You say you’re a people-first leader… but what happens when it gets hard?
Budget cuts. Underperformance. Tough calls that impact real people.

In this week’s Reflection Session, Benj Miller and McKenzie Reeves Decker pull back the curtain on what it really means to lead with a people-first mindset, especially when the pressure’s on.

Forget the clichés. This is about more than being “nice.” It’s about having the courage to lead with clarity, honesty, and dignity.

🎧 Inside this episode:

✅ When Loyalty Backfires
Keeping someone “because they’ve been here forever” might be costing your team more than you think.
✅ Kind ≠ Weak
Avoiding hard conversations doesn’t make you compassionate—it makes things worse. Real leadership means facing the tough stuff.
✅ Dignity Over Drama
It’s not what you do, it’s how you do it. Layoffs, feedback, and even promotions—every moment is a chance to lead with dignity.
✅ Lead Out Loud
Bringing your team into tough decisions builds trust. Going silent? That breeds doubt, fast.
✅ Ask Before You Assume
Benj shares the two powerful questions every leader should ask their team (and themselves) before claiming the “people-first” title.


This episode is a gut-check for every leader who wants to build a business with heart without losing their edge.

If you’re navigating hard decisions and want to lead with both strategy and soul, this one’s for you.

Sessions is hosted by Benj Miller and McKenzie Decker

The best businesses aren’t just built on strategy, they’re built on soul.

📅 Join us LIVE every Friday on LinkedIn & YouTube

Your weekly leadership reminder.

Visit https://www.systemandsoul.com/261

Follow Sessions With System & Soul on LinkedIn & YouTube

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The 3 Questions Every Leader Must Answer to Stay Grounded

In this deeply personal Soul Dive episode of Sessions with System & Soul, Benj Miller takes us back to a pivotal moment that reshaped his identity and leadership.

What started as a desperate quest for business answers transformed into a life-changing conversation about what truly grounds us as leaders and humans.

Joined by McKenzie Reeves Decker, the conversation peels back the layers of external validation and digs into the soul work that keeps us inwardly sound and others focused.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• Leadership Begins with Identity: 77% of leadership effectiveness comes from who you are, not just what you do.

• The 3 Big Questions: "Who is my audience?", "Why do I matter?", and "Who am I?" These are not just reflective, they are foundational.

• Audience Matters: You cannot let critics or fleeting circumstances sign your report card. Who holds that pen in your life?

• Worth Is Not Earned, It Is Given: A profound realization that your value is defined by what someone is willing to pay, and for Benj, that meant everything.

• From Fragile to Anchored: Building identity on solid ground prevents leadership from being derailed by toxic feedback or failure.

💬 This episode is a raw and real invitation to strip away the noise and reclaim clarity in who you are.

Whether you are deep in the trenches or just starting your leadership journey, take 18 minutes to realign with what matters most.

Sessions is hosted by Benj Miller and McKenzie Decker

The best businesses aren’t just built on strategy, they’re built on soul.

📅 Join us LIVE every Friday on LinkedIn & YouTube

Your weekly leadership reminder.

Visit https://www.systemandsoul.com/261

Follow Sessions With System & Soul on LinkedIn & YouTube

Subscribe to our Newsletter!

Sponsored by Fist Bump

Hot Seat: Faith, Vision and the Missing Leader W/ Clint Emerson

In this Hot Seat Session, Benj Miller and McKenzie Reeves Decker sit down with Clint Emerson, CEO of CableQuest, to unpack a key challenge many faith-driven leaders face:

How do you turn a God-given vision into meaningful, everyday action?

Clint has cultivated a purpose-driven company where chaplaincy, discipleship, and community care are part of the culture.

But the mission needs a leader someone who can connect the dots, carry the vision, and bring it to life with intention.

This honest conversation dives into the tension between calling and capacity and what happens when a powerful vision waits on the right “who.”

In this episode:

• Why a mission built on faith needs more than systems
• The “who, not how” shift that reframed Clint’s next step
• How spiritual purpose can fall through the cracks without ownership
• Real examples of redemptive leadership at work
• What to look for in someone called to carry a kingdom vision

If you're leading with strategy and soul, this conversation will hit home.

Sessions is hosted by Benj Miller and McKenzie Decker

The best businesses aren’t just built on strategy, they’re built on soul.

📅 Join us LIVE every Friday on LinkedIn & YouTube

Your weekly leadership reminder.

Visit https://www.systemandsoul.com/261

Follow Sessions With System & Soul on LinkedIn & YouTube

Subscribe to our Newsletter!

Sponsored by Fist Bump