Podcast
People. Process. Progress.
Hosted by Kevin Pannell, PMP, CSM, Prosci · EN
Helping leaders and teams move through change with practical leadership, disciplined execution, and steady progress.
Every organization, every career, and every life follows a rhythm.
Ideas become opportunities. Opportunities become priorities. Priorities become plans. Plans become action. Action becomes progress. Progress becomes experience. Those experiences shape what comes next.
The People, Process, Progress podcast explores that journey.
Hosted by Kevin Pannell, Director of an IT Project Management Office, former healthcare PMO leader, U.S. Navy veteran, emergency management professional, and author, each episode helps leaders navigate change with practical leadership, disciplined execution, and purposeful progress.
Drawing on experience leading enterprise portfolios, responding to disasters, serving in healthcare, training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and building resilient teams, the conversations connect leadership principles with real-world application.
Throughout the year, the podcast follows the natural rhythm of organizational leadership and portfolio management:
• January–March: Discovery & Demand
• April–June: Planning & Prioritization
• July–August: Execution & Governance
• September–October: Go Live & Operational Readiness
• November: Portfolio Performance & Lessons Learned
• December: Continuous Improvement & Planning Ahead
Every episode is viewed through three lenses:
▸ People: Leading with empathy, building trust, developing teams, and strengthening partnerships.
▸ Process: Applying practical leadership, portfolio management, governance, and execution practices that help organizations succeed.
▸ Progress: Learning, improving, measuring outcomes, and moving forward, personally and professionally.
Whether you're a CIO, PMO leader, project manager, executive, first responder, or someone navigating change in your own career or life, you'll find practical conversations designed to help you lead well, execute with discipline, and keep moving forward.
44episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Episode 430: New Year. New Intent.
4d ago00:16:44Tap to summarizeWelcome to Episode 430 of People, Process, Progress.For many organizations, July marks the beginning of a new fiscal year. Budgets reset, priorities shift, and new initiatives begin. It's an exciting time, but it's also the perfect opportunity to pause before rushing into more work.In this episode, Kevin Pannell shares why every successful year should begin with leadership intent rather than simply launching new projects. Drawing from more than three decades of experience in the military, emergency management, healthcare, public safety, information technology, and higher education, Kevin explores how clear intent helps leaders align teams, improve governance, prioritize meaningful work, and create better outcomes.In this episode, you'll learn:Why a new fiscal year should be part portfolio reset and part previous year re-evaluationWhat leadership intent is, and what it isn'tWhy people-centered problems require people-centered leadershipHow listening during your first 90 days builds trust and improves decisionsWhy governance should improve decision quality instead of creating bureaucracyHow portfolio management is really about investing in better human outcomesWhy lessons learned without improvement plans rarely lead to meaningful changeWhether you're leading a project, a PMO, a department, or an entire organization, this episode will help you begin the fiscal year with greater clarity, stronger alignment, and practical leadership principles you can put into practice immediately.Resources???? The People, Process, & Progress of Project Management???? The Stability Equation???? https://peopleprocessprogress.com???? X & Instagram: @thekevinpannell???? Interested in leadership development, project management, PMO transformation, or keynote speaking? Connect through the website.Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who is committed to leading people, improving processes, and making meaningful progress.
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Be Like Water: Leadership Lessons for Your First 90 Days in a New Role
2w ago00:09:34Tap to summarizeWhat should you do during your first days as a leader?Many new managers and executives feel pressure to prove themselves by introducing new processes, reorganizing teams, or making immediate changes. But what if the best first move is something different?Inspired by Bruce Lee's famous advice to "be like water," Kevin Pannell explores why effective leadership begins with observation, curiosity, and trust before transformation.Drawing on lessons from the U.S. Navy, emergency management, healthcare IT, and years spent leading Project Management Offices, Kevin shares how experienced leaders can balance confidence with humility as they step into a new organization.In this episode, you'll learn:Why experience should help you ask better questions before providing better answers.How to avoid solving the wrong problem during your first 90 days.Why every process has a story worth understanding.A practical leadership framework: Observe. Orient. Optimize.How People. Process. Progress. creates sustainable organizational change.Whether you're a PMO leader, project manager, executive, supervisor, entrepreneur, or simply beginning a new chapter in your career, this episode offers practical leadership advice you can apply immediately.Mentioned in this EpisodeBruce Lee's "Be Like Water" philosophyBuilding situational awareness before making changeLeadership transitionsPMO leadershipOrganizational change managementTrust and stakeholder engagementConnect with Kevin: ???? peopleprocessprogress.com |???? Instagram & X: @thekevinpannell |???? YouTube: Own, Move, AnchorIf You Enjoyed This Episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone beginning a new leadership role. Your support helps more leaders discover practical conversations about people, process, and progress.
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4 Project Health Metrics Your Software Isn't Tracking
4w ago00:09:42Tap to summarizeThe traditional project management Big Three of Scope, Schedule, and Cost are foundational. They are not going anywhere, and they should not. However, those metrics primarily measure the process. If you only look at data on a digital dashboard, you are missing the human element that determines whether a project succeeds or fails.In this episode, we break down how to augment your traditional constraints with four people-focused vital signs that provide a real-time, accurate picture of your team and project health.Alignment: Is everyone actually pulling in the same direction, or are they just checking boxes?Confidence: Does the team genuinely believe the objectives are achievable?Direction to Done: Is the path forward completely clear, or is the finish line a moving target?Stability: Is the operational environment steady, or are shifting priorities causing burnout?By tracking these human indicators alongside your standard constraints, you bridge the gap between software dashboards and real-world execution.Key TakeawaysThe Process vs. People Gap: Why on-time and under-budget projects can still fail if the team is completely misaligned.Augmenting the Big Three: How to layer qualitative human metrics on top of quantitative scope, schedule, and cost data.The 4 Vital Signs Explained: A deep dive into Alignment, Confidence, Direction to Done, and Stability, and how to spot when one is slipping.Leading with Clarity: Practical ways for PMO leaders to pulse check these metrics through direct communication rather than software tracking.Resources MentionedConnect with the Show: peopleprocessprogress.comKeep the Conversation Going: @thekevinpannell on X and InstagramFitness and BJJ Content: Own. Move. Anchor. on YouTubeRead the Book: The Stability Equation: 7 Pillars for a More Balanced LifeGodspeed y'all,Kevin
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Visibility vs. Alignment: Why Green Dashboards Lie
4w ago00:09:13Tap to summarizeA project is marked green on the tracker, the meetings are happening, and the status reports look perfect. Then, the delivery day arrives, and the end users are completely unprepared. What happened?In this premiere episode of People. Process. Progress., veteran IT PMO Director Kevin Pannell breaks down the metric trap of green dashboards and explains why your tracking tools might be hiding massive execution risks. We explore the critical gap between visibility and true human alignment, drawing on historical engineering lessons such as the Challenger disaster and applying them directly to modern white-collar leadership.You will learn why methodology cannot solve human misalignment, why data points are just proxies for reality, and how to use the weekly Stand Up audit to check your unverified assumptions.Stop confusing activity with progress. It is time to double down on the fundamentals of your people, your process, and your outcomes.Key TakeawaysThe Metric Trap: Why a green dashboard only tells you that tasks are being checked, not that your team is actually aligned on the objective.Proxies vs. Reality: Software tools show you the work; real human connection and honest conversations move the work.The Stand Up Audit: How to strip away documentation theater and test whether your stakeholders are actually ready for deployment.The Core Lesson: Visibility is what we see on a screen. Alignment is what happens when real people understand the mission, trust the process, and execute horizontal communication. Never mistake a green status slide for a successful outcome.Connect and Share: If you found value in this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share this link with a leader who needs to audit their corporate dashboards this week.
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Trailer. The Shift Back to People. Process. Progress.
4w ago00:02:24Tap to summarizeWelcome to the relaunch of the podcast. Host Kevin Pannell announces the official pivot back to the foundational framework: People. Process. Progress.In this brief trailer, we are stripping away the corporate fluff, trendy management fads, and endless debates over methodology to focus on how real work gets done. If you are tired of counting checkboxes, hiding behind software proxies, and watching green dashboards lie to you, this show is your new weekly resource for raw, real-world operational execution.Subscribe now and look for Episode 1 dropping alongside this trailer to start moving the needle.
Transcribe →Fighting for the Gray Matter | Men's Mental Health Month 2026
Jun 500:09:55Tap to summarizeAt 52 years old, Kevin Pannell could absolutely kick his 30-year-old self’s ass, both physically and mentally.In this premier episode of Season 11, Kevin strips away the tough-guy illusions of midlife and confronts the male mental health crisis. Drawing from his own experiences with enterprise work burnout, anxiety, and grief, Kevin delivers an operational briefing on how to proactively train your mind, optimize your life portfolio, and build a foundation that lasts. This is a tactical breakdown of how to weaponize midlife friction using proven psychological frameworks, deliberate physical recovery protocols, and radical accountability.Key TakeawaysPost-Traumatic Growth: How to use extreme stress, burnout, or grief as the ultimate catalyst to restructure your life portfolio.Cognitive Reframing: A proven CBT technique to dismantle automatic negative thoughts and view challenges as simple operational constraints.Fatherhood as Coaching: Moving from an authoritarian stance to an active coaching role that builds self-reflection in young teenage men.The Math of Recovery: Kevin’s exact protocol for a 52-year-old garage gym athlete, including three rounds of Wim Hof breathing and cold plunge down-regulation.Professional Superpowers: Shifting from executive authority to trust-based leadership through coordination and partnership.If this episode challenged you, share it with a friend who needs to hear it. Stop reacting to your days, execute your strategy, and build a foundation that lasts. Get after it this week.
Transcribe →The Hardest Leadership Skill: Letting Go
Jun 100:06:32Tap to summarizeThere is a fine line between helping someone and stealing their growth. On this episode of the Own, Move, Anchor podcast, we dive into the discipline of stepping back so the people we lead, mentor, and parent can find their own grit. From the battlefields of Glory to the BJJ mats, the boardroom, and the limits of medical intervention in EMS, we break down why true leadership means letting go of control.Key Takeaways:OWN: Redefining fatherhood boundaries and corporate leadership. Why over-managing creates bottlenecks, and how to transition to solutions by exception.MOVE: Embracing the grind of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Understanding the "Breathe, Frame, Survive" framework and using the Seven Pillars to get back to center when heavy emotions break through.ANCHOR: Building "2 AM" friendships by exception, grounding yourself in faith, and learning the ultimate power of presence during my father's final months.Connect with the Show:Share this episode with a leader, parent, or friend who needs it today.Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!
Transcribe →Why So Many People Feel Off Right Now
May 2600:10:07Tap to summarizeIn this episode of OWN. MOVE. ANCHOR., Kevin Pannell reflects on why so many people feel mentally overloaded, emotionally fragmented, physically disconnected, and spiritually exhausted right now.After standing at attention with his family before completing Memorial Day Murph, Kevin began thinking about the contrast between real human experiences and the nonstop noise of modern life. Constant scrolling, outrage culture, comparison, divisiveness, endless notifications, and the pressure to always stay connected are leaving many people anxious, distracted, and disconnected from the things that actually ground them.This episode explores:Something feels off.The dashboard indicators of lifeMost people are trying to find stability in a very noisy world.Technology has become some people’s belief system.Not everything deserves access to your attention.Thank you for being who you are.Kevin also shares personal reflections on family, leadership, fitness, Jiu-Jitsu, project management, faith, and listener feedback that continues to reinforce the importance of helping real people through real struggles.If life has felt “off” lately, this episode is a reminder to simplify, reconnect, and return to the things that truly steady us.Website: https://ownmoveanchor.com/Instagram & X: @thekevinpannellThat is who I am, thank you for being who you are, and remember each day to own your mind, move your body, and anchor your spirit.Godspeed y'all,Kevin
Transcribe →What a Billion-Dollar Coach Can Teach Project Leaders
May 2200:04:23Tap to summarizeMagic and Logic: What Project Leaders Can Learn from Coach’s Billion Dollar GrowthIn this episode of OWN. MOVE. ANCHOR., Kevin explores the balance between “magic” and “logic” in leadership, project management, and organizational growth.Inspired by a story shared on Masters of Scale episode featuring Lew Frankfort and the rise of Coach from a $6 million company into a global public brand, this episode breaks down what leaders can learn from combining people, purpose, momentum, standards, and repeatable systems.Topics include:• Why project leadership is more than timelines and metrics• How “magic” creates momentum, culture, and belief• Why “logic” builds scalability, trust, and consistency• The importance of understanding the “why” behind the work• Leadership lessons from Simon Sinek and Viktor Frankl• How portfolio and project leaders can build stronger, healthier teamsStrong organizations need both structure and humanity. This episode discusses how leaders can bring both together to improve delivery, engagement, and long-term success.References:Master's of Scale: How Coach scaled from a single store into a global iconWebsite: ownmoveanchor.comInstagram and X: @thekevinpannellThat is who I am, thank you for being who you are, and remember each day to own your mind, move your body, and anchor your spirit.Godspeed y'all,Kevin
Transcribe →What Matt Serra Taught Me About Building Great Teams
May 1900:09:58Tap to summarizeWhat can PMO leaders, healthcare IT teams, and organizational leaders learn from UFC Hall of Famer Matt Serra’s approach to onboarding new Brazilian Jiu Jitsu students?Quite a bit.In this episode, What Matt Serra Taught Me About Onboarding Teams, Kevin Pannell reflects on lessons from BJJ, emergency management, healthcare IT, and PMO leadership to explore why new employees are basically white belts and why good onboarding matters more than most organizations realize.The conversation covers:• onboarding and organizational culture• confidence through repetition• balancing accountability with support• psychological safety and leadership• progressive exposure versus overwhelming people• lessons from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Incident Management TeamsA central theme throughout the episode: “New people do not need to be tested immediately. They need to be developed.”Own your mind. Move your body. Anchor your spirit.Godspeed, y’all.
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