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🎙 Through a Different Lens – A Leadership Perspective on Emotional Reactivity

Edition 30 – Elite Leader Insights™ Podcast

In this episode of the Elite Leader Insights™ Podcast, Donald C. Kunkel Jr. explores one of the most misunderstood traits in leadership — emotional reactivity — and why it can be both a challenge and a hidden strength.

Too often, leaders dismiss emotional sensitivity as a weakness. In reality, when understood and managed well, it can improve trust, increase empathy, and sharpen preparation. The difference comes down to one thing: how you interpret and use the signals it sends.

Drawing from the TECCA Influence System™ and insights from The Foundations of Influence, this episode shares a personal story from Donnie’s Air Force career, the latest research on neuroticism and leadership, and practical strategies for transforming reactivity into influence.

This is for every leader who wants to better understand themselves, their team, and the perspectives that shape decision-making under pressure.

You’ll learn:

• Why emotional sensitivity is often misread in leadership
• The neuroscience behind emotional reactivity
• How reactivity can actually strengthen leadership influence
• Three practical ways to channel emotional sensitivity into trust and adaptability
• How the TECCA Influence Assessment™ turns self-awareness into measurable growth

📚 Resources Mentioned:

• The Foundations of Influence: The Power to Lead & Inspire
• TECCA™ Influence Assessment + Power Profile™ (Free for a limited time)
• Elite Leader Insights™ Newsletter

🎯 Final Thought:
Emotional reactivity isn’t a flaw — it’s a signal.
When leaders learn how to read it, they can transform it from noise into one of their greatest sources of influence.

Elite Leader Insights is hosted by Donald C. Kunkel Jr., founder of the Elite Leadership Center, author of The Foundations of Influence: The Power to Lead and Inspire, and creator of the TECCA Influence System

🌐 Connect with Us: LinkTree | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter (X)

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🎙 Leading Through Change — Why Most Transformations Fail Before They Start

Edition 29 – Elite Leader Insights™ Podcast

In this episode of the Elite Leader Insights™ Podcast, Donald C. Kunkel Jr. unpacks one of the most consistent failure points in organizational growth: change without influence.

Billions are spent on change initiatives every year, yet most still fail to gain lasting traction. Why? Because while strategy gets the spotlight, human behavior gets ignored.

Change feels strategic to leadership — but deeply personal to teams. And without influence, trust, and emotional intelligence, even the best plan collapses under resistance.

Drawing from the TECCA Influence System™ and insights from The Foundations of Influence, this episode explores the psychology behind change, the leadership blind spots that sabotage it, and the frameworks that help leaders build momentum instead of friction.

This is for every leader navigating transformation — whether you're guiding a team through a restructure or trying to shift culture in meaningful ways.

You’ll learn:

• Why most leaders fail to lead people through change (not just into it)
• How the Diffusion of Innovation and Stages of Change models reveal your hidden resistance points
• What it means to lead with trust during uncertainty
• Five specific actions that increase your influence during transitions
• How the TECCA Influence Assessment™ helps identify your leadership blind spots and strengths in change

📚 Resources Mentioned:

• The Foundations of Influence: The Power to Lead & Inspire
• TECCA™ Influence Assessment + Power Profile™ (Free for a limited time)
• Elite Leader Insights™ Newsletter

🎯 Final Thought:
Change isn’t a strategy problem.
It’s a leadership mirror.
And if you don’t lead with influence, the plan won’t matter.

—

Elite Leader Insights is hosted by Donald C. Kunkel Jr., founder of the Elite Leadership Center, author of The Foundations of Influence: The Power to Lead and Inspire, and creator of the TECCA Influence System™.

Elite Leader Insights is hosted by Donald C. Kunkel Jr., founder of the Elite Leadership Center, author of The Foundations of Influence: The Power to Lead and Inspire, and creator of the TECCA Influence System

🌐 Connect with Us: LinkTree | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter (X)

Send us a text

🎙 Why We Still Struggle to Develop Leaders — and What’s Missing

Edition 28 – Elite Leader Insights™ Podcast

In this episode of the Elite Leader Insights™ Podcast, Donald C. Kunkel Jr. unpacks one of the most frustrating truths in modern leadership development: we know what great leadership looks like—but we still struggle to create it.

Billions are spent on leadership programs each year, yet more than 70% of organizations still report major leadership gaps. Why? Because most development systems teach concepts, not behaviors—and ignore the one variable that holds everything together:

Influence.

Drawing from the TECCA Influence System™ and insights from The Foundations of Influence, this episode explores the behavioral blind spots holding leaders back, and why influence must become the foundation of every development effort.

This is for every leader who’s tired of vague training, unmeasured progress, and watching potential go unrealized.

You’ll learn:

• Why 50% of new leaders fail within 18 months—and what’s behind that number
• The 5 reasons most leadership development programs break down
• Why we keep promoting high performers who struggle to lead
• How influence—not title—is what employees respond to in real time
• How TECCA™ transforms influence into a measurable leadership practice
• What you can do now to close the leadership gap in yourself and your team

📚 Resources Mentioned:

• The Foundations of Influence: The Power to Lead & Inspire
• TECCA™ Influence Assessment + Power Profile™
• Elite Leader Insights™ Newsletter

🎯 Final Thought:
Leadership isn’t a mystery. It’s a set of measurable behaviors.
When we stop chasing titles and start building influence, leadership follows.

Elite Leader Insights is hosted by Donald C. Kunkel Jr., founder of the Elite Leadership Center, author of The Foundations of Influence: The Power to Lead and Inspire, and creator of the TECCA Influence System

🌐 Connect with Us: LinkTree | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter (X)