298. Leading with Empathy and Inclusion with Stephanie Chung

What if the most powerful thing you did as a leader was to stop talking? Stephanie Chung—trailblazing aviation executive and author of Ally Leadership—joins us to show how silence, better questions, and intentional design turn diversity into decisions people own.We start with the hard truth: diverse teams win, but only when every voice is heard. Stephanie shares how she navigated a male-dominated industry and distilled what works into the EARN system: establish psychological safety, assure alignment, rally the troops with a compelling vision, and navigate the narrows when turbulence hits. We get specific about meeting design—who speaks, who gets cut off, and what to do in the micro-moments when someone says, “I see it differently.” You’ll learn how to prep quiet voices before they walk into the room, use silence as a thinking tool, and move from leader-led solutions to team-generated plans that build real ownership.We also tackle the generational shift reshaping work. Younger teammates aren’t anti-work; they’re anti-waste. Stephanie challenges us to prioritize outcomes over optics, encourage healthy debate, and treat “Why do we do it this way?” as a design question, not a threat. The conversation stretches into sales leadership and customer value: teach your team how the business makes money, understand your customer’s economics, and stop discounting—start unlocking value. Along the way, practical tactics like cross-department “walk a mile,” Amazon-style six-page memos, and three alignment questions make inclusion tangible and repeatable.🌐 Connect with Stephanie:• Website: https://stephaniechung.com/• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thestephaniechung/• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestephaniechung/📚 You can purchase Stephanie's book on Amazon:• Ally Leadership: How to Lead People Who Are Not Like You: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1961801442Send us Fan MailThe Thrive Careers Podcast My career wasn’t a straight line—it was a series of pivots, survival jobs, and...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Support the show✅ Follow The Leadership Project on your favourite podcast platform and listen to a new episode every week!📝 Don’t forget to share your thoughts on the episode in the comments below. 🔔 Join us in our mission at The Leadership Project and learn more about our organisation here:  https://linktr.ee/mickspiers 📕 You can purchase a copy of the Mick Spiers bestselling book "You're a Leader, Now What?" as an eBook or paperback at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZBKK8XVIf you would like a signed copy, please reach out to [email protected] and we can arrange it for you too.If you're thinking about starting a podcast or upgrading your hosting, Buzzsprout is a great option! This link will give both of us a $20 credit when you upgrade:👉 https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1701891Create forms easily with Jotform! Sign up with my link: https://www.jotform.com/?referral=AkWimLxOBzGet extra Dropbox space—sign up with my link: Dropbox Referral LinkWise Referral link: https://wise.com/invite/dic/michaels11434Strea...