What if the secret to effective leadership isn't control, but surrender? In this episode, Kevin speaks with Jessica Kriegel, who redefines surrender as a courageous choice: releasing the illusion of control and focusing on what leaders can influence: the experiences they create for their teams. Their conversation explores the delusion of control in hierarchical organizations, the pitfalls of over-management, and why leadership driven by fear and micromanagement is both unsustainable and self-limiting. Jessica also shares her S.H.I.F.T. framework, a practical model for transforming leadership mindsets. The key insight? Surrendering doesn't mean giving up; it means leading with clarity, compassion, and accountability

Jessica's Story: Jessica Kriegel is the author of Unfairly Labeled and her latest book with Joe Terry, Surrender to Lead: The Counterintuitive Approach to Driving Extraordinary Results. She is a workplace culture expert, keynote speaker, and researcher. As Chief Strategy Officer at Culture Partners, she leads research that challenges outdated ideas about control, power, and performance—offering bold new frameworks that drive real business results. She's the host of the CEO Daily Brief and Culture Leaders podcasts, and a frequent guest on CNN, Fox Business, CNBC, and Bloomberg. Jessica holds an MBA and a doctorate in leadership with a specialization in Human Resources Development. She is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity and is also a trained death doula, a role that deepens her presence and perspective as a leader. When she's not doing all that, she's cruising around Sacramento, California in a motorcycle sidecar with her eight-year-old daughter.

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Book Recommendations

Surrender to Lead: The Counterintuitive Approach to Driving Extraordinary Results by Jessica Kriegel and Joe Terry
Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis

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Surrender to Lead with Jessica Kriegel