298: Awareness of Fit with Matt Poepsel

Gut + Science

Ever felt like something at work just wasn’t clicking—but you couldn’t put your finger on why? 🤔 Enter Awareness of Fit, the secret sauce behind thriving teams and seamless collaboration!

In this episode, Matt Poepsel, VP of Talent Optimization at Predictive Index, joins Nikki to break down how understanding fit—across strategy, culture, and team dynamics—can make or break success.

From surprising insights on self-awareness to why promoting your top performer might be a terrible idea, this convo is packed with eye-opening moments. Plus, Matt shares how a quick six-minute assessment can reveal game-changing insights about you and your team.

🎧 Listen in and grab the free behavioral assessment to see what makes YOU thrive!

Additional Resources:

Connect with Matt Poepsel on LinkedIn

Listen to Lead the People

Take the Free Behavioral Assessment

Take the SKOR Snapshot

Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn Learn more about PeopleForward Network

Key Takeaways:

• Self-awareness is the foundation of great leadership—it’s a muscle that must be built continuously.
• Fit isn’t one-dimensional—it includes strategy fit (role alignment), culture fit (values alignment), and team fit (collaborative compatibility).
• Behavioral assessments provide clarity on why teams thrive—or struggle—and help pinpoint areas of misalignment.
• Promotions shouldn’t be automatic—high performers in one role may not be suited for leadership, and leaders must be intentional in career pathing.
• Team dynamics improve when leaders build self-awareness rituals—making self-reflection and team assessments a regular part of the culture.