# Push Pull Trap: Why Leaders Keep Creating the Tension They Hate

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/leadership-sandbox-strategies-to-uplevel-workplace-communication-team-collaboration-and-your-corporate-culture-5733483/push-pull-trap-why-leaders-keep-creating-the-tension-they-hate
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/leadership-sandbox-strategies-to-uplevel-workplace-communication-team-collaboration-and-your-corporate-culture-5733483/push-pull-trap-why-leaders-keep-creating-the-tension-they-hate.md
Podcast: [Leadership Sandbox: Strategies to Uplevel Workplace Communication, Team Collaboration, and Your Corporate Culture](https://stenobird.com/podcast/leadership-sandbox-strategies-to-uplevel-workplace-communication-team-collaboration-and-your-corporate-culture-5733483)
Published: 2026-02-12T11:04:00+00:00
Episode link: https://bdc0f7da-6145-4409-af67-3e16c33094df.libsyn.com/push-pull-trap-why-leaders-keep-creating-the-tension-they-hate
Audio file: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/bdc0f7da-6145-4409-af67-3e16c33094df/riverside_tammy___feb_10_2026_001_leadership_sandbox.mp3?dest-id=3579795
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Duration seconds: 786

## Resource

If you feel like you're having the same leadership conversations on repeat, the problem isn't your team — it's how you're handling tension. In this episode of The Leadership Sandbox , Tammy J. Bond calls out the push-pull trap that keeps leaders stuck swinging between control and compassion, speed and safety, authority and inclusion. What looks like decisiveness is often a reaction. And over time, that reactive pattern quietly erodes trust, consistency, and credibility. You'll learn why some leadership challenges aren't meant to be solved, but held — and how strong leaders lead through tension instead of trying to escape it. This episode is for leaders who are tired of whiplash, ready to stop reacting, and willing to stand in the discomfort long enough to lead with clarity. Bottom line: Push-pull isn't the problem. Not naming it is.

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