In the kitchen, that base is mirepoix—carrot, celery, onion. In leadership, it’s the same: three core ingredients show up in every hard conversation, every decision under pressure, every moment your team is silently asking: Can I trust you? Are we clear?

• Integrity

• Emotional Intelligence

• Clarity

Data point (because receipts matter): Gallup found only 13% of employees strongly agree leadership communicates effectively—so clarity isn’t common… which means it’s a competitive advantage.

• Why pressure reveals your defaults (heat reveals the recipe)

• How authenticity lives inside integrity (and what authenticity is not)

• How EQ creates psychological safety—and why your nervous system “broadcasts”

• The 3-part formula for real clarity: meaning, direction, agreements

• The “chef’s kiss” transparency script that builds trust without oversharing

• 00:00 — Why leadership needs a better base (not more garnish)

• 02:00 — Heat reveals the recipe: pressure + defaults

• 03:30 — Ingredient #1: Integrity (authenticity inside it)

• 06:40 — Emotional bank account: trust deposits + withdrawals

• 09:20 — Ingredient #2: Emotional Intelligence (empathy as EQ in action)

• 11:10 — Psychological safety (Project Aristotle)

• 13:45 — Mini practice: “emotional weather” in 10 seconds

• 16:10 — Ingredient #3: Clarity (clean communication)

• 19:00 — Chef’s kiss: name the moment/intention/ask

• 21:30 — Recipe card recap in 60 seconds

• 23:00 — When “garnish” becomes over-explaining

• 24:40 — Closing + review

• Integrity: Trust is built through tiny receipts—follow-through, repairs, consistency.

• Emotional Intelligence: Your nervous system sets the tone; presence creates safety.

• Clarity: Meaning + direction + agreements = momentum.

• Chef’s kiss: Responsible transparency that moves things forward.

• The Peace Bubble (weekly nervous system reset): Mondays at 8:30 AM — Register Here

• Episode reference: Expectations vs. Agreements

If Heart Glow CEO® supports your leadership, I’d be grateful for a quick review:
lovethepodcast.com/brilliance

In today’s episode, I share an unexpected lesson from a Keith Urban show finale that lit up a truth most high-achieving leaders forget under pressure: connection doesn’t happen through perfection—it happens through participation. If you’ve been leading with “tight control” (or quietly performing for approval), this is your invitation back to presence, resonance, and real influence.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to spot the moment you’re “performing” in leadership instead of connecting

• Why intuition gets drowned out when comparison creeps in—and what to do instead

• Simple ways to invite participation so your leadership becomes a shared experience

Timestamps/Chapter Guide:

• 00:00 Welcome + what Heart Glow CEO is about

• 00:01:55 The story: why a reality show finale became a leadership lesson

• 00:03:10 “They already won” — the habit of leapfrogging your wins

• 00:03:40 Cassidy’s finale: talent, joy… and the subtle shift into doubt & comparison

• 00:05:10 Leadership nuance: authenticity vs. respecting the “ground you’re serving on”

• 00:06:05 The regret moment: “I should have paid attention to what I already knew” (intuition)

• 00:07:30 Adam’s difference: acknowledgment, invitation, eye contact, play

• 00:08:45 The core insight: performance vs. experience

• 00:09:35 “Connection doesn’t happen through perfection. It happens through participation.”

• 00:10:30 Why people love helping dreams come true (and how this applies to leadership)

• 00:11:10 The paradox of conscious leadership: the more it’s about others, the more impact you have

• 00:12:05 3 reflection questions to lead differently in 2026

• 00:13:00 Closing: “Breathe joy.”

Key takeaways:

• Talent and credentials matter—but they don’t create resonance on their own.

• Comparison is a signal: it often disconnects you from your intuition and your audience.

• Conscious leadership isn’t a solo act. It’s a shared experience built through inclusion.

• The goal isn’t to be louder in 2026—it’s to be more connected.

Quote to remember:
Connection doesn’t happen through perfection. It happens through participation.

Reflection questions:

1. Where in your leadership could you invite more participation?

2. What would change if your next conversation, presentation, or decision became a shared experience—not a performance?

3. How might your leadership evolve if you trusted that connection, not control, creates real resonance?

Next step:
Choose one place this week to shift from performance to participation—a team meeting, a client call, a hard conversation—and experiment with inviting people in (not impressing them from the stage).

Share the pod love:
Enjoying Heart Glow CEO®? A quick review is the simplest way to support the show (and it helps the right people find it): www.lovethepodcast.com/brilliance

About Kc:
Kc Rossi, PCC, is an Integrative Leadership Coach helping mission-driven entrepreneurs and executives regulate stress, strengthen self-trust, and lead with clarity—without sacrificing health or values.
Connect with Kc on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kcrossi/

In today’s conversation, I’m joined by Corinne Gavlinski (Founder & CEO of The Gav Group) to name what this looks like in real leadership life, what it costs, and the antidote: creating space to reflect, getting back into your Impact Zone, and taking small, deliberate actions that restore clarity and momentum.

We also talk about identity jolts—those messy, humbling chapters that can become a catalyst for more grounded leadership when you stop trying to “power through” and start leading from truth.

• How to recognize when you’ve drifted into “lazy leadership” (even if you’re working nonstop)
• The antidote: how leaders return to the Impact Zone with clarity and intention
• Why identity jolts can refine your leadership and strengthen your legacy

• 01:54 — What “lazy leadership” is (and what it’s not)
• 04:27 — The Impact Zone + the antidote: space to reflect + a “catapult” tool
• 10:50 — Legacy leadership: “Who do you want to be remembered as?”
• 13:25 — Identity jolts: caregiving, pivots, ego hits, reinvention
• 16:30 — Betting on your innate talents (not just passion)
• 22:01 — A practical team clarity process (why accountability matters)
• 30:48 — The closing reflection + your 24-hour action step

The Impact Zone Guide

Corinne Gavlinski is Founder & CEO of The Gav Group and a thought partner to C-suite leaders who want results that matter—to their teams and their legacy. She’s a former SVP of Customer Success with 20+ years in executive Sales and Account Management roles across digital healthcare and finance. She holds an MBA from Loyola University Maryland and is board-certified as an executive coach and certified as a team coach.

Kc Rossi, PCC is an Integrative Leadership Coach and host of the Heart Glow CEO® Podcast, where mission-driven, high-performing leaders learn to lead with clarity, emotional steadiness, and self-trust—without burning out or abandoning what matters most.

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