What does it really mean to be a leader? This week on Resiliency Redefined, Dr. Robyne is joined by Stephen “Shed” Shedletzky—speaker, leadership coach, and author of Speak-Up Culture—for a thought-provoking conversation about what defines leadership in today’s world.

Shed, known for helping leaders build trusting, purpose-driven workplaces where it’s safe and worth it for people to speak up, shares how leadership is less about titles and more about tangible, observable behaviors that inspire genuine followership and foster healthy cultures.

Together, they explore three essential leadership behaviors, the impact of stress, uncertainty, and challenge on leadership, and how real change begins when leaders and teams define and live the behaviors they value most.

Whether you’re leading a small team or navigating a complex organization, this episode is packed with fresh perspectives, candid reflections on the challenges and opportunities of leadership today, and real-world strategies you can put into practice right away.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• A fresh, actionable definition of leadership
• Why leadership is about behavior and not all about titles, seniority, or charisma
• Three essential behaviors for leaders: decisiveness, compassion, and confidence
• Why psychological safety and a speak-up culture aren’t just “nice-to-haves,” but critical for healthier, thriving organizations
• How stress, uncertainty, and challenge reveal a leader’s true character
• Practical ways teams and organizations can redefine leadership
• The pitfalls of promoting high performers into leadership without evaluating for behaviors that truly matter
• How to design hiring and onboarding experiences that uncover real-world behaviors and qualities, not just rehearsed answers
• What it means to create healthy, not just “strong,” cultures where values are defined, lived, and reinforced at every level

• Speak-Up Culture: When Leaders Truly Listen, People Step Up by Stephen Shedletzky
• The Attributes by Rich Diviney
• The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek
• Tim Spiker
• Good Samaritan study: “From Jerusalem to Jericho” by Darley and Batson
• Be Yourself at Work: The Groundbreaking Power of Showing Up, Standing Out, and Leading from the Heart by Claude Silver

• Website: https://www.shedinspires.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shedinspires/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenshedletzky/

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