What if the real problem with leadership today isn’t the team… but the leader’s assumptions?
That’s one of several refreshing truths Phil Wilson drops in a recent episode of the Remarkable Leadership Podcast hosted by Kevin Eikenberry.
In this 35-minute conversation, Phil outlines four deceptively simple — but radically effective — mindset shifts that drive real performance. Spoiler: none of them require a training budget or a task force.
Here’s the quick hit:
The Four Leader-Shifts
1. Believe You Make a Difference (Because You Already Do)
Phil calls it the Placebo Effect of Leadership: when people think you believe in them, they show up differently. Want more trust? Believe your leadership matters. People can feel it. Even through email.
2. You Have Everything You Need — Right Now
Waiting for the perfect team, the perfect quarter, or the perfect job title before you show up like a leader? That mindset is holding you (and your people) back. Phil’s advice: stop trying to earn leadership. Start practicing it.
3. Assume Your People Want to Win
This one hits hard. Phil calls it the Hero Assumption: believing your team is full of people who want to succeed. Not slackers. Not saboteurs. When leaders adopt this view, it fundamentally changes how they coach, communicate, and correct.
4. Invest in Relationships
You don’t build a high-performing culture on processes. You build it on people. That means listening more, judging less, and making the time for real connection. “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care” — cheesy, but also… annoyingly true.
Why This Matters for 2025
We’re leading through a weird moment — AI uncertainty, workplace polarization, and some serious disengagement fatigue. These mindset shifts are more than motivational posters — they’re tactical frameworks to rebuild trust, reset expectations, and reignite commitment at every level of the org chart.
Phil’s new book, The Leader-Shift Playbook, goes deeper into these ideas. But if you want a free preview with zero fluff and a few solid laughs, this podcast is a great place to start.
🎧 Listen here: Remarkable Leadership Podcast with Phil Wilson
Let’s face it — there are enough “thought leaders” telling managers what they’re doing wrong. Phil’s approach? Tell leaders what they can start doing right — today. And that’s the kind of leadership we can all get behind.
