What if you could make better decisions with less stress? Kristen and Mike go deep into the science of decision-making, exploring why it's such a crucial leadership skill and sharing practical frameworks to help you decide with confidence. They reveal surprising research showing that leaders make around 35,000 decisions daily and that 85% of leaders have experienced decision distress in the past year. But there's hope - by understanding cognitive biases, using structured processes, and learning when to delegate decisions, you can dramatically improve your decision-making abilities. Whether you're struggling with decision fatigue or want to help your team make better choices, this episode offers concrete tools you can start using today.

Download your free PDF of the BRIEFED decision-making framework reviewed in the episode: llpod.link/decision

Highlights:

• Why quick, authoritative decision-makers are often seen as more effective leaders
• The optimal amount of information needed before making a decision (hint: it's not 100%)
• How System 1 (fast) and System 2 (slow) thinking affect our choices
• Common cognitive biases that impact decision-making, including anchoring bias and sunk cost fallacy
• Introduction to the BRIEFED decision-making framework for complex decisions
• A practical matrix for knowing which decisions to make yourself vs delegate to your team
• Why debriefing after important decisions is crucial (and often skipped)

Links & Resources Mentioned:

• Download the BRIEFED Decision-Making Framework
• Oracle Study: The Decision Dilemma
• MIT Sloan Review: Effective Leaders Decide About Deciding
• The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier
• Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
• Iron-Sharpened Leadership by John L. Gronski
• Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
• It's Your Ship by Captain D. Michael Abrashoff
• Playing to Win by A.G. Lafley

Related Episodes:

• #2 The New Playbook for Leadership Presence
• #5 A Leader’s Guide to Imposter Syndrome
• #9 Leadership Book Club: The Coaching Habit

Podcast Website: www.loveandleadershippod.com
Instagram: @loveleaderpod

Follow us on LinkedIn!
Kristen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristenbsharkey/
Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-s-364970111/

Learn more about Kristen's leadership coaching and facilitation services: http://www.emboldify.com

In this guest interview episode, Rebecca Yang, Director of Engineering at HubSpot, shares her unconventional journey to tech leadership and reveals seven uncommon leadership principles that have shaped her success. From her early days in client services to leading a 50+ person engineering team, Rebecca opens up about how embracing authenticity and overcoming personal challenges has made her a more effective leader. Her refreshing take on leadership - including why micromanagement isn't always bad and why you shouldn't trust your gut with feedback - offers valuable insights for leaders at all levels.

About Rebecca:
Rebecca Yang is a Director of Engineering at HubSpot, leading the Breeze Intelligence group. She joined HubSpot in 2023 through the Clearbit acquisition, where she previously served as VP of Engineering. She's passionate about cultivating high performance engineering cultures. Rebecca's teams focus on shipping innovative, impactful customer-facing solutions.

Highlights:

• How coming out as a queer woman early in her career shaped her leadership style, particularly around transparency and authenticity
• The unique culture of engineering teams and how it allows for greater self-expression and authenticity
• Why psychological safety starts with how we handle critical feedback - both giving and receiving it
• A deep dive into Rebecca's "7 Uncommon Leadership Principles"
• How Rebecca successfully led her team through a challenging one-third reduction in workforce by being transparent about the "why"
• The importance of "Debate, Decide, Unite" in building team alignment
• Why leaders must own difficult messages rather than deflecting responsibility

Links & Resources Mentioned:

• Rebecca Yang’s LinkedIn Profile
• Stay SaaSy Blog: Don’t Create Chaos
• Dharmesh Shah's "Debate, Decide and Unite" Framework

Get your FREE 5 Day Leadership Reset Challenge guide here: https://llpod.link/challenge

Podcast Website: www.loveandleadershippod.com
Instagram: @loveleaderpod

Follow us on LinkedIn!
Kristen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristenbsharkey/
Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-s-364970111/

Learn more about Kristen's leadership coaching and facilitation services: http://www.emboldify.com

Kristen and Mike break down Marshall Goldsmith's influential book "What Got You Here Won't Get You There." While they praise the practical advice and behavioral frameworks in the book, they also challenge some of its core assumptions and discuss how leadership development has evolved since its 2007 publication. Through their analysis, they reveal how seemingly small behavioral habits can make or break a leader's effectiveness - and why changing these habits requires more than just willpower. The episode offers both practical tips for behavior change and a thoughtful critique of traditional executive coaching approaches, making it valuable for anyone looking to grow as a leader.

Highlights:

• The 20 workplace habits that can derail successful leaders and why "winning too much" tends to be the most common and destructive behavior
• How successful leaders typically exhibit 6-8 of these habits, and why identifying your one or two biggest problem areas is crucial for development
• The surprising reason why stopping negative behaviors can be more effective than trying to develop new positive ones
• A detailed breakdown of Goldsmith's seven-step change process, including how to gather feedback, apologize effectively, and follow through consistently
• Why traditional approaches to leadership development might oversimplify complex psychological factors like imposter syndrome and internal motivation
• The concept of "feedforward" and how this future-focused alternative to traditional feedback can create more openness to change
• How the simple act of saying "thank you" can transform the way you receive feedback and criticism
• An analysis of whether the book's somewhat rigid approach and lack of nuance still serves modern leaders effectively

Links & Resources Mentioned:

• What Got You Here Won't Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith
• Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink
• How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
• Dare to Lead by Brené Brown
• It's Your Ship by Michael Abrashoff
• Good to Great by Jim Collins
• The First 90 Days by Michael D. Watkins

Get your FREE 5 Day Leadership Reset Challenge guide here: https://llpod.link/challenge

Podcast Website: www.loveandleadershippod.com
Instagram: @loveleaderpod

Follow us on LinkedIn!
Kristen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristenbsharkey/
Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-s-364970111/

Learn more about Kristen's leadership coaching and facilitation services: http://www.emboldify.com