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The Leadership Habit

The Leadership Habit

Written by: Crestcom International
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 Welcome to the Leadership Habit podcast from the Crestcom Leadership Institute, the show that brings you inspiration and information to help you transform your leadership style. We use our experience developing leaders in over 60 countries worldwide to help you develop the skills and tools you need to reach your leadership potential, join us in our mission to create a better world by developing stronger, more ethical leaders. How can you make leadership a habit today? Careers Economics Management Management & Leadership Personal Success Self-Help Success
Episodes
  • Leading Through Change with Rebecca Reynolds

    Leading Through Change with Rebecca Reynolds
    Feb 20 2026
    Change is unavoidable in today’s workplace. But confusion, resistance, and stalled initiatives don’t have to be. In this episode of The Leadership Habit, Jenn DeWall sits down with change strategist Rebecca Reynolds to explore why most transformations struggle—and how leaders can guide their teams through change with clarity, confidence, and lasting impact. Meet Rebecca Reynolds, CEO & Strategist Rebecca Reynolds is the founder and CEO of RRC and a trusted advisor to leaders navigating complex organizational change. With more than 30 years of experience across corporate, nonprofit, and public sector organizations, she helps executives align teams, strengthen communication, and lead transformations that stick. Rebecca is also the author of Thresholds of Change: The Way Through Transformational Times, a practical playbook for guiding personal and organizational transformation. Her work focuses on designing change processes that support leaders while keeping people engaged, resilient, and focused on results. Why Most Change Initiatives Struggle In the episode, Reynolds shares a powerful insight: nearly 70% of people naturally resist change. That means most leaders are working against human instinct when introducing new strategies, systems, or priorities. Too often, organizations treat change as a one-time announcement rather than a structured journey. Leaders introduce a new idea, hope it works, and move on. When results fall short, teams become frustrated and disengaged. Sustainable change requires intention, pacing, and continuous communication—not quick fixes. The Four Thresholds of Change Reynolds’ “Thresholds of Change” framework explains how people and organizations move through transformation in predictable stages. 1. Instigation: Recognizing Early Warning Signs This stage is about noticing when something is no longer working. Declining morale, repeated mistakes, missed deadlines, and customer complaints are all indicators that change may be necessary. Effective leaders pay attention early, before small problems become major disruptions. 2. The Liminal Stage: Creating Space for Insight Often called the “messy middle,” this phase is where many leaders lose patience. Instead of rushing to solutions, Reynolds encourages leaders to pause and listen. This stage allows teams to challenge assumptions, explore possibilities, and develop better ideas. It is uncomfortable—but essential for meaningful change. 3. Metabolization: Testing New Approaches Once clarity emerges, teams begin experimenting. Leaders pilot ideas, gather feedback, and refine processes. This stage builds confidence and helps employees feel ownership of the change. 4. Manifestation: Making Change Stick In the final stage, the organization operates with stronger alignment and renewed momentum. Performance improves, people trust the direction, and new habits become part of everyday work. When leaders engage the full process, change becomes lasting rather than temporary. Where Leaders Commonly Go Wrong Throughout the conversation, Jenn and Rebecca highlight several common mistakes that derail transformation: Treating major change like routine managementAssuming everyone is comfortable with uncertaintyIgnoring frontline perspectivesSkipping reflection and planning timeCommunicating decisions only after they are finalized One key takeaway is that leaders are often more adaptable than their teams. Without intentional support, this gap leads to resistance and frustration. Why Collaboration Matters in Change Successful change is rarely built in isolation. Instead of designing plans behind closed doors, strong leaders invite input throughout the process. This improves solutions, builds trust, and prevents costly blind spots. When people feel heard and involved, they are far more likely to support new initiatives. Applying These Lessons in Your Organization This episode offers practical guidance for leaders at every level. As you reflect, consider: What signals might you be overlooking?Have you created space for honest dialogue?Are you moving too quickly to “fix” things?Who needs to be involved earlier? Change does not fail because people are incapable. It fails when leaders underestimate its complexity. Learn More from Rebecca Reynolds Explore Rebecca’s work and resources, visit her website: rebeccareynoldsconsulting.comYou can also learn more through her book Thresholds of Change: The Way Through Transformational Times, which provides tools and frameworks for navigating transformation with confidence. One of the biggest reasons change efforts stall is that teams aren’t aligned on how significant the change actually is. To help with that, Rebecca is offering Leadership Habit listeners a complimentary tool called The Change Scale Assessment. It helps leadership teams quickly align on the true scale of change they’re facing—before decisions are made or momentum is lost. Designed for groups of any size, the ...
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    51 mins
  • Minisode: Empowerment, Engagement, and Better Decisions at Work

    Minisode: Empowerment, Engagement, and Better Decisions at Work
    Feb 6 2026
    Employee engagement is at its lowest point in more than a decade. Many organizations are filled with talented, capable people who want to contribute, yet hesitate to take action. The missing link is often not skill or motivation. It is empowerment. In a recent minisode of The Leadership Habit, host Jenn DeWall delivers a focused masterclass on how empowerment drives better decisions, stronger ownership, and sustainable performance. This episode explores why empowered leaders and teams consistently outperform those operating in environments of hesitation and dependency. Why Empowerment Matters More Than Ever Low engagement, burnout, and slow decision-making are becoming common challenges across industries. Teams are capable, but without clear authority, confidence, and trust, they often wait for approval instead of taking initiative. As Jenn explains in the episode: “Empowerment is equipping people with the authority, confidence, information, and psychological safety to make meaningful decisions.” Without these elements, leaders become bottlenecks. Projects stall. Innovation slows. Accountability weakens. Empowerment is what turns leadership development into measurable business impact. What Does Real Empowerment Look Like? In the minisode, Jenn outlines four essential components of empowerment: 1. Authority: People must know what decisions they are allowed to make. 2. Confidence They need training, support, and trust to act effectively. 3. Information They must have access to the right data, tools, and context. 4. Psychological Safety They need to feel safe taking risks without fear of punishment. When even one of these is missing, hesitation grows, and performance suffers. The ABCs of Self-Empowerment Empowerment does not start with policies or programs. It starts with leaders themselves. Jenn introduces the ABC framework for self-empowerment: A: Know What You Own Understand which decisions belong to you and which can be delegated. B: Trust Your Judgment Waiting for perfect information increases stress and delays results. C: Give Yourself Permission to Decide You will never feel 100 percent ready. Progress requires action. As Jenn reminds listeners: “Not making a decision is still a decision.” Avoiding choices often creates bigger problems than making an imperfect one. How Empowered Leaders Reduce Burnout and Decision Fatigue Many leaders struggle with decision fatigue after managing constant demands. Over time, this leads to hesitation, stress, and disengagement. In the episode, Jenn shares practical ways to overcome this: Make important decisions earlier in the dayLimit unnecessary optionsSet time limits for decision-makingAvoid major choices when tired, overwhelmed, or emotionally floodedBuild reflection habits to strengthen confidence She also encourages leaders to regularly document wins to reinforce self-trust and momentum. Delegation That Builds Leaders, Not Dependency One of the most powerful sections of the minisode focuses on delegation. Too often, leaders delegate tasks without context. This creates dependency rather than growth. Jenn distinguishes between task delegation and thinking delegation. When you delegate tasks, you may say something like, “Do this. Follow these steps.” However, if you are delegating thinking, it may sound more like, “Here is the desired outcome, how would you approach this?” To delegate effectively, leaders must provide: Information – Relevant facts, expectations, and constraintsWhy – The purpose behind the workAuthority – Clear permission to decide When these elements are present, teams make faster, smarter decisions and require less supervision. The Benefits of Empowered Teams When empowerment becomes part of workplace culture, organizations experience: Higher engagementFaster decision-makingGreater innovationIncreased accountabilityImproved retentionStronger leadership pipelines Jenn summarizes it clearly: “You can’t empower others if you can’t empower yourself.” Empowered leaders create empowered organizations. Want to Go Deeper into Empowered Leadership? If you want to take a deeper dive into empowered leadership, the first step is to listen to the full episode! Then, explore Crestcom’s additional leadership resources designed to help leaders apply these principles in real-world settings, including: The Empowerment eBookAn on-demand empowerment webinar You can also request a complimentary leadership skills workshop to bring these concepts directly to your team. The post Minisode: Empowerment, Engagement, and Better Decisions at Work appeared first on Crestcom International.
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    23 mins
  • How To Escape the Delegation Trap with Atiba de Souza

    How To Escape the Delegation Trap with Atiba de Souza
    Jan 23 2026
    Escape the Delegation Trap and Empower Your Team Many leaders believe delegation is simply about assigning tasks. In reality, poor delegation is one of the biggest drivers of burnout, bottlenecks, and disengaged teams. In the latest episode of The Leadership Habit, host Jenn DeWall sits down with CEO strategist and productivity expert Atiba de Souza, author of The Delegation Trap. Together, they unpack why most leaders feel stuck answering the same questions, doing too much themselves, and struggling to build true bench strength on their teams. This conversation goes beyond delegation theory. Atiba shares hard-earned lessons from more than 30 years in business and coaching, along with a practical framework leaders can use immediately to help their teams think more clearly, take ownership, and perform at a higher level. Meet Atiba de Souza, Author and Entrepreneur Atiba de Souza is known as a secret weapon for organizations with underperforming teams. As a CEO, strategist, and team productivity expert, he helps leaders remove delegation bottlenecks and transform how work gets done. With more than three decades of business experience and over 15 years as a championship football coach, Atiba brings a rare blend of real-world leadership, team development, and performance discipline. His work focuses on practical frameworks that improve productivity by teaching leaders to empower others rather than becoming bottlenecks themselves. Why Delegation Breaks Down Many leaders start with good intentions. They train their teams. They explain expectations. They provide resources. Yet over time, the same frustrations appear: Leaders answer the same questions repeatedlyDecisions funnel upwardManagers feel overwhelmed and burned outTeams hesitate to act without approval As Atiba explains in the episode, this often leads leaders to believe they have a people problem when in reality they have a delegation problem. Too often, delegation becomes telling instead of teaching. When leaders jump in with answers, they unintentionally train their teams to depend on them rather than think for themselves. The Delegation Trap Atiba describes the “delegation trap” as the moment leaders realize their business or team cannot move without them. Even when performance looks strong on the surface, leaders feel trapped because: The organization relies on their constant inputTime off feels impossibleGrowth is limited by their own capacity In the episode, Atiba shares how he discovered this problem firsthand when he realized he spent much of his day answering questions he felt he had already addressed. That realization became the catalyst for developing a new way to delegate that focuses on thinking, not just doing. The CASE Method: A Better Way to Delegate At the heart of Atiba’s book is a simple but powerful framework called the CASE Method. Rather than telling people what to do, this approach helps leaders coach their teams to think through problems independently. C – Challenges Leaders begin by asking team members what challenges they encountered. This opens the conversation without judgment and creates psychological safety. A – Articulate Next, employees articulate each step they took. This allows leaders to see how the person is thinking, not just what outcome they reached. S – Study Together, leaders and employees study selected steps, exploring assumptions, decisions, and outcomes. Instead of correcting mistakes directly, leaders ask questions that guide discovery. This is where learning accelerates. Employees begin connecting cause and effect on their own. E – Easier Than Expected Finally, leaders ask what felt easier than expected. This step often reveals hidden strengths and talents leaders may not have recognized. Over time, this process helps employees move beyond task completion and toward true ownership. Why Teaching People How to Think Matters Throughout the conversation, one message stands out: effective leaders do not teach people what to do. They teach people how to think. Atiba explains that as artificial intelligence continues to reshape work, leadership will increasingly depend on asking better questions rather than providing faster answers. Leaders who rely on telling will struggle. Leaders who coach thinking will build resilient, adaptable teams. This shift requires curiosity, patience, and restraint. It also requires leaders to talk less and listen more. A Powerful Reminder for Leaders One of the most impactful moments in the episode comes when Atiba shares a personal story from early in his coaching journey. After a difficult season, his young son told him he never wanted to play football again because of his coaching style. That moment forced Atiba to look in the mirror and confront an uncomfortable truth: leadership without empowerment creates disengagement. The lesson applies far beyond sports. Leaders must be willing to examine their own habits and recognize when their approach may be ...
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