Flexing Your Leadership muscles: How to avoid being a one-trick pony | #28
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The idiom, "one-trick pony" is used to describe someone that is good at only one thing or has only one notable skill or achievement. The best leaders are not one trick ponies; they can flex and adapt their approach to meet any given situation. In this episode, Rich and Dave explore why leadership isn’t about having a single ‘style’ it is about knowing how and when to engage different styles.
Using the analogy of the human body where styles are like muscles to exercise and use appropriately, they explore Zentano’s Connected Leadership model as the skeleton on which these muscles are built. The discussion describes four powerful personas: the Bold Captain, Inspiring Navigator, Caring Shepherd, and Diligent Builder and the eight behavioural 'muscles' that underpin how they operate.
In this podcast you’ll hear real-life stories, personal reflections, and practical tools to help you:
- Identify your dominant leadership style (your signature muscle group)
- Recognise underused leadership muscles
- Flex into different styles with self-awareness
- Use the Connected Centre to adapt effectively without losing your authenticity
- Apply the model to everyday leadership scenarios
Whether you lead a team of 2 or 200, this episode gives you a fresh, practical way to think about your leadership strengths and how to build flexibility for high-impact leadership.
Key Talking Points
- The metaphor of muscles and skeletons: why flexibility matters more than fixed style
- How and why tapping into the four Connected Leadership personas makes you a better leader
- The importance of flexing to have a healthy relationship with people, power, and performance
- The difference between flexing and faking
- Using reflection, feedback, and intentional practice to build your leadership agility
- How to spot the muscles you overuse and those you need to develop
Download Your Connected Leadership Styles and Personas one-pager here: https://www.zentanogroup.com/connected-leadership-styles-and-personas-2/
29 episodes