🎙 The Power of Trust: The Cornerstone of Influence

Trust isn’t soft — it’s foundational. In this first episode of the Elite Leader Insights Podcast, Donald C. Kunkel Jr.explores why trust is the most essential trait in any leadership role — and how it directly impacts your ability to influence, inspire, and lead with impact.

Pulling from neuroscience, real-world case studies, and core concepts from The Foundations of Influence, this episode breaks down the mindset and methods of high-trust leaders — and offers three actionable strategies you can use today to grow your influence by building trust.

Whether you’re leading a team, raising a family, or mentoring others, trust is the thread that holds influence together.

You’ll learn:

• Why trust is the foundation of all influence — not authority
• What neuroscience reveals about trust and team performance
• How leaders like Luis Urzúa used trust to lead in crisis
• Three research-backed strategies to build trust in any setting

Resources Mentioned:

• The Foundations of Influence: The Power to Lead & Inspire
• TECCA Influence Assessment™ and Power Profile™
• Elite Leader Insights™ Newsletter

Final Thought:

Trust is your greatest currency. It multiplies influence, and influence is how we lead — in life and leadership.

Elite Leader Insights is hosted by Donald C. Kunkel Jr., founder of the Elite Leadership Center, author of The Foundations of Influence: The Power to Lead & Inspire, and creator of the TECCA Influence System™.

🌐 Connect with Us: LinkTree | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter (X)

Elite Leader Insights is hosted by Donald C. Kunkel Jr., founder of the Elite Leadership Center, author of The Foundations of Influence: The Power to Lead and Inspire, and creator of the TECCA Influence System

🌐 Connect with Us: LinkTree | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter (X)

🎙 The Ripple Effect: How Leaders Shape Culture

Culture doesn’t start with a slogan — it starts with a leader. In this episode of the Elite Leader Insights Podcast, Donald C. Kunkel Jr. explores how small, consistent leadership behaviors create long-term ripple effects that shape team culture, for better or worse.

Drawing from a real-world leadership case study, he shares five practical, research-backed strategies for driving cultural transformation — without fancy programs or corporate jargon. You’ll hear how clarity, feedback, accountability, and values-based hiring can reshape even the most misaligned teams.

Whether you're a seasoned executive or a frontline leader, this episode will challenge you to reflect on what you're permitting, what you're perpetuating, and how to lead culture change from the inside out.

You’ll learn:

• Why culture is built through repetition, not intention
• The #1 phrase that changed how Don leads and teaches
• Five best practices for shaping culture that actually stick
• How to hire, coach, and correct in ways that reinforce values

Resources Mentioned:

• The Foundations of Influence: The Power to Lead & Inspire book
• The TECCA Influence Assessment™ and Power Profile™
• Weekly Elite Leader Insights™ newsletter

Final Thought:
What you permit, you perpetuate. Leadership isn’t what you preach — it’s what you consistently practice

Elite Leader Insights is hosted by Donald C. Kunkel Jr., founder of the Elite Leadership Center, author of The Foundations of Influence: The Power to Lead and Inspire, and creator of the TECCA Influence System

🌐 Connect with Us: LinkTree | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter (X)