Episode 119: Leadership Lessons with Whitney Sullivan

Hey there, listener. Join me while I sit back and super fan over today's podcast guest, Whitney Sullivan. At one point I stop and suggest I pay her for a therapy session because she is just that good! We also geek out over our shared interest in (obsession with?) enneagram types and Ted Lasso. Whitney is a motivational speaker and leadership coach based out of Bozeman, Montana. She has a great personal story as a small business owner and has great advice to share. Whitney is a wealth of knowledge and a gift to us listening. Key Takeaways

• Whitney is a motivational speaker and leadership coach who focuses on topics of connection, purpose, and resilience. She loves coaching new leaders. She is also a certified life coach, enneagram coach, and spin instructor.
• Whitney spent ten years in higher education and saw herself spending her career there. But the pandemic and changes to her job caused burnout and left her looking for a change.
• Whitney has been in business for herself for about a year, after an 18-month process of making the switch. "Sometimes it looks like people are making these changes and they just happen overnight but so many things happen behind the scenes before you see the results of those changes."
• Leaders are important: "70% of employee engagement is based solely on the manager"
• Whitney reminds leaders to Celebrate. Thank. Praise. "People want to be cared about"
• A mistake leaders make is not delegating and taking on too many tasks. "We're here to lead action, not take action"
• People want to be useful and hoarding opportunities can be harmful. Team members see "I can help you all because that's strength but I can't accept help so that's weakness"

Resources

• Closing the Confidence Gap by Kelli Thompson (Whitney's sister!)
• Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown
• Five to Thrive by Enneagram Type

Connect with Whitney Follow Whitney on Instagram. Schedule a discovery call and learn more about her services on her website. Follow for More Follow me, Molly Knuth on Instagram and Facebook. Or follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.