079 - The 8 Keys to Inspired Leadership with Kevin Asbjornson

In this rich and wide-ranging conversation, John Marshall sits down with Kevin Asbjornson, global leadership development professional, executive coach, keynote speaker, and performing artist, to explore what it truly means to lead with emotional intelligence in the 21st century. Kevin draws on a career spanning more than 70 countries and a lifelong parallel passion for music to make a compelling case that leadership is both an art and a science — and that most organizations have been over-investing in the science while leaving the art largely untouched. He shares his signature Eight Keys to Inspired Leadership model, the powerful practice of using original piano compositions to develop emotional awareness in leaders, and the critical distinction between a leader's tune and their tone. From practical steps for accessing emotional intelligence assessments, to how the best organizations build learn-it-all cultures and measure leadership impact along the way, this episode is a masterclass in what human-centric leadership actually looks like in practice.Resources: Inspire Imagine Innovate WebsiteHoward Gardner's Intelligence ReFramed Hogan Assessments Daniel Goleman's What Makes a LeaderConnect with Kevin Asbjornson: LinkedIn | WebsiteTakeawaysLeadership is both an art and a science, and most organizations have over-invested in the science at the expense of the art.People hear your tune, but they feel your tone — and when those two are out of alignment, connection breaks down.Emotional intelligence is not something we are born with; it is learned through experience and developed intentionally over time.The five pillars of emotional intelligence are self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills — and intrapersonal intelligence must come before interpersonal impact.Leaders inspire people; people motivate themselves — and that distinction changes everything about how we approach leadership development.Closing the gap between identity and reputation is one of the most transformative things a leader can do for their team and their organization.Real-time feedback throughout a coaching engagement is more powerful than waiting for results at the end of the process.The three most common leadership refinements are shifting from tune to tone, distinguishing between urgent and important, and slowing down pace to better connect with the audience.The best organizations invest in learn-it-all cultures rather than know-it-all cultures, and they make emotional intelligence a measurable organizational priority.Leadership effectiveness at work is directly connected to how we show up at home — life, career, and well-being are not separate categories.Visit The Present Professional webpage on humessence.com and learn more about how we support leadership development and culture enablement at growth-stage organizations.Thank you for listening.Coach John Marshall | Instagram | LinkedIn