How Great Leaders Handle Uncertainty with Avy Leghziel

In this episode of the Servant Leadership Podcast, Greg Aden sits down with executive coach and strategic consultant Avy Leghziel to talk about what leadership really looks like when work gets messy, unpredictable, and chaotic. Avy shares insights from his doctoral research on executive performance in chaotic environments and explains why leaders should not always try to eliminate uncertainty. Greg and Avy explore courageous conversations, workplace culture, leadership values, empathy, communication, emotional triggers, executive coaching, organizational development, and the importance of asking better questions. They also discuss why people avoid difficult conversations, how leaders can create stronger connections with their teams, and how curiosity, honesty, and servant leadership can lead to better decisions, stronger relationships, and improved performance. This conversation is especially valuable for executives, managers, business leaders, coaches, and anyone working to become a more effective leader.

Follow Avy Leghziel:
linkedin.com/in/avyleg
avyleg.com

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CHAPTERS

00:00 Meet Avy Leghziel
01:11 Executive Coaching and Studying Chaos
03:56 The Leadership Moment That Started Avy’s Research
04:59 Why We Should Stop Fighting Chaos
06:21 Management Versus Leadership
08:38 Was Avy’s Boss Actually Being a Leader?
09:34 Stop Aiming for Leadership Utopia
10:12 Vision Versus Criteria for Success
11:10 Understanding the Forces Affecting Your Organization
11:45 Workplace Politics, Competition, and Culture
14:55 How Values Shape Leadership
16:54 InteraWorks
17:45 Why We Avoid Courageous Conversations
18:34 Our Fear of Surprises
19:17 The Problem With Performative Politeness
20:40 Greg’s Approach to Courageous Conversations
22:02 What Happens When We Get Triggered
23:39 Using Difficult Moments to Create Connection
25:49 How to Have Deeper Conversations
27:41 Turning Workplace Problems Into Better Questions
30:07 Why Are We Here?
31:25 Collaboration Instead of Competition
33:06 Invite People to Shift, Not Change
34:48 Better Conversations Create Better Performance
36:52 Greg’s Final Takeaways

Want to keep the conversation going? Book a 15 minute conversation with Greg: adenleadership.com/15-minute-sl-podcast-connection

Watch full episodes and shorts on YouTube: Aden Leadership on YouTube

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