Leading Human

Chad Prevost

You've achieved the success. You've checked the boxes. But something still feels off. Welcome to Leading Human—a podcast for high-achieving leaders, founders, and mission-driven professionals who are questioning whether the life they built is actually the life they want. This isn't about productivity hacks or surface-level self-care. This is about the real work: reclaiming your authentic self beneath the conditioning, the burnout, and the unconscious patterns running your life. Hosted by Chad Prevost (and sometimes Shelley), co-founders of Big Self School, Leading Human explores conscious leadership through the lens of depth psychology, the Enneagram, and the emerging role of AI in human development. We believe burnout isn't something that happens *to* you—it's something that happens *for* you. It's a soul crisis revealing where you've been abandoning yourself. Each episode tackles the friction between who you are and who you've become. We explore how personality operates beneath the surface, how ego hijacks your calling, and how to lead from your Big Self—the deeper, truer essence beneath the masks and cultural programming. We talk workplace communication, difficult conversations, sustainable leadership cultures, and how tools like Emma AI can quantify emotional intelligence to support the inner work between coaching sessions. This show is for leaders who don't just want to recover from burnout—they want a radical reorientation of their lives so they never get lost again. For those ready to stop trading life force for external validation and start leading from alignment, presence, and sustainable purpose. Because the greatest leaders don't just manage their teams. They manage their reactivity, wrangle their ego, and bring their biggest, most authentic gifts into the world with grounded wisdom and deep humility. Go big. And go home.

  1. 08/10/2025

    Building Trust and Integrity: A Leadership Journey with Jim Carlough

    In this episode of Leading Human, host Chad welcomes leadership expert and author Jim Karloff to discuss his book, 'The Six Pillars of Effective Leadership: A Roadmap to Success.' Jim shares his journey in leadership, the inspiration behind his book, and how the six pillars—compassion, empathy, stability, focus, humor, and the crucial element of integrity—can be effectively implemented in any organization. Tune in to explore the nuances of these pillars, learn from Jim's professional experiences, and gain insights into building a resilient, people-first team in today's rapidly changing world. 00:00 Introduction to Jim Karloff and His Leadership Philosophy 00:55 Jim's Journey to Writing 'The Six Pillars of Effective Leadership' 03:28 Unveiling the Six Pillars 04:26 The Importance of Integrity in Leadership 05:38 Identifying and Addressing Leadership Weaknesses 07:39 The Role of Compassion and Empathy in Leadership 09:29 A Real-Life Example of Compassionate Leadership 15:49 Building Trust and Loyalty Through Integrity 16:33 Balancing Empathy and Accountability in Leadership 17:44 Supporting Employees Through Personal Crises 20:25 Challenges of Maintaining Integrity in Leadership 23:58 The Importance of Organizational Culture 25:22 Rapid Fire Leadership Insights 31:38 Book Giveaway and Final Thoughts Want a communication and wellbeing workshop that actually sticks? Whether you’re building trust or leveling up team accountability, we’ve got you. Book a call to ask questions and learn more about improving how your team communicates here.

    35 min
  2. 24/09/2025

    The Art and Science of Emotionally Intelligent Team Building with Vanessa Druskat

    Join us in this episode of Leading Human as we delve into the importance of team norms, emotional intelligence, and collaborative culture with Vanessa Drucker, author of 'The Emotionally Intelligent Team.' Discover how the right practices can transform team dynamics, optimize interactions, and enhance performance. Vanessa shares insightful stories and practical steps on building psychologically safe and emotionally intelligent teams. Make sure to watch this episode to learn the secrets of high-performing teams and how to implement them in your organization. 00:00 Introduction to Emma AI and Today's Guest 00:36 The Power of Team-Based Tools 01:43 Introducing Vanessa Druskat and Her Work 09:46 Vanessa Joins the Conversation 09:57 The Importance of Emotional Norms in Teams 10:24 Real-World Example: Engineers' Transformation 16:09 Building Psychological Safety in Teams 17:20 The Role of Leaders in Team Culture 18:49 Implementing Team Norms and Accountability 23:42 Measuring and Changing Team Culture 25:43 Team Building Exercises: Getting to Know Each Other 26:46 Establishing Team Norms 28:06 The Role of the Leader in Team Culture 30:16 Dealing with Difficult Personalities 32:48 The Importance of Belonging in Teams 40:28 Rapid Fire Questions: Insights on Team Dynamics 44:34 Conclusion and Resources Where to find Vanessa Druskat's groundbreaking book. Want a communication and wellbeing workshop that actually sticks? Whether you’re building trust or leveling up team accountability, we’ve got you. Book a call to ask questions and learn more about improving how your team communicates here.

    42 min
  3. 08/09/2025

    Transforming Stress Into Strategic Clarity with Pankaj Singh

    Pankaj Singh is a leadership strategist and founder of Singh Leadership, where he helps high-achieving professionals transform burnout into clarity and purpose using neuroscience-informed frameworks like the Purpose Factor If Leading Human is where emotional intelligence meets organizational impact, then Pankaj Singh is your kind of guest. A former C-suite leader who began his journey training under a lama, Pankaj now empowers leaders to transform reactive pressures into purpose-driven presence. In this episode of 'Leading Human', Chad welcomes Pankaj Singh, a leadership strategist and founder of Singh Leadership, to discuss turning stress into strategic clarity, the role of purpose in leadership, and how mindfulness can unlock better decision-making. Pankaj shares his journey from a stressful professional experience to developing neuroscience-informed frameworks like the Purpose Factor and the Inner Compass Journey. The conversation covers how leaders can reframe chronic stress, the importance of being present, and specific practices such as micro journaling and mindfulness exercises. Pankaj also discusses the PROGRESS and PIVOT frameworks, and the significant impacts of aligning personal purpose with organizational goals on productivity and employee retention. 01:09 Pankaj Singh's Stressful Turning Point 02:49 Understanding Chronic Stress and the Brain 04:50 Mindful Micro Practices 08:07 The Purpose Factor Framework 10:12 Micro Journaling and Reflection 15:01 The PIVOT Framework for Mindfulness 17:37 Impact of Mindfulness on Productivity 20:36 Understanding Your Audience 21:07 Organizing Your Life: Emotional and Relational Aspects 21:26 The Importance of Relationships 22:32 Aligning with Your Purpose 23:01 The Role of Fulfillment in Coaching 23:11 The 14-Week Journey 23:34 Practicing Mindfulness and Meditation 25:21 Balancing Technology and Humanity 26:58 Augmented Intelligence and AI Tools 27:15 Conscious Data Framework 29:43 Micro-Journaling and Presence 33:23 Final Thoughts and Resources Connect with Pankaj Want a communication and wellbeing workshop that actually sticks? Whether you’re building trust or leveling up team accountability, we’ve got you. Book a call to ask questions and learn more about improving how your team communicates here.

    37 min
  4. 01/09/2025

    Leading with Resilience: A Conversation with Dr. Eva Selhub

    In this episode of 'Leading Human,' host Chad Prevost sits down with Dr. Eva Selhub, a Harvard-trained physician and bestselling author, to explore the intersection of cutting-edge neuroscience and ancient wisdom. Dr. Selhub shares her journey from conventional medicine to studying resilience and the mind-body connection after a life-changing experience. They discuss the importance of emotional intelligence, stress management, and creating healthy habits for leaders. Dr. Selhub outlines six pillars of resilience and provides practical tips on how to translate scientific understanding into everyday practices that enhance performance and well-being. The conversation also delves into the significance of intuition in leadership and how to balance it with data-driven decision-making. Dr. Selhub emphasizes the necessity of self-awareness, compassion, and how to recognize and manage fear-driven behaviors. Listeners will gain valuable insights on how to lead with empathy, adapt to stress effectively, and create a thriving work culture. 01:23 A Life-Changing Experience 02:06 Exploring Mind-Body Medicine 03:40 Transition to Leadership and Coaching 04:47 Understanding Emotional Intelligence 12:18 The Science of Stress and Resilience 16:55 Practical Habits for Leaders 17:58 Understanding Stress and the Brain 18:32 Managing Stress with Self-Compassion and Mindfulness 18:44 Activating the Vagal System 19:19 The Role of Neuroplasticity in Stress Management 19:40 Practical Techniques for Stress Reduction 22:04 The Importance of Intuition in Leadership 23:01 Balancing Intuition with Data 24:26 Recognizing Fear-Driven Behavior 24:46 The Power of Self-Awareness in Leadership 27:32 Rapid Fire Wrap-Up 33:38 Morning Luxuriating and Final Thoughts Find her at her website here More about Dr. Selhub's course here. Want a communication and wellbeing workshop that actually sticks? Whether you’re building trust or leveling up team accountability, we’ve got you. Book a call to ask questions and learn more about improving how your team communicates here.

    36 min
  5. 25/08/2025

    Burn the OKRs, Build the Vision End metric theater with Radhika Dutt

    In this episode of Leading Human, host Chad interviews Radhika Dutt, author of 'Radical Product Thinking' and the forthcoming book 'Escaping the Performance Trap.' Dutt challenges the conventional wisdom of goal-setting in performance management, arguing that tools like OKRs and KPIs often backfire. Instead, she introduces an alternative framework focused on detailed vision statements, puzzle setting, and puzzle solving, which encourages continuous learning and adaptation. The conversation explores the history of goal-setting, its limitations in complex environments, and practical steps for implementing Dutt's approach. Author of Radical Product Thinking, a speaker and entrepreneur, Radhika Dutt has participated in 5 acquisitions, 2 of which were companies she founded. She's an advisor on Product Thinking to the Monetary Authority of Singapore. She's also an MIT grad with SB and M.Eng in EECS, and speaks nine languages. 01:12 Challenging Traditional Management 03:38 The History and Problems with Goal Setting 07:25 Alternative Approaches to Alignment 14:56 Implementing Puzzle Setting and Solving 20:30 Overcoming Resistance to Change 26:23 Lightning Round and Conclusion Radhika's LinkedIn profileRadhika’s WebsiteRadical Product Thinking (website for the methodology and Radhika’s first book)Speaker reelLinks to the OHL framework/ toolkitWant a communication and wellbeing workshop that actually sticks? Whether you’re building trust or leveling up team accountability, we’ve got you. Book a call to ask questions and learn more about improving how your team communicates here.

    33 min

About

You've achieved the success. You've checked the boxes. But something still feels off. Welcome to Leading Human—a podcast for high-achieving leaders, founders, and mission-driven professionals who are questioning whether the life they built is actually the life they want. This isn't about productivity hacks or surface-level self-care. This is about the real work: reclaiming your authentic self beneath the conditioning, the burnout, and the unconscious patterns running your life. Hosted by Chad Prevost (and sometimes Shelley), co-founders of Big Self School, Leading Human explores conscious leadership through the lens of depth psychology, the Enneagram, and the emerging role of AI in human development. We believe burnout isn't something that happens *to* you—it's something that happens *for* you. It's a soul crisis revealing where you've been abandoning yourself. Each episode tackles the friction between who you are and who you've become. We explore how personality operates beneath the surface, how ego hijacks your calling, and how to lead from your Big Self—the deeper, truer essence beneath the masks and cultural programming. We talk workplace communication, difficult conversations, sustainable leadership cultures, and how tools like Emma AI can quantify emotional intelligence to support the inner work between coaching sessions. This show is for leaders who don't just want to recover from burnout—they want a radical reorientation of their lives so they never get lost again. For those ready to stop trading life force for external validation and start leading from alignment, presence, and sustainable purpose. Because the greatest leaders don't just manage their teams. They manage their reactivity, wrangle their ego, and bring their biggest, most authentic gifts into the world with grounded wisdom and deep humility. Go big. And go home.