In this episode of the ScaleX™ Insider podcast, Brendan McGurgan is joined by Kim Scott — bestselling author of Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity and Radical Respect: How to Work Together Better. Kim is also the co-founder of Radical Candor, a company helping leaders worldwide put her frameworks into practice.

Previously a CEO coach at Dropbox, Qualtrics, Twitter, and other tech giants, Kim has also been a faculty member at Apple University and held leadership roles at Google. Beyond tech, her eclectic career includes managing a pediatric clinic in Kosovo and launching a diamond-cutting factory in Moscow.

Together, Brendan and Kim dive into:

Why Radical Candor is the ultimate leadership framework for scaling companies
How to avoid the traps of obnoxious aggression and ruinous empathy
Practical ways SME leaders can build a culture of feedback while under pressure
Why staying centred as a leader matters more than any management technique
How to design your personal “recipe” for resilience and focus
The power of soliciting feedback before giving it — and the right questions to ask
Why empathy and accountability go hand-in-hand in high-growth environments

Kim also shares stories from her time coaching leaders at some of the world’s fastest-growing companies, the lessons she’s learned about feedback and respect, and practical steps you can implement immediately to transform your leadership and culture.

👉 Learn more about Kim’s work at RadicalCandor.com and explore her books Radical Candor and Radical Respect to take your leadership to the next level.

Connect with Kim:

LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/kimm4/

📈 About Simple Scaling: Simple Scaling helps SME leaders achieve exponential growth through expert coaching, masterclasses, and peer communities.

Website: https://simplescaling.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/simple-scaling
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simple_scaling
Email: mailto:hello@simplescaling.com

About Simple Scaling & ScaleX™ Insider Podcast

🧭 About Simple Scaling & ScaleX™ Insider Podcast: ScaleX™ helps SME leaders scale with purpose using the proven ScaleX™ Framework. Hosted by Brendan McGurgan, the ScaleX™ Insider Podcast shares insights from top entrepreneurs and business thinkers.

If you’re an SME leader looking for a proven plan to scale, here are two ways to work with us:

👉 Join the Northern Ireland ScaleX Accelerator Programme (2026) For CEOs, founders & MDs of SMEs (£2m–30m revenue) ready to scale leadership, teams, and value. Join the waitlist: https://scalexaccelerator.simplescaling.com/

👉 Join ScaleX Elevate (£750k–2m businesses) A digital learning community with weekly training, support, and expert sessions — designed to give you a roadmap to 2x your revenue and talent within 2 years. Register your interest: https://scalexinsights.simplescaling.com/elevate

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