# Why the Best Leaders Don't Trust Their Own Thinking  | With Sam Reese

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/power-impact-6402160/why-the-best-leaders-don-t-trust-their-own-thinking-with-sam-reese
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/power-impact-6402160/why-the-best-leaders-don-t-trust-their-own-thinking-with-sam-reese.md
Podcast: [Power & Impact](https://stenobird.com/podcast/power-impact-6402160)
Published: 2026-05-05T07:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://f33fcf2b-60bb-47c2-83d6-dd682fea7507.libsyn.com/why-the-best-leaders-dont-trust-their-own-thinking-with-sam-reese
Audio file: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/f33fcf2b-60bb-47c2-83d6-dd682fea7507/Final_Reese.mp3?dest-id=3886878
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/power-impact-6402160/episodes/why-the-best-leaders-don-t-trust-their-own-thinking-with-sam-reese
Duration seconds: 2470

## Resource

In this week's episode of Power & Impact , I speak with Sam Reese, CEO of Vistage, about a problem almost every leader eventually faces: The more responsibility you have, the fewer people you can be fully honest with. In this week's episode of _Power & Impact_ , I speak with Sam Reese, CEO of Vistage, about a problem almost every leader eventually faces: The more responsibility you have, the fewer people you can be fully honest with. That is where Vistage comes in. The organization brings CEOs and business leaders into confidential peer groups where they can wrestle with the decisions they cannot easily bring to employees, boards, or even family members. Sam knows that need personally. Early in his first CEO role, he felt so overwhelmed that he tried to quit. A board member told him he did not need to walk away. He needed help. That experience changed the course of his career. Today, Sam leads a global organization of more than 45,000 members, giving him a rare view into what leaders are struggling with right now: AI, culture, uncertainty, remote work, burnout, and the loneliness that comes with being the person expected to have the answer. Our conversation explores what separates the best leaders from everyone else: humility, the willingness to listen, and the courage to let others challenge your thinking before the stakes get too high.

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## Transcript

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