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Confessions of a Terrible Leader: How HHART-First Leadership Transforms Culture with Layci Nelson
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🎙️ What if the secret to powerful leadership wasn’t starting with strategy, but starting with heart?
In this powerful episode of The Kind Leader Podcast, host Gino Degregori speaks with Layci Nelson, founder of Transcend Leadership Collective, about how to build people-centered, high-performance cultures by leading with empathy, clarity, and trust. A first-generation college graduate who began her career in social work, Layci shares how her journey led to the creation of the Heart First Leadership Framework—a research-backed approach grounded in Healthy conflict, Honest communication, Acceptance, Respect, and Trust.
Rather than beginning with vision and results, Layci starts where change actually happens: the frontline. Her framework offers a radically human approach to leadership that centers inclusion, clarity, and the courage to own mistakes. If you're looking to lead more effectively in high-stakes environments or simply want to connect more deeply with your team, this episode is full of practical tools and perspective shifts you can apply right away.
🔑 Key takeaways include:
Lead with heart, not just strategy: Address team dynamics before focusing on performance metrics
Start from the frontline: Real change begins by listening to the people closest to the work
Kindness is action: Clarity, honesty, and support—not avoidance—define kind leadership
Own your mistakes: Vulnerability builds credibility and trust
Communicate upward with strategy: Connect challenges to solutions, not just complaints
🎧 Listen now and learn how to lead with humanity, without sacrificing results.
Important Links and Resources
🌐 Transcend Leadership Collective transcendleadershipcollective.com
💼 Connect with Layci Nelson on LinkedIn Search: Layci Nelson or click here
🎙️ Podcast Confessions of a Terrible Leader — Available on major podcast platforms
📚 Recommended Book Dare to Lead by Brené Brown
Chapters
00:00 Finding Joy in Music, Parenting, and Real-Life Leadership 02:58 From Social Work to Leadership: Layci’s Unexpected Path 06:08 What Does Kind Leadership Really Mean? 09:03 Introducing the Heart First Leadership Framework 12:03 Why People Must Come Before Profit 14:54 Turning Good Intentions into Positive Impact 27:01 Staying Grounded: The Power of Presence in Leadership 28:29 Inside the Work of Transformational Coaching 30:58 Why Listening to the Frontline Changes Everything 35:18 Practical Strategies for Clear, Honest Communication 39:10 How to Build Trust and Genuine Connection 43:42 Why Owning Mistakes Builds Leadership Credibility 44:49 Leading Across Cultures with Intention and Inclusion 49:58 Final Reflections on Leading with Heart and Clarity
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