jasonstonehouse.com
• Free growth resource: totalpackageplaybook.com

This episode could be the wake-up call someone in your life needs.

SHARE it with a leader who's ready to stop living someone else's version of success, and SUBSCRIBE to the Calm and Confident Leader podcast for conversations that dig beneath the surface.

Resisting the Drift
You can be crushing it at work while quietly falling apart inside. It rarely happens all at once. It happens slowly. Subtly. A few late nights. A few missed moments at home. A quiet slide into becoming someone you never meant to be.

Host Jason Stonehouse talks with Peter Greer, president of Hope International and author of How Leaders Lose Their Way, about the early warning signs of drift and the small, intentional steps that can bring you back before it's too late.

• Are you becoming someone you never intended to be?

• How do you know if you're drifting?

• What actually helps you reconnect with who you are?

If this episode helps you, share it with a friend. And make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss a single episode of The Calm and Confident Leader.

What if your team isn’t stuck because they’re resistant to change, but because they literally can’t imagine what’s next? In this episode of The Calm and Confident Leader, host Jason Stonehouse sits down with Dr. Rebecca Sutherns, CEO of Sage Solutions, strategist, and author of Elastic: Stretch Without Snapping or Snapping Back. Together, they unpack what Dr. Sutherns calls a failure of imagination, why teams stall out when they can’t see the future they’re being asked to build.

You’ll hear how imagination isn’t just for dreamers or creatives. It’s a strategic skill that can unlock innovation, build adaptability, and help teams move through uncertainty without losing heart. Rebecca shares her “hallway” metaphor for leading through transition, practical ways to help your team stay grounded when there’s “no door in sight,” and the surprising link between imagination, adaptability, and emotional resilience.

Whether you lead a business, a church, or a team that’s tired of hearing the same conversations on repeat, this episode will help you see why imagination might just be the leadership skill you’ve been missing.

Links Mentioned:

• Free resources and the Elastic framework: RebeccaSutherns.com

  http://rebeccasutherns.com/podcast

• The Total Package Playbook (from The Calm and Confident Leader)

  TotalPackagePlaybook.com

If this conversation got you thinking, share it with someone who needs to hear it. And be sure to subscribe to The Calm and Confident Leader so you never miss an episode that helps you live and lead from the inside out.

Most leaders think their job is having all the answers. But what if the real power lies in asking the right questions?

In this episode, host Jason Stonehouse sits down with JR Briggs, founder of Kairos Partnerships and author of The Art of Asking Better Questions, to explore why the best leaders might not be the ones with all the solutions. JR has spent over a decade coaching everyone from business owners to college presidents to Black Hawk helicopter operators, and he's discovered something that could flip your entire approach to leadership.

JR reveals there are four levels of questions, and most of us are stuck at level one. He explains why humility, curiosity, and courage are essential to asking better questions, and how moving from "answer person" to "question asker" can transform your team's trust, creativity, and ownership. You'll discover why questions create connection in ways answers simply can't, and learn one practical thing you can start doing today to become a better question asker.

Jason and JR also flip the script mid-episode, with JR coaching Jason live on the podcast, demonstrating exactly how powerful questions unlock deeper insights and genuine connection.

If you've ever wondered why your team isn't being more honest with you or how you could lead with more influence, this conversation is for you.

Links:

• JR's website: jrbriggs.com
• Kairos Partnerships: kairospartnerships.org
• Jason's coaching resources: jasonstonehouse.com
• Free growth resource: totalpackageplaybook.com

Love this episode? Share it with a leader who needs to hear it, and subscribe to the Calm and Confident Leader podcast so you never miss an episode.

What if being "too compassionate" is actually the most profitable thing you could do as a leader?

Most entrepreneurs think compassion makes you weak. That caring too much about your team means lower standards, missed goals, and a business that runs you instead of the other way around. But what if that's completely backwards?

In this episode, host Jason Stonehouse sits down with Cal Riley, combat veteran, entrepreneur, leadership coach, and author of Entrepreneurial Compassion: An Entrepreneur's Journey Through Combat, Suicide, and the Discovery of Compassionate Leadership. Cal is on a mission to develop 1 million compassionate leaders by 2035 and prevent 100,000 suicides by helping leaders build healthier companies and more humane systems.

Cal challenges the biggest myths about compassionate leadership, including why tolerating poor performance isn't compassionate at all, how the most driven entrepreneurs can pair their intensity with compassion to get better results, and why your team matters more than your clients. He shares why apologizing might be the most underrated leadership skill, how systems like EOS work best when leaders do their inner work first, and practical steps any leader can take today to build more self-awareness and show up better for their team.

This conversation gets real about the mirror every entrepreneur faces and what it takes to become the kind of leader people actually want to work for.

Resources mentioned:

• CalRiley.com for a free self-assessment survey
• Entrepreneurial Compassion (all proceeds go to Stop Soldier Suicide)
• JasonStonehouse.com for free leadership resources and coaching info
• TotalPackagePlaybook.com to learn how to bring your whole self to your work

If this episode challenged how you think about leadership, subscribe to the Calm and Confident Leader podcast, share it with another entrepreneur who needs to hear this, and leave a like. Life is a process, so don't do it alone.

What if the most productive thing you could do today is slow down?

Most leaders are running on empty, convinced that busier equals better. But what if that equation is completely backwards? What if your anxiety isn't the fuel driving your success...it's actually burning you out?

In this episode, Jason Stonehouse sits down with Alan Fadling, founder of Unhurried Living and author of An Unhurried Leader and A Non-Anxious Life, to explore a counterintuitive truth: the most influential leaders aren't the ones moving fastest. Alan helps leaders around the world rest deeper, live fuller, and lead better, and he's about to challenge everything you thought you knew about productivity.

We dig into the difference between making a splash and bearing fruit that lasts, why busy people might actually be lazy, and how to lead from overflow instead of deficit. Alan shares the squirrel-on-a-bike-trail analogy that perfectly captures how anxiety hijacks our leadership, practical strategies for creating space to think and reflect, and why having time for people is your greatest point of influence.

This conversation is for every leader who's tired of the treadmill, who wants to stop managing their image and start leading from a place of peace.

Resources mentioned:

• UnhurriedLiving.com - Alan's website with weekly podcasts, articles, and resources
• JasonStonehouse.com - Free leadership resources, blog, and coaching info

If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to the Calm and Confident Leader podcast, share it with another leader who needs to hear this, and leave us a like. Leadership starts from the inside out...let's do this journey together.