Episode
Ep 59: Dominant Leadership Standards: Why They’re Failing Us
- Published
- Sep 22, 2025
- Duration seconds
- 1428
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Summary
Authoritarian, fear-based leadership might seem loud and everywhere—but that doesn’t mean it’s working. In this solo episode, LaTonya Wilkins, award-winning executive coach and author of Leading Below the Surface (second edition out Sept. 30), unpacks why dominant leadership standards—rigidity, perfectionism, and toxic meritocracy—are failing organizations today. Drawing on Chapter 2 of her book, LaTonya contrasts authoritarian and relational leadership, shares personal insights from the field, and explains why relational leadership is the future in an era of mental health challenges, AI disruption, and broken systems. She also teases upcoming guest conversations on mental health and conscious leadership. If you’ve been told to “toughen up” or “lead with fear” to get results, this episode will give you evidence, strategies, and courage to lead differently. Authoritarian leadership OwlCast episode referenced: Spotify Apple Key Insights: Dominant leadership standards (rigidity, fear, optics) are outdated and erode innovation and psychological safety. Authoritarian leadership thrives on fear and appears louder than it is—but relational leadership creates sustainable performance. Relational leadership is essential as workplaces face unprecedented challenges and employees bring their whole selves to work. Situational leadership and coaching cultures are powerful relational tools that drive inclusion, collaboration, and trust. Sticking with relational leadership—even when pressured to adopt authoritarian tactics—pays off in alignment, creativity, and resilience. Let's Stay in Touch: Subscribe/Follow: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Change Coaches YouTube Channel to catch every episode. Leave a Review or Share: If this episode resonated, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spoti…