What does it take to make sound decisions when the path forward is unclear, the stakes are high, and other people are depending on you? In this episode of Gateway Conversations, Eltavious Johnson sits down with executive leader and endurance athlete Katie Yeutter for a wide-ranging conversation about judgment, resilience, listening, and the deeply human work of leadership. Katie has summited Mount Kilimanjaro, swum the English Channel, and completed seven full-distance Ironman races. She also brings extensive executive experience, including overseeing strategy and operations across 17 profit and nonprofit entities as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Florida Chamber of Commerce. Across both arenas, she has learned that preparation matters, conditions change, and even the strongest plan may eventually need to be reconsidered. Together, Eltavious and Katie explore the questions leaders often face but rarely discuss honestly. How do you distinguish persistence from stubbornness? When should you stay the course, and when is it time to pivot? How do you make responsible decisions without having perfect information? And how do you remain accountable for results without losing sight of the people affected by those decisions? The conversation examines judgment not as instinct alone, but as a discipline shaped by experience, failure, self-awareness, careful listening, and the willingness to seek perspectives beyond your own. Katie reflects on the importance of surrounding yourself with people who challenge your assumptions, recognizing what you can and cannot control, and creating organizational cultures where disagreement can strengthen rather than threaten leadership. The episode also turns toward the future of higher education and executive development. What kinds of leaders are colleges and universities preparing? Can judgment be taught? How can liberal arts education, interdisciplinary thinking, emotional intelligence, and the ability to learn, unlearn, and relearn help leaders navigate increasingly complicated institutions and workplaces? This is not simply a conversation about endurance or toughness. It is a conversation about remaining thoughtful, useful, and people-centered inside difficulty. It is about recovering from failure, adjusting when reality changes, and developing the courage to ask: Given what is true now, what is the best next move? For educators, executives, emerging leaders, and anyone responsible for guiding people through uncertainty, this episode offers an honest examination of what leadership looks like beyond titles, plans, and polished answers.
