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The Influential Leader

The Influential Leader

By: Michael Dietrich-Chastain
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Great leadership isn't about telling people what to do. It's about asking the questions that move them. Hosted by executive coach and behavior change expert Michael Dietrich-Chastain, The Influential Leader delivers actionable strategies for driving team engagement, retaining top talent, and shaping a culture of performance, from the inside out. Each week, Michael brings you into bold conversations with top executives, organizational psychologists, and culture architects to uncover what it really takes to influence behavior at scale. You’ll hear live coaching sessions, research-backed frameworks, and the practical tools leaders are using today to unlock motivation, accountability, and clarity on their teams. This show is your field-tested playbook for: - Leading with inquiry, not just authority - Turning insight into influence - Building the kind of culture people don’t want to leave If you're a time-strapped senior leader who’s done the workshops, hired the consultants, and still feels like the real lever is you, and this is your next move. Subscribe now and join the conversation that’s reshaping leadership one question at a timeCopyright 2026 Michael Dietrich-Chastain
Episodes
  • Do Your Leadership Frameworks Hold Up Under Pressure? with Victor Cho

    Do Your Leadership Frameworks Hold Up Under Pressure? with Victor Cho
    8 Oct 2026
    What happens to a team when its leader acts from insecurity? Victor Cho joins Michael Dietrich-Chastain to explore how self awareness, empathy, and transparency shape trust at work. Victor explains why he asks questions before advocating for a decision, and why employees at every level should be able to flag a problem when they see one. He also introduces his Fourth Stakeholder Framework, which asks leaders to consider how their companies affect society beyond their customers, employees, and shareholders. As the conversation turns to AI, Victor makes the case for planning how organizations will change and protecting trust in digital communication. It is a conversation about the questions leaders ask, the problems they choose to see, and the example they set for everyone around them.Chapters:(00:00:00) - Victor Cho on Leadership, Inquiry, and AI(00:05:02) - Defining Your Three Circles of Purpose and Impact(00:09:40) - How Insecurity, Empathy, and Transparency Shape Leadership(00:16:07) - Inquiry Versus Advocacy: How Leaders Influence Behavior(00:22:43) - CEO Frameworks and Emotional Intelligence(00:29:41) - The Fourth Stakeholder and Business Responsibility to Society(00:36:33) - Business Ripple Effects and the Employee Red Button(00:43:21) - AI Strategy and the Future Structure of Companies(00:50:11) - Deepfakes and Trust in Business Communication(00:54:03) - Why Leaders Must Address Their Own InsecurityLinks and Resources:Website - https://www.victorcho.com/4 Stakeholder - https://www.victorcho.com/4th-stakeholderCEO Career Accelerator - https://www.victorcho.com/courseInquiry vs. Advocacy - https://www.victorcho.com/course-lesson-4Leadership Frameworks - https://www.victorcho.com/resourcesThe Deming Institute - https://deming.org/What Should We Tell the Kids? Navigating Work, Learning, and Purpose in the Age of AI - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMnIJJ3_khAArc Integrated Website: https://www.arcintegrated.comStrategy Call Page: https://www.arcintegrated.com/leadership-strategy-callPodcast Page: https://www.arcintegrated.com/podcastMichael Diettrich-Chastain in Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdiettrichchastainMichael Diettrich-Chastain in Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaeldiettrichchastain/Michael Diettrich-Chastain in Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michael.diettrichchastainArc Integrated in Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arc-integratedThanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to The Influential Leader? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And leave us a review!
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    58 min
  • Why Does Human Connection Matter More in the Age of AI? with Chad Littlefield

    Why Does Human Connection Matter More in the Age of AI? with Chad Littlefield
    8 Oct 2026
    If every decision still lands on your desk, how much room does your team really have to think for themselves? Chad Littlefield, cofounder of We and Me and coauthor of Ask Powerful Questions, joins Michael to explore how leaders can build trust and help people take greater ownership. Drawing on stories from his work and family life, Chad shares how to ask questions that get beyond predictable answers and give employees the freedom to figure things out. The conversation also gets into what meaningful mentorship requires and why your next good idea might need more thinking time before it becomes another project for your team. Throughout the episode, Chad makes a practical case for giving connection more attention, from noticing work that usually goes unseen to creating meetings people actually want to attend. For busy leaders looking to improve engagement, there is plenty here to bring into your next conversation.Chapters:(00:00:00) - Chad Littlefield on Leadership and Human Connection(00:06:50) - Personal Growth Through Challenge and Connection(00:13:35) - Asking Better Questions and Listening With Intention(00:20:20) - Employee Engagement and the Power of Slowing Down(00:27:19) - Employee Autonomy and Three Keys to Effective Mentorship(00:33:58) - Building Company Culture Through Transparency(00:40:58) - Leadership Confidence and Building Team Trust(00:47:30) - How to Influence People With Better Invitations(00:54:23) - AI and the Future of Human Connection(01:01:16) - Leading Through Uncertainty With an Entrepreneurial MindsetLinks and Resources:Ask Powerful Questions - https://shop.weand.me/products/ask-powerful-questionsWe! Connect Cards - https://shop.weand.me/products/we-connect-cardsThe Art of Learning - https://www.joshwaitzkin.com/the-art-of-learningWorthy Goal Framework - https://www.mbs.works/books/Chad Littlefield on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@chad.littlefieldConnectors Summit - https://weand.me/connectors-summit/Liberating Structures - https://www.liberatingstructures.com/Liberating Structures Resources - https://www.liberatingstructures.com/resources-1Arc Integrated Website: https://www.arcintegrated.comStrategy Call Page: https://www.arcintegrated.com/leadership-strategy-callPodcast Page: https://www.arcintegrated.com/podcastMichael Diettrich-Chastain in Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdiettrichchastainMichael Diettrich-Chastain in Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaeldiettrichchastain/Michael Diettrich-Chastain in Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michael.diettrichchastainArc Integrated in Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arc-integratedThanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to The Influential Leader? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And leave us a review!
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    1 hr and 6 min
  • What Are You Missing Beneath Your Team’s Behavior? with Dr. Jade Teta

    What Are You Missing Beneath Your Team’s Behavior? with Dr. Jade Teta
    8 Oct 2026
    Why does a behavior keep showing up even after coaching, training, and clear expectations? Dr. Jade Teta joins Michael Dietrich-Chastain to explore the stories and identities that may sit beneath what leaders see at work. He shares a three part approach to difficult conversations that begins with recognizing someone’s humanity, showing empathy, and asking a question that helps them speak honestly. Jade also explains why he puts connection before correction, how to care deeply while holding someone accountable, and what it means to believe in a person without taking responsibility for their choices. Later, he describes using AI to challenge his ideas and spot his own patterns. The conversation gives leaders a way to look more closely at what is driving behavior before deciding what to do next.Chapters(00:00:00) - Dr. Jade Teta on Identity, Leadership, and Essentia(00:10:37) - Unconscious Patterns and the Identity Beneath Behavior(00:21:25) - Three Rules for Difficult Employee Conversations(00:31:37) - Connection Through Service and Leading Through Struggle(00:42:33) - Extreme Ownership and Three Responses to Suffering(00:52:24) - Fulfillment, Purpose, and Movement Beyond Mission Statements(01:03:23) - Rewrite, Rewire, Retrain: Changing Identity and Behavior(01:09:08) - The Morpheus Effect and Confident Detachment(01:17:43) - How to Use AI to Think With You, Not for You(01:27:59) - The Story You Live and the Story Your Team FollowsLinks and Resources:Johari Window – https://johari-window.com/aboutInternal Family Systems (IFS) – https://ifs-institute.com/The Charisma Myth – https://www.charismamyth.com/Rewrite, Rewire, Retrain – https://www.nextlevelhuman.com/blog/identity-based-changePygmalion Effect – https://dictionary.apa.org/pygmalion-effectGolem Effect Research – https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01581/fullWispr Flow – https://wisprflow.ai/Next Level Human – https://www.nextlevelhuman.com/Dr. Jade Teta on Substack – https://substack.nextlevelhuman.com/Dr. Jade Teta – https://www.jadeteta.com/Arc Integrated Website: https://www.arcintegrated.comStrategy Call Page: https://www.arcintegrated.com/leadership-strategy-callPodcast Page: https://www.arcintegrated.com/podcastMichael Diettrich-Chastain in Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdiettrichchastainMichael Diettrich-Chastain in Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaeldiettrichchastain/Michael Diettrich-Chastain in Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michael.diettrichchastainArc Integrated in Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arc-integratedThanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to The Influential Leader? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And leave us a review!
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    1 hr and 34 min
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