On this episode of the McCoy Leadership Podcast, I sat down with Adam Malone, founder of the Tenacious Operator. We dove deep into what it really takes to build trust and resilience in teams—whether you’re leading in the boardroom or on the plant floor. Adam shared his journey from navigating distrust in the corporate world to becoming a leadership consultant, and we explored how empathy, authentic communication, and embracing healthy conflict can transform not only your business, but your whole community. If you want to elevate your impact as a leader, don’t miss these powerful insights!

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Download your free episode guide here!

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00:00 "Resilience Amid Nexus of Distrust"

05:25 No "They" in Teamwork

06:13 Empathy Builds Trust in Leadership

11:55 Workplace Communication Challenges

13:01 "Fostering Healthy Conflict Through Humility"

19:12 Embracing Conflict in Leadership

22:12 Merit-Based Diversity Hiring

25:34 Understanding Trust, Bias, and Leadership

27:59 "Communication and Connection Journey"

30:18 "Impact of Empathy and Trust"

34:17 Avoid Assuming Intent

37:46 AirPods and Perplexity Insights

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Here are 3 key takeaways that resonated with me:

🔹 Trust is Built on Empathy and Authenticity: Adam shared that trust hinges on leaders consistently demonstrating empathy ("Do you care about me?") and showing up authentically. When people feel seen and understood, team cohesion and performance soar.

🔹 Healthy Conflict Requires Intellectual Fallibility: Great leaders create environments where it’s safe to disagree and share ideas, addressing issues rather than avoiding them. Embracing the idea that we don’t have all the answers paves the way for better solutions and genuine collaboration.

🔹 The Value of Diverse Teams is Unlocked Through Psychological Safety: It’s not enough to focus on demographic diversity. Adam emphasized that the performance edge comes when teams are diverse and psychologically safe—so every voice can be heard and conflict becomes constructive, not destructive.

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Links

Adam's website

LinkedIn

Book Recommendations

It's Your Ship

Unreasonable Hospitality