Toxic behavior in the workplace isn’t always easy to spot—and it doesn’t always come from poor performers. In this revisit to episode 517 of The Daily Influence, Brian Smith explores the nuances of toxic employees, defining what toxicity looks like beyond performance metrics. He discusses the importance of emotional intelligence, feedback culture, and structured remediation rooted in SMART communication principles. Whether you’re leading a team or navigating workplace dynamics, this episode equips you to protect your culture by addressing the uncomfortable—responsibly and intentionally.

In this revisit to Episode 282 of The Daily Influence podcast, Brian S. Smith delves into the critical topic of building a high-trust work environment. Discover why fostering transparency, accountability, and empathy within your organization can lead to a culture where innovation thrives, teams collaborate effortlessly, and everyone contributes to continuous improvement. Drawing on insights from The I in Team Series and SMART Management principles, this episode offers practical advice for leaders and team members alike to create a workplace where trust is the foundation of success. Tune in to learn how to build and sustain a reliable and supportive work culture that drives your organization forward.

Strong workplace cultures aren’t created through slogans or one-time initiatives. They are built through the small, intentional actions leaders repeat every day.

In this episode of Daily Influence, Gregg-Brooke Koleno speaks with educator, executive leader, author, and TEDx speaker Alicia Hughes about how caring for people can produce measurable organizational results. Alisha shares the leadership practices that helped her achieve a 97% staff retention rate while leading 260 employees and contributed to increasing a school’s graduation rate from 30% to 90%.

You’ll learn how simplifying priorities can strengthen decision-making, why leaders must acknowledge when an initiative isn’t working, and how small moments of recognition, kindness, and joy can influence an entire workplace. Alisha also explains why leadership is defined by your actions, not your title, and offers practical ways to create a culture where people feel valued, supported, and motivated to succeed.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia-victoria-hughes/

Email: alicia@sparkingupleadership.com

In this revisit to episode 194 of Daily Influence discuss how most of us look for a way to resolve issues for immediate gratification, of either self or others being negatively influenced by an issue. This will sometimes get us moving out of and through some issues, however if we don't quickly understand the root cause of issues, they will resurface and often, if not most of the time, cause deeper and more far reaching consequences.

How can you quiet your inner critic, stop overthinking, and take meaningful action?

On this episode of Daily Influence, Gregg-Brooke Koleno speaks with psychologist, life coach, author, and The Present Coach creator Dr. Pamela Garcy about the connection between self-influence and the influence we have on others.

Dr. Pam explains how automatic thoughts shape our emotions, choices, and behaviors, often without us realizing it. She also introduces her practical NOW framework: Notice, Orient, and ask a “What” question to help us become present, interrupt unproductive thought patterns, and identify the next small step forward.

In this episode:

• How your internal dialogue influences your choices and relationships

• Why being present is more effective than trying to be perfect

• A simple framework for moving from overthinking to constructive action

• How leaders can recognize their unintended impact on others

• Why defining and tracking progress can create meaningful change

• How small, intentional actions can produce a much greater influence than we realize

Learn how to replace self-criticism with awareness, personal responsibility, and intentional action, one thought, conversation, and choice at a time.

Connect with Dr. Pam: drgarcy@gmail.com

Link to Dr. Pam’s Book: https://a.co/d/0cc2MbvG

What happens in the space between something going wrong and how you respond?

On Episode 833 of Daily Influence, Brian Smith sits down with Crystal Rowland, founder of Path to Serenity Consulting, to explore what she calls the “wisdom pause” — the intentional space we create before allowing stress, frustration or someone else's emotions to determine what happens next.

Drawing from Stoicism, Buddhism, emotional intelligence and her own workplace experience, Crystal explains why slowing down isn't weakness. It can be one of the most responsible things we do for ourselves and the people we influence.

Brian and Crystal also tackle a harder question: Who is responsible for workplace well-being?

Organizations have a responsibility for the environments they create, the resources they provide and the behaviors they tolerate. But individuals also have responsibility for the emotions, energy and influence they carry into the next conversation, meeting or customer interaction.

The conversation explores emotional carryover, self-governance, the difference between empathy and absorbing someone else's emotions, and practical ways to become more present before the workday even begins.

Because influence is always on — and sometimes responsible influence begins with something as simple as a pause.

https://path2serenity.info/about/

In this revisit to episode 358 of the Daily Influence, Brian Smith delves into the critical importance of aligning company values with day-to-day operations. Drawing insights from The I in Team Series and IA Business Advisors' S.M.A.R.T. Management System, Brian shares how to integrate core values into every aspect of your organization—from individual contributions to team dynamics and operational strategies. Learn how to empower teams, foster accountability, and adapt through reflection to create a culture that thrives on purpose-driven growth. Tune in for actionable steps to bridge the gap between mission and execution while staying true to your values.

AI adoption is not primarily a technology problem it is a people problem.

In this episode of Daily Influence, Gregg Koleno speaks with Dr. Gleb Tsipursky, behavioral scientist, bestselling author, CEO of Disaster Avoidance Experts, and author of The Psychology of AI Adoption at Work: From Resistance to Results.

Dr. Gleb explains why many workplace AI initiatives stall even when the technology works. He identifies three major psychological barriers to AI adoption: fear of job loss, threats to professional identity, and shame or stigma around using AI. He also explains why traditional technology implementation strategies often fail with artificial intelligence and what leaders need to do differently.

In this episode:

• Why employee resistance to AI is often emotional rather than technical

• How fear of job displacement can undermine AI adoption

• Why leaders should consider focusing AI productivity gains on growth rather than immediate job cuts

• How professional identity affects employees' willingness to use AI

• Why leaders should identify frustrating, repetitive tasks employees actually want AI to eliminate

• How leadership modeling can reduce stigma around AI use

• Why measuring AI usage alone can create misleading results

• How to measure AI through outcomes such as time saved, quality, error reduction, and business value

• Why “human in the loop” is not enough—and why employees must remain accountable for AI-generated work

• How leaders can build trust while encouraging responsible experimentation with AI

Dr. Gleb also shares one of the most important lessons from his work studying decision-making and organizational change: leaders often underestimate the role emotions play in determining whether people embrace or resist transformation.

For leaders navigating AI implementation, this conversation offers a practical framework for moving beyond reluctant compliance toward responsible, productive AI adoption—without sacrificing human judgment, accountability, or trust.

Learn more about Dr. Gleb Tsipursky and The Psychology of AI Adoption at Work at Disaster Avoidance Experts, or connect with him on LinkedIn.

https://disasteravoidanceexperts.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-gleb-tsipursky/

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We rarely notice it, but influence is with us constantly—like breathing. In this revisit to episode 512, Brian Smith unpacks how influence operates as a continuous, often unconscious force in our lives. From body language to internal dialogue, we're always broadcasting—and always receiving. Learn how building self-awareness helps you better manage the influence you have on others and what’s influencing you from within.

Can one small act of kindness really change a life or even the world?

In this episode of Daily Influence, Gregg-Brooke Koleno sits down with Kevin Smith, founder and Chief Kindness Chaser of Kindness Worldwide, to explore how one stranger’s decision to return his lost wallet sparked a global mission to create a culture of kindness. What began as Kevin’s desire to recognize one person for doing the right thing evolved into a movement focused on helping people see the good, be the good, and recognize the influence they have every day.

Kevin shares why kindness is a strength, not a weakness, and explains the difference between genuine kindness and simply being nice or avoiding conflict. He also introduces the eight characteristics of kindness (gratitude, patience, forgiveness, empathy and compassion, respect, joy, generosity, and service) and discusses how individuals and leaders can intentionally put them into practice.

The conversation also explores how leaders can build a genuine culture of kindness in the workplace, why Kevin believes organizations should think about ROK Return on Kindness alongside Random Opportunities for Kindness, and how helping employees feel seen, valued, and understood can strengthen both people and organizations.

Kevin leaves listeners with a simple challenge: ask yourself each day, “What can I do today to make a difference in someone else’s world?” From a smile or thank-you note to an unexpected act of generosity, small actions can create ripples far beyond what we may ever see.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How one act of kindness inspired the creation of Kindness Worldwide

• Why kindness should be viewed as a strength and intentional leadership practice

• The eight characteristics that form Kevin’s framework for kindness

• How leaders can create cultures where people feel seen and valued

• Why “Return on Kindness” can have meaningful organizational impact

• How daily acts of kindness can create lasting ripple effects

• Why every individual has the power to positively influence the world around them

Kevin’s message is straightforward: no act of kindness is too small to make a difference and meaningful change begins with the choices each of us makes every day.

https://www.kindnessworldwide.org/

ksmith@kindnessworldwide.org

https://www.rokindness.org/

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In this revisit to episode 298 of The Daily Influence, Brian Smith dives into one of the most significant challenges facing modern teams: how to bridge the generational gap using technology. As organizations grow increasingly diverse in age, older generations may feel left behind by the tech-savvy younger workforce. Brian explores how leveraging collaboration tools like Slack, project management platforms, and reverse mentorship programs can turn these differences into strengths. He offers practical tips for leaders to foster mutual learning, create stronger bonds between generations, and build a culture that thrives on knowledge sharing and collective growth.

In this revisit to episode 296 of the Daily Influence, Brian Smith PhD explores the critical role that emotional resilience plays in leadership. He shares how resilient leaders are not just emotionally intelligent, but also capable of navigating challenges with calmness and stability. Learn how to manage stress, setbacks, and unforeseen challenges without letting emotions negatively impact your team. Through responsible leadership, Brian shows how emotional resilience can promote trust, transparency, and collaboration, creating a stronger and more innovative organizational culture.

Burnout rarely happens all at once. More often, it builds slowly through constant stress, sleepless nights, neglected self-care, and the pressure to keep pushing—even when your body and relationships are telling you something needs to change.

In this episode of Daily Influence, Gregg-Brooke Koleno sits down with Lori Lea, founder of Lori Lea Healing Hopes, to explore her journey from more than 20 years in the corporate world including serving as the CFO of an international company to discovering a new approach to balance, healing, and intentional living.

Lori shares how chronic stress began affecting her health, relationships, communication, and ability to remain present and the wake-up call that ultimately led her to step away and reassess what truly mattered. She also explains how her personal exploration of sound healing and energy healing evolved into a way to help others slow down, reconnect, and create greater calm in their lives.

Together, Gregg and Lori discuss how unmanaged stress can influence the way leaders communicate, make decisions, and treat the people around them—and why caring for ourselves is an important part of responsible leadership and positive influence.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• The warning signs of burnout that are easy to overlook

• How chronic stress can affect leadership, communication, and decision-making

• Lori’s transition from corporate CFO to sound and energy healing practitioner

• What happens during a sound bath and how Lori creates an environment for relaxation

• Simple techniques for resetting during stressful moments

• The importance of boundaries, rest, gratitude, and being fully present

• Why self-care is not selfish—and how restoring yourself can improve the influence you have on others

Lori’s story is a reminder that slowing down does not mean abandoning your responsibilities. Sometimes, creating space to restore yourself is exactly what allows you to return with greater clarity, patience, and intention.

Learn more about Lori Lea and Lori Lea Healing Hopes:

https://lorileahealinghopes.com/

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What happens when achieving success is no longer enough?

On this episode of Daily Influence, Brian Smith sits down with Tony Holland, CEO of Global Premier Benefits, Managing Partner at Integrity Marketing Group, entrepreneur, investor, youth coach and minority owner of the Baltimore Orioles.

Tony’s journey began far from where he is today. Raised by a teenage single mother in a difficult home environment, Tony experienced adversity early in life before earning an academic scholarship to Johns Hopkins University. After college, his path eventually found him living out of a van, bartending and waiting tables before an unexpected opportunity in insurance changed his trajectory.

Tony quickly became one of the industry’s top performers—but a tragic experience involving the death of a client’s child fundamentally changed how he viewed his work. Success stopped being about recognition, money and what Tony could achieve. It became about people, purpose and contribution.

Brian and Tony explore how adversity can prepare us rather than define us, why Tony believes great leaders “lead with love,” what coaching young athletes taught him about developing people, and why his greatest accomplishments aren't the trophies, businesses or financial success, but seeing people he influenced go on to succeed themselves.

Tony shares a leadership philosophy that captures the heart of responsible influence: “I want you to do better than me.”

This is a conversation about overcoming circumstances, finding purpose in success, building people up in a world that too often tears them down, and recognizing that achievement becomes far more meaningful when we use it to create opportunity for someone else.

Because the question isn't whether you have influence.

The question is what you're going to do with it.

www.thetonyholland.com 

https://linktr.ee/thetonyholland

What does it take to become more visible in business without losing sight of who you are?

In this episode of Daily Influence, Gregg-Brooke Koleno sits down with Jennifer Anderson, founder of Jen Anderson Fit Life and a self-described professional wing woman, to explore how entrepreneurs and professionals can build confidence, strengthen their visibility, create meaningful relationships, and pursue opportunities that genuinely align with their goals.

Drawing on more than two decades in the fitness industry and her experience in business development, messaging, strategic collaboration, podcast bookings, speaking opportunities, and launches, Jennifer explains why your greatest value often comes from the qualities that make you different not simply your technical expertise. She shares how learning to “bring your whole self” into professional relationships can make you more memorable, relatable, and trusted.

Jennifer also discusses how business owners can evaluate opportunities more strategically. Rather than saying yes to every client, partnership, podcast, event, or speaking engagement, she encourages leaders to consider audience alignment, capacity, opportunity cost, and whether an opportunity actually supports where they want to go.

Gregg and Jennifer also explore:

• Turning visibility into credible relationships and measurable business growth through consistent follow-up

• Why a “no” may really mean “not right now”

• The connection between physical discipline, confidence, and business performance

• Creating small, non-negotiable routines that help prevent burnout

• Planning today to make life easier for your “future self”

• Finding the confidence to speak up and trust the value you bring

• How one simple introduction, message, or act of advocacy can strengthen a relationship and create opportunities for someone else

Jennifer leaves listeners with a practical challenge: when someone comes to mind, take action. Send the message. Share their work. Make the introduction. Strong relationships are built when good intentions become intentional actions.

If you want to strengthen your personal brand, increase your business visibility, build more meaningful professional relationships, and become more intentional about the opportunities you pursue, this conversation offers practical strategies you can use immediately.

 Connect with Jen:

janderson5969@gmail.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-anderson-wingwoman/

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Keywords: business visibility, personal branding, strategic relationships, networking, business development, professional confidence, entrepreneurship, relationship building, speaking opportunities, podcast guesting, leadership, authentic leadership, business growth, Jennifer Anderson, Daily Influence Podcast

What happens after you achieve the success you’ve been working toward?

In this episode of Daily Influence, Brian Smith challenges us to look beyond the next goal, promotion, client, dollar, or accomplishment and consider a different question: What are you doing with what you’ve already built?

Success gives us more than achievement. Along the way, we accumulate experience, relationships, knowledge, credibility, resources, and influence. And with greater influence comes greater responsibility for the ripples we create.

Brian explores the important transition from achievement to contribution—using what we’ve built to develop people, create opportunities, share knowledge, strengthen organizations, and build something that can continue making an impact without us.

Success isn’t the finish line. What you do with your success may ultimately matter more than achieving it in the first place.

Success can hide a lot of problems.

When revenue is growing, customers are happy, and opportunities keep coming through the door, it’s easy to assume the organization is working exactly as it should. But what happens when good people are compensating for bad processes? When critical knowledge lives in someone’s head? When the founder is still holding together things that should have become systems years ago?

In Episode 822 of Daily Influence, Brian Smith explores why growth often doesn’t create organizational problems—it exposes the ones success allowed us to ignore.

As organizations grow, individual capability must become organizational capability. Leadership has to move beyond the leader and become embedded in how decisions are made, responsibilities are defined, communication happens, performance is measured, and accountability is maintained.

The question isn’t simply, “Are we successful?”

It’s: What is our current success allowing us to ignore?

Because if your business doubled tomorrow, what would break first?

What does it take to become a leader whose influence creates trust, clarity, and meaningful action?

In this episode of Daily Influence, Gregg-Brooke Koleno sits down with Kurt Luidhardt, founder of Liberty Spenders and president of The Prosper Group, to explore how intentional leadership and effective communication shape businesses, teams, families, and communities.

Drawing on more than 20 years of business leadership and his extensive experience in marketing, communications, and political strategy, Kurt explains why influence is never neutral. Leaders are influencing the people around them every day the question is whether they are doing it intentionally.

Kurt shares practical lessons on creating greater clarity within an organization, communicating transparently during difficult seasons, challenging assumptions before they become costly mistakes, and protecting dedicated thinking time as a business owner. He also explains why storytelling is one of the most powerful tools leaders can use to help employees understand the larger purpose and impact of their work.

The conversation goes deeper into the meaning of success, including Kurt's perspective on ambition, family, faith, integrity, and building a legacy that extends beyond short-term accomplishments.

You'll learn:

• Why clarity is one of the most important leadership skills

• The difference between intentional and accidental influence

• Why leaders need dedicated time to think—not just execute

• How challenging assumptions can prevent costly business mistakes

• Why transparency builds trust during difficult business situations

• How regular communication helps strengthen organizational culture

• Why storytelling moves people from passive observers to engaged contributors

• How ambition can become destructive when success becomes the ultimate goal

• Why thinking generationally can change business and financial decisions

• How stepping away from social media and constant negativity can improve the influence you have on others

Kurt also shares a practical challenge for anyone wanting to become a more positive and responsible influence: pay closer attention to what you are allowing into your mind and what you are carrying into the lives of the people around you.

Whether you're a business owner, entrepreneur, executive, manager, marketer, or emerging leader, this conversation offers practical ideas for communicating more effectively, building stronger relationships, and becoming more intentional about the influence you have every day.

Connect with Kurt Luidhardt:

LinkedIn: Search Kurt Luidhardt

Website: LibertySpenders.com

About Daily Influence:

Daily Influence explores how leaders, entrepreneurs, and everyday people can create meaningful positive impact through intentional actions, responsible leadership, and the influence they carry into their businesses, relationships, and communities.

Subscribe to Daily Influence and share this episode with someone who wants to become a more intentional and positive influence.

SEO Keywords: intentional leadership, leadership communication, responsible influence, Kurt Luidhardt, Daily Influence podcast, business leadership, communication skills for leaders, leadership clarity, building trust at work, transparent leadership, storytelling in leadership, entrepreneurial leadership, positive influence, organizational culture, leadership development

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What happens when everything in your organization becomes urgent?

Every email needs an immediate response. Every new idea becomes the next priority. Every problem becomes a fire—and eventually, people stop managing priorities and start managing interruptions.

In Episode 820 of Daily Influence, Brian Smith explores the hidden organizational cost of constant urgency and the responsibility leaders have for the pace, anxiety, and priorities they create around them.

Drawing from 30 years of working with organizations and the principles of S.M.A.R.T. Management, Brian challenges leaders to distinguish between what needs their attention and what actually deserves priority.

In this episode:

• Why urgent and important are not the same thing

• How constantly changing priorities create organizational chaos

• Why every new priority has a cost—even when that cost isn't immediately visible

• How a leader's pace and anxiety influence the entire team

• Why reacting to every problem can teach employees to escalate instead of solve

• How S.M.A.R.T. Management creates clarity around priorities, ownership, measurement, and outcomes

• Why speed with direction is different from motion created by anxiety

Sometimes the chaos leaders are frustrated by is chaos they've helped create.

Before calling something urgent, ask: Is it genuinely urgent? Is it important? Or is it simply the thing that has my attention right now?

Because priority requires choice—and choice requires discipline.

Your influence is always on. Make it positive. Make it responsible.

Find your influence. Be the influence. Build your influence.

What if confidence isn’t about knowing exactly what comes next, but trusting yourself to figure it out?

On this episode of Daily Influence, host Gregg-Brooke Koleno sits down with Erin Ramirez, founder of Real Change Studio, executive coach, leadership strategist, and facilitator who helps leaders and teams navigate change, growth, complexity, and pressure.

Erin shares why uncertainty doesn’t have to leave leaders stuck and why waiting for the perfect answer can actually hold people and organizations back. Drawing from her experience leading large-scale organizational change initiatives, she explains how leaders can build adaptability, strengthen their confidence, and move forward by focusing on the next best step.

The conversation also explores the concept of the leadership shadow the idea that every action, reaction, conversation, and behavior sends a message to the people around us, whether we intend it or not. Erin explains why responsible influence starts with understanding not only what we mean to communicate, but how others actually experience us.

You’ll also learn Erin’s practical three-step approach for navigating uncertainty: identify the facts and separate them from the story you’re telling yourself, expand your options through mental flexibility, and choose an intentional next step.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why confidence comes from trusting your ability to respond rather than having certainty

• How a leader’s behaviors create a leadership shadow that influences the entire organization

• Why listening can be more effective than simply communicating more

• A three-step process for getting unstuck and identifying your next best step

• How “both-and thinking” can help leaders move beyond limiting either-or choices

• Why adaptability and mental flexibility are increasingly critical leadership skills

• How to take responsible action even when you don’t have a perfect plan

Erin’s message is simple: you don’t need to see the entire path before you move forward. You need the willingness to take the next responsible step, learn from it, and keep adapting.

Learn more about Erin Ramirez and Real Change Studio at https://www.realchangestudio.com/ and connect with Erin on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinrdramirez/.

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