The Step UP - Where Leaders, Talent Managers and Leadership Development pros find expert tips for Leadership excellence

Kent Kniebel
  • 5.0 (11)
  • Management
  • Updated Weekly

About the Podcast The Step Up brings together experts who help leaders elevate their impact. Each 45-minute episode features conversations with thought leaders, practitioners, and innovators who are changing how we think about leadership development and helping leaders step up their game. Why This Podcast Exists Throughout my career—from my time at organizations like Korn Ferry, Cargill, General Mills, and Buffalo Wild Wings to my current work as an independent leadership consultant—I've witnessed firsthand how leaders struggle during moments of change and transition and when learning higher-level skills. Work never slows down, and leaders often find themselves trying to grow while in the thick of daily demands. The Step Up is designed to provide practical wisdom and actionable strategies that busy leaders can implement immediately to enhance their effectiveness. What to Expect Each episode follows a two-part format: Part One: Leadership Journeys We explore our guest's background, expertise, and unique perspective on leadership development. You'll hear authentic stories about their experiences supporting leaders and the insights they've gained along the way. Part Two: Actionable Strategies Our guests share three specific, practical tools or approaches that you can apply to your leadership right away. We dig into each one, discussing how to implement it effectively in your unique context. Your Host Kent Kniebel brings over 20 years of experience in leadership development, talent management, and DEI consulting to each conversation. Drawing on his background in corporate HR roles and external consulting work, Kent guides discussions that bridge theory and practice, focusing on what really works in today's leadership landscape. Connect with Kent Have questions about the podcast or want to continue the conversation? Connect with Kent on LinkedIn or visit Kniebel Leadership Advisory to learn more about his work supporting leaders during critical transitions.

  1. 1d ago

    Why Neuro-Inclusive Cultures Make Every Leader More Effective

    Most leaders write policies, meetings, and office norms for "the average" employee. Hailey Meyer explains why that instinct quietly costs organizations their best thinking, and what it actually takes to build a culture where neurodivergent team members, and everyone else, can do their best work. Guest: Hailey Meyer is founder of Compassionately Transparent Coaching, a leadership development consultant, ICF-certified coach, and certified ADHD coach practitioner who helps individuals and organizations build neuro-inclusive environments. In this episode: 01:50 — Kent welcomes Hailey Meyer to the show02:04 — Hailey's background and her two-part coaching practice04:33 — How Hailey became passionate about neurodiversity coaching09:02 — Kent's own first exposure to neuro-inclusion during the pandemic at Cargill12:00 — Defining neuro-inclusive culture and the business case behind it19:33 — What gets in the way: why leaders label differences as problems22:47 — A practical example: redesigning meetings so every brain can contribute30:16 — Office design, open floor plans, and the case for hybrid work38:52 — Two pieces of advice, one for leaders climbing and one for leaders who just arrived Resources mentioned: Temple Grandin and her work on reducing animal stress (search for this)"Astrophysics for People in a Hurry" by Neil deGrasse TysonThe Neuroleadership Institute (search for this)Adam Grant's research on return-to-office mandates (search for this)The "devil's floor plan" concept, attributed to Carla McLaren (search for this) Links for today's show: Hailey Meyer on LinkedInCompassionately Transparent CoachingKent Kniebel on LinkedInThe Promoted Leader Toolkit Music for this podcast comes from a live recording of the song Needle & Thread and is provided with permission by Pert' Near Sandstone. Check them out on pertnearsandstone.com and on all major streaming platforms. Enjoyed the episode? Leave a rating and review wherever you listen, it helps more leaders find the show.

  2. Aug 11

    Why Rudeness at Work Is Costing Companies Billions

    Businesses in the U.S. are losing an estimated $2 billion a day to rudeness and incivility. Not layoffs, not bad strategy, just people being sour, sarcastic, or careless with each other. Dr. John O'Brien has spent 30 years as a psychologist watching what that does to people, and he's spent the last several turning it into a mission: teaching leaders and teams how to catch it before it wrecks a culture. Guest: Dr. John M. O'Brien is a licensed psychologist, executive coach, and founder of Activate Success, and the author of Rudeness Rehab: Reclaiming Civility in the Workplace and Your Home Space. In this episode: 00:40 — Kent's intro and why 1 in 3 promotions fail01:44 — John's path from psychotherapy to workplace civility05:00 — The billion-dollar cost of incivility08:44 — How social media and digital tools fuel workplace rudeness12:54 — Return-to-office mandates and the narcissism research behind them17:57 — The three types of incivility, and the one John worries about most23:19 — What leaders and HR should actually be doing about it31:50 — The BAM framework for staying calm under pressure39:16 — Advice for leaders stepping into a new role Resources mentioned: SHRM's research on the cost of workplace incivility (shrm.org)Dr. Christine Porath's research on civility at work Andrew Huberman's physiological sigh research, Huberman Lab (hubermanlab.com)Adam Grant, Marissa Shandell, and Courtney Elliott's study linking CEO narcissism to return-to-office mandates (fortune.com)Rudeness Rehab: Reclaiming Civility in the Workplace and Your Home Space (rudenessrehab.com)Civility Matters, John's podcast - (https://civilitymatters.buzzsprout.com ) Links for today's show: John O'Brien on LinkedInJohn's TEDxTufts Talk: Small Slights, Big ConsequencesActivate SuccessRudeness Rehab (book)Kent Kniebel on LinkedInThe Promoted Leader Toolkit Music for this podcast comes from a live recording of the song Needle & Thread and is provided with permission by Pert' Near Sandstone. Check them out on pertnearsandstone.com and on all major streaming platforms. Enjoyed the episode? Leave a rating and review wherever you listen, it helps more leaders find the show.

  3. Aug 4

    The Leadership Lesson You Have to Relearn at Every Level

    George Parada spent thirteen years learning to lead inside Cargill's highly structured system, then walked into Meta with almost none of that structure in place, and had to rebuild it from scratch. Today, as an account executive at JLL leading a 300-plus person team, he's still relearning the same lesson: letting go of the work that made him successful in the first place. Guest: George Parada is an Account Executive at JLL, where he has strategic oversight of a 300+ person team supporting a life sciences client in the Bay Area. His career spans 13 years at Cargill (production supervisor to Director of Engineering), an 18-month stint in food and beverage, three years at Meta, and now JLL. In this episode: [02:14] — George's career path: Cargill to Meta to JLL, and why he stepped back into an individual contributor role on purpose[06:04] — What changed moving from a 150-year-old structured company to a startup-like Meta[10:38] — The hardest transition of his career: becoming the person the buck stops with[13:30] — Leading functions he has no background in, using a RACI framework[17:19] — The line from his facilitator that reframed how he leads: "I may no longer be six feet from the work, but I'm six feet from the solution"[23:08] — Working "miles across but only inches deep," and why he forces his team to plant progress flags[25:50] — Why he keeps his own name off the RACI for the roles he's filled[32:14] — The lesson he wishes he'd learned sooner: setting expectations and accountability from day one[37:33] — Why "meets expectations" isn't a bad rating, and the trap of grade-inflating it anyway[40:50] — His advice for leaders chasing the next promotion: build your board of directors[42:54] — His advice for newly promoted leaders: read The First 90 Days and establish your norms before you get popular Resources mentioned: The First 90 Days by Michael WatkinsRACI framework (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) Links for today's show: George Parada on LinkedInKent Kniebel on LinkedInThe Promoted Leader Toolkit Music for this podcast comes from a live recording of the song Needle & Thread and is provided with permission by Pert' Near Sandstone. Check them out on pertnearsandstone.com and on all major streaming platforms. Enjoyed the episode? Leave a rating and review wherever you listen, it helps more leaders find the show.

  4. Jul 28

    Why Middle Managers Are the Emotional Shock Absorbers of Change

    Dana Echert has spent her career watching the same pattern repeat across hospitality, a Forbes Five Star resort, and a hypergrowth tech company: organizations know emotional intelligence matters, and still struggle to build it. In this episode, she and Kent dig into why EQ, not technical skill, now decides who survives the flattening happening across middle management, and what it actually looks like to lead yourself before you try to lead a team. Guest: Dana Echert, CPTM, SHRM-CP is the founder of INSPIRE, where she helps organizations build emotional intelligence, trust, and psychological safety into their leadership pipelines. In this episode: 02:18 — Dana's path from 22-year-old restaurant manager to building leadership development programs05:48 — The director who pulled Dana and her team aside to apologize, and what it taught her about leadership13:36 — Why middle managers have become the emotional shock absorbers of constant change14:32 — Why EQ, not technical skill, decides who survives organizational flattening21:01 — The difference between a leader who reacts and one who responds25:07 — Why "you need EQ training" backfires, and what actually shifts behavior26:40 — The Five Guys fries analogy for making the business case on trust37:01 — Dana's advice for leaders preparing for their next promotion Resources mentioned: Google's Project Aristotle (research on psychological safety as the top driver of team performance)The EQ Lab, Dana's three-month leadership development journeyTrust and EQ Reset Workshop, Dana's single-session offering for teams navigating change Links for today's show: Dana Echert on LinkedInINSPIRE (Dana's company)Kent Kniebel on LinkedInThe Promoted Leader Toolkit Music for this podcast comes from a live recording of the song Needle & Thread and is provided with permission by Pert' Near Sandstone. Check them out on pertnearsandstone.com and on all major streaming platforms. Enjoyed the episode? Leave a rating and review wherever you listen, it helps more leaders find the show.

  5. Jul 21

    Power Fades. Influence Lasts. Building Relationships Before You Need Them

    What does it actually mean to lead without authority — and why do so many smart, capable leaders never learn how? Mike Krupit spent 25 years building startups from engineer to CTO to COO to CEO before founding Trajectify, and his answer is simple: most people try to lead with power because it's faster. The problem is it runs out. In this episode, Mike and Kent dig into why influence outlasts authority, what it actually takes to build it, and why the shift to remote and hybrid work is quietly eroding the relationship capital leaders depend on most. Guest: Mike Krupit is the CEO of Trajectify, an executive coaching and advisory firm helping leaders and organizations break through growth plateaus by developing stronger people skills alongside stronger strategy. In this episode: [01:49] — Mike's career arc: from engineer to CEO across 25 years in Silicon Valley startups[04:54] — How startup leaders skip leadership levels vs. the corporate path — and what each approach misses[12:14] — The story that crystallized it: a director who quit rather than learn to lead without the CEO's authority[15:17] — Where Mike starts when leaders complain about "no accountability" — and why it's almost always a relationship problem[18:27] — The bank account metaphor: why you have to make deposits before you can make withdrawals[22:11] — How remote and hybrid work is unwinding the basic building blocks of influence[25:19] — "Leaders should never eat alone" — the VP of HR who told Mike to put down his lunch and go to the cafeteria[29:24] — Relationship mapping and the "is this manipulation?" pushback Mike and Kent both get from clients[34:55] — Mike's summary: power fades fast, influence lasts long, and 80% of it is rapport[35:59] — Advice for promotion seekers: lead with authenticity over idealism[37:35] — Advice for the newly promoted: your fears haven't happened and probably won't — take the next step Resources mentioned: Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi — the book on intentional relationship-building that came up in the conversationTeddy Roosevelt quote: "People don't care what you think until they think that you care"Trajectify — trajectify.com Links for today's show: Mike Krupit on LinkedInTrajectifyKent Kniebel on LinkedInThe Promoted Leader Toolkit Music for this podcast comes from a live recording of the song Needle & Thread and is provided with permission by Pert' Near Sandstone. Check them out on pertnearsandstone.com and on all major streaming platforms. Enjoyed the episode? Leave a rating and review wherever you listen — it helps more leaders find the show.

  6. Jul 14

    The 7 Parts of Every Business — and Why Your Mindset Runs All of Them

    RJon Robins has spent 15+ years helping entrepreneurs stop working for their businesses and start building businesses that work for them. His new book — Truth, Lies, Mistakes or B******t: What's Driving Your Business? — started as a talk and became a business parable about what separates thriving organizations from struggling ones. Spoiler: it's not the business model. It's what's running in the owner's head. We cover the seven parts of every business, why HR exiled itself to a compliance island, and what it means to invest in leadership before you actually need it. Guest: RJon Robins is an 8-figure entrepreneur, licensed attorney, and bestselling author. He founded How to Manage a Small Law Firm in 2009 and has since achieved 8,000% revenue growth, with 600+ of the fastest-growing small law firm owners in the country as members. His company has been named to the INC 5000 every year since 2015 and recognized as an INC Best Place to Work. In this episode: 00:02:06 — RJon's background: founding How to Manage a Small Law Firm and building a business he's away from 270 days a year00:04:21 — What led to the book Truth, Lies, Mistakes or B******t and why it's written as a business parable00:07:38 — The difference between owning a business and owning a job00:10:40 — The 7 parts of every business: marketing, intake, production, people, physical plant, financial controls, and you00:17:36 — The 7th part: your mindset is in the center of the clock, and it's affecting every other part00:22:02 — Why HR should be called Human Development, and what it looks like when it's treated as a profit center00:25:42 — "This is 100% HR's fault" — why HR exiled itself to the compliance island and what it costs them00:32:13 — The Peter Principle in action: what GE and other big companies do differently with talent development00:38:56 — How intrapreneurs can navigate any organization by understanding its core motivations00:42:44 — The Doctrine of Sacrifice vs. the Doctrine of Profit — and what profit actually means as a voluntary exchange00:46:43 — How RJon opens every interview: treating candidates as CEO of their own career00:50:00 — Advice for leaders pursuing promotion, and for leaders on day two of a new role: pursue truth, find out what's real Resources mentioned: Truth, Lies, Mistakes or B******t: What's Driving Your Business? by RJon Robins and John David Mann — truthliesmistakesorbs.com or order at Barnes & Noble (pre-order at time of recording)The Automatic Marketing Machine by RJon Robins (search on Amazon or Barnes & Noble)Profit First for Lawyers by RJon Robins (25,000+ copies sold; search on Amazon or Barnes & Noble)The Doctrine of Sacrifice vs. The Doctrine of Profit — RJon's proprietary framework on why suffering isn't a requirement for building a profitable businessThe E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber (referenced on systems-driven business)Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon HillThe Peter Principle — concept by Laurence J. Peter (search "The Peter Principle book") Links for today's show: RJon Robins on LinkedIntruthliesmistakesorbs.comKent Kniebel on LinkedInThe Promoted Leader Toolkit Music for this podcast comes from a live recording of the song Needle & Thread and is provided with permission by Pert' Near Sandstone. Check them out on pertnearsandstone.com and on all major streaming platforms. Enjoyed the episode? Leave a rating and review wherever you listen — it helps more leaders find the show.

  7. Jul 7

    Leaders First: What a VP of Ops Learned About Letting Go

    Tom Priebe spent 20-plus years in med device operations — but he'll tell you the function is secondary. This conversation is really about what it means to identity as a leader first, why your career is built on failure, and what it actually looks like to give your people the space to grow. Tom brings a VP-level perspective without any of the polish that usually comes with it. Guest: Tom Priebe is VP of Global Operations at Bracco Medical Technologies, where he leads across functions he didn't start in — hired, as his boss put it, for his leadership. In this episode: [02:16] — Tom's career path: IBM disk drives to med devices, and why purpose pulled him away from manufacturing[07:03] — Redefining what a good day looks like: "Did I actually do anything today?" and why planting seeds counts as work[08:29] — The sandwich years: why first-level managers carry the full weight of the organization, managing both up and down simultaneously[13:18] — The hardest thing to let go — and why it wasn't the technical work[15:09] — How to decide which mistakes to let people make: fixed vs. growth mindset cultures, and the engineer Tom intentionally set up to fail[17:24] — Why leaders should start with themselves when something goes sideways — not the employee[28:25] — Ego vs. humility: why ego locks you in and humility keeps you growable (via Ryan Holiday's Ego Is the Enemy)[32:15] — What readiness for the next level actually looks like: fire in the belly, and why Tom would rather tame a tiger than prod a panda[40:54] — Advice for leaders preparing for a promotion: write your resume of the future, then work backwards[42:43] — Advice for day one at the new level: stop performing, start listening — and why pushing too fast damages your reputation Resources mentioned: The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins — Amazon — Tom's go-to recommendation for new leadersEgo Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday — Amazon — referenced as the "Daily Stoic guy's" book on ego vs. humilityStrengthsFinder (now CliftonStrengths) — gallup.com/cliftonstrengths — the assessment that told Tom he might make a good leaderImprov as a leadership development tool — search for "improv leadership training" for programs near you Links for today's show: Tom Priebe on LinkedIn Bracco Medical TechnologiesKent Kniebel on LinkedInThe Promoted Leader Toolkit Music for this podcast comes from a live recording of the song Needle & Thread and is provided with permission by Pert' Near Sandstone. Check them out on pertnearsandstone.com and on all major streaming platforms. Enjoyed the episode? Leave a rating and review wherever you listen — it helps more leaders find the show.

  8. Jun 30

    From Insight to Action: Why Your Assessment Data Sits on the Shelf

    Leaders love assessment data. Then it goes on a shelf. Former Hogan Assessments CEO Scott Gregory joins Kent to dig into why the gap between self-awareness and behavior change is so persistent — and what actually moves the needle. They cover how to filter what's worth developing, why context beats comprehensiveness, and the one question every leader should ask before acting on any piece of feedback. Guest: Scott Gregory is an IO psychologist, former CEO of Hogan Assessments, and longtime executive coach and assessment practitioner with decades of experience in personality research and leadership development. In this episode: 02:00 — Scott's career arc: professional musician to IO psychology PhD to PDI, Pentair, MDA Leadership, and ultimately CEO of Hogan Assessments10:26 — Why assessment data ends up in a binder on a shelf — and what goes wrong between insight and action13:04 — The data overload problem: leaders are rarely surprised by their feedback, so why are we giving them 75 pages?19:37 — The definition of leadership nobody has (Scott once asked 50 Fortune 500 HR leaders to raise their hand — no one did)20:31 — Hogan's working definition: leadership is the ability to develop and sustain a high performing and highly engaged team21:01 — The shift from personal output to team output — why it's hard at every level of the pipeline, not just the first promotion26:17 — Why personality is stable after 25 and what that means for development (it's a marathon, not a binder event)28:48 — The "can do" vs. "will do" distinction — and why most leaders genuinely want to improve but still get stuck33:53 — The one question Scott uses to filter assessment data into actual development priorities: "Will it help me help my team?"35:02 — The coaching skills vs. vision-sharing example: why context determines which low scores actually matter36:49 — Using team feedback as the bridge from assessment insight to action — and as the check afterward40:19 — Advice for newly promoted leaders: the two herculean tasks of the transition, and why stopping yesterday's job is step one Resources mentioned: Hogan Assessments — Scott's former company; extensive library of research articles and leadership resourcesRobert Hogan — personality psychologist, foundational figure in IO psychology and personality measurementJoyce Hogan — researcher and co-architect of Hogan Assessments' foundational workJohn Holland — Holland Codes / occupational interest theory; foundational framework for career interests and fit (search "Holland Codes career interests")Personnel Decisions International (PDI) — acquired by Korn Ferry; kornferry.comMDA Leadership — mdaleadership.com Links for today's show: Scott Gregory on LinkedInHogan AssessmentsKent Kniebel on LinkedInThe Promoted Leader Toolkit Music for this podcast comes from a live recording of the song Needle & Thread and is provided with permission by Pert' Near Sandstone. Check them out on pertnearsandstone.com and on all major streaming platforms. Enjoyed the episode? Leave a rating and review wherever you listen — it helps more leaders find the show.

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About

About the Podcast The Step Up brings together experts who help leaders elevate their impact. Each 45-minute episode features conversations with thought leaders, practitioners, and innovators who are changing how we think about leadership development and helping leaders step up their game. Why This Podcast Exists Throughout my career—from my time at organizations like Korn Ferry, Cargill, General Mills, and Buffalo Wild Wings to my current work as an independent leadership consultant—I've witnessed firsthand how leaders struggle during moments of change and transition and when learning higher-level skills. Work never slows down, and leaders often find themselves trying to grow while in the thick of daily demands. The Step Up is designed to provide practical wisdom and actionable strategies that busy leaders can implement immediately to enhance their effectiveness. What to Expect Each episode follows a two-part format: Part One: Leadership Journeys We explore our guest's background, expertise, and unique perspective on leadership development. You'll hear authentic stories about their experiences supporting leaders and the insights they've gained along the way. Part Two: Actionable Strategies Our guests share three specific, practical tools or approaches that you can apply to your leadership right away. We dig into each one, discussing how to implement it effectively in your unique context. Your Host Kent Kniebel brings over 20 years of experience in leadership development, talent management, and DEI consulting to each conversation. Drawing on his background in corporate HR roles and external consulting work, Kent guides discussions that bridge theory and practice, focusing on what really works in today's leadership landscape. Connect with Kent Have questions about the podcast or want to continue the conversation? Connect with Kent on LinkedIn or visit Kniebel Leadership Advisory to learn more about his work supporting leaders during critical transitions.

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