Podcast Summary: "What the Most Admired Leaders Do Differently"

Podcast: Managing Your Practice
Host: Dimensional Fund Advisors
Episode Date: October 24, 2025
Guest: Dr. Suzanne Peterson, Admired Leadership Team

Overview

This episode explores the practical behaviors that set apart the most admired leaders in the financial advisory and broader business sectors. Host Catherine Williams interviews Dr. Suzanne Peterson of Admired Leadership, whose firm has studied exemplary leadership across industries for over 30 years. The conversation focuses on actionable leadership behaviors versus traits, the transition from natural to learned leadership, the import of feedback, the difference between formal and informal leadership, and strategies for developing future leaders, particularly in the context of the investment advisory space during times of change and M&A.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Defining Leadership (01:28 – 01:56)

• Leadership Definition: "Leaders make people and situations better." – Dr. Suzanne Peterson (01:43)
  • Broad by design: Encompassing all contexts and roles.
  • Dr. Peterson emphasizes that leadership is not innate temperament, but about conscious, behavioral choices.

2. The Behavioral Approach to Leadership (02:24 – 03:29)

• Leadership is a Choice: Leadership can be learned by anyone, regardless of traits or temperament. The field often over-focuses on psychology and intrinsic qualities, which Dr. Peterson’s research intentionally challenges.
• Actionable Tools: Admired Leadership focuses on teaching specific, actionable behaviors, not abstract traits or values.
  • “We believe leadership, it's not a temperament, it's a choice...We teach the behaviors that make great leadership.” – Dr. Suzanne Peterson (02:24)

3. Top Leadership Behaviors Identified (03:29 – 05:07)

• Remind People What Doesn’t Change During Change: In times of transformation, effective leaders highlight constants for stability.
• Organize Days Relationally, Not Just By Task: The best leaders focus on who they need to connect with—recognition, updates, inclusion—rather than just their to-do list.
• Creative, Intrinsic Inspiration: Leaders consistently find authentic, day-to-day ways to motivate teams beyond monetary or extrinsic rewards.

4. Nature vs. Nurture in Leadership (05:07 – 06:46)

• All Personality Types Can Lead: Behavioral changes toward admired actions are available to everyone, despite differences in personality or background.
  • “...regardless of who you are on the inside, everybody can choose to behave differently.” – Dr. Suzanne Peterson (05:28)

5. Importance of Taking Feedback (06:46 – 08:11)

• Graceful Feedback Acceptance: Admired leaders are universally open and non-defensive about feedback, soliciting it and responding gracefully in the moment.
  • “The one thing I would say they always have in common, they take feedback gracefully.” – Dr. Suzanne Peterson (06:57)
• Leaders can follow up later for clarification but should initially always accept feedback with appreciation.

6. Universality and Simplicity of Leadership Behaviors (08:39 – 10:16)

• Universal, Simple, Actionable: Admired Leadership’s behavioral advice meets three criteria—works for everyone, is simple to remember, and can be acted on immediately.

7. Influence for Emerging and New Leaders (10:44 – 13:09)

• Three Pillars of Influence:
  1. Personal Style/Presence: How a leader is perceived—approachability, confidence, gravitas.
  2. Effective Messaging: Clarity, storytelling, and succinct communication.
  3. Building Relationships: Genuine trust and ongoing connection enhance influence.
• Time Management: Leaders often need help realigning priorities from "doing the wrong things for the right reasons."

8. Communication and Organizational Trust (13:09 – 14:28)

• Authentic leadership communication, even admitting missteps, can ultimately build more trust within teams.

9. Formal vs. Informal Leadership (15:41 – 17:17)

• All Can Lead: Leadership is not tied to title. Anyone can choose to make people or situations better at any time.
  • "No matter where you sit or what you can do, at any moment you can choose to make a person better." – Dr. Suzanne Peterson (15:41)
• Core leadership skills—decision-making, relationship-building, accountability—are relevant for all, regardless of formal authority.

10. The Power of Fanness and Endorsement (17:46 – 19:59)

• Inspiration via ‘Fanness’: Admired leaders overtly and behaviorally support their people, acting as their “number one fan” in both successes and setbacks.
  • “When you know someone's in your corner ... People can do amazing things for anybody that is a sports fan out there.” – Dr. Suzanne Peterson (17:46)
• This approach is not “soft”—it supports accountability and honest feedback.

11. Developing the Next Generation of Leaders (20:06 – 22:35)

• A key succession barrier is confidence in leadership capabilities, not financial readiness.
• Trend toward investing in junior talent earlier, through affordable, scalable models (e.g., open office-hour coaching).

12. Creating Leadership Habits and Routine (22:35 – 25:06)

• From Technique to Habit: Isolated techniques have temporary value; true leadership growth means turning behaviors into enduring routines, like exercise.
  • “We want leaders to become runners, but we have to start somewhere.” – Dr. Suzanne Peterson (23:09)
• Focus on adopting one or two behaviors at a time, making them routine for lasting impact.

13. Leadership in M&A and Times of Change (25:06 – 28:57)

• Short-Term Wins During Mergers: Buyers should honor and adopt key rituals or norms from acquired firms for smoother cultural integration (e.g., using legacy language or practices).
  • "It's finding a few things to say, how do we make those people ... find a few things we will give on... immediately start to say, hey, we are actually part of this." — Dr. Suzanne Peterson (26:23)

14. Self-Assessment for Leaders (28:57 – 31:04)

• Ask Yourself: What Are You Most Famous For?
  • Are you known for execution/results, or for building relationships/followership?
  • "Most people are either famous for their ability to execute flawlessly ... or are you that other leader ... People want to partner with me ... But if you were honest, you don't execute as flawlessly." — Dr. Suzanne Peterson (29:24)
• Seek balance; admired leaders excel in both execution and inspiration.

15. Anticipating the Future of Leadership (32:07 – 34:42)

• Predictive Attention: Identifying and developing genuine talent—who can thrive amid uncertainty and rapid change—is increasingly vital.
• Next-gen workforce seen as more adaptive and open to change; leaders need to hone skills in managing and developing adaptable talent.

16. Selection, Retention, and ‘Show Me’ Testing (34:42 – 37:51)

• Selection is increasingly about adaptability, appetite for learning, and character—not just technical skills or pedigree.
  • "Hire for character, train for competence." — Shared by Catherine Williams (35:49)
• ‘Show me’ testing: Ask candidates to demonstrate abilities, not just claim them.

17. Ongoing and Future Research (38:15 – 40:55)

• Admired Leadership’s diverse research now includes global and female leaders; findings confirm behavioral universality across geographies and demographics.
  • “...the behaviors are the behaviors of the best leaders. Regardless.” – Dr. Suzanne Peterson (38:15)
• Research focus remains on identifying universal leadership behaviors; differentiating behavioral best practices from context-specific considerations.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Leaders make people and situations better.” – Dr. Suzanne Peterson (01:43)
• “Leadership, it's not a temperament, it's a choice...We teach the behaviors that make great leadership.” – Dr. Suzanne Peterson (02:24)
• “The one thing I would say they always have in common, they take feedback gracefully.” – Dr. Suzanne Peterson (06:57)
• “...regardless of who you are on the inside, everybody can choose to behave differently.” – Dr. Suzanne Peterson (05:28)
• On feedback: “They aren't defensive about it. They don't argue with it...The answer is always, thank you for giving me that feedback.” – Dr. Suzanne Peterson (06:57)
• “We want leaders to become runners, but we have to start somewhere.” – Dr. Suzanne Peterson (23:09)
• “You choose to become a stronger leader.” – Dr. Suzanne Peterson (17:14)
• “Hire for character, train for competence.” – Catherine Williams sharing advisor wisdom (35:49)
• “It's finding a few things to say...immediately start to say, hey, we are actually part of this.” — Dr. Suzanne Peterson, on M&A integration (26:23)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 01:28 – Leadership defined
• 03:29 – Three top admired leadership behaviors
• 05:28 – Nature vs. nurture debate
• 06:57 – Universal trait: taking feedback gracefully
• 10:44 – New leaders and influence
• 15:41 – Formal vs. informal leadership
• 17:46 – Power of “fanness” and endorsement
• 22:35 – Building leadership habits vs. techniques
• 25:53 – M&A: honoring legacy rituals for smoother transitions
• 29:24 – Self-assessment for leadership balance
• 32:07 – Preparing for future leadership and talent identification
• 34:42 – Selecting and retaining for character and adaptability
• 38:15 – Advances in leadership research and universal findings

Tone and Takeaway

Both Williams and Peterson adopt a practical, optimistic tone focused on actionable behaviors and inclusivity. They stress that leadership is not a mysterious trait but a series of choices and learnable actions. The conversation is pragmatic, backed by decades of research, and offers concrete steps for experienced and emerging leaders alike.

This summary captures the essence, research insights, and practical advice from this engaging conversation—a useful guide for advisors or business leaders seeking to evolve their own or their team's leadership effectiveness.