Beyond Command and Control: The Rise of Transcendent Leadership, with Greg Stebbins

In this episode of the Spirituality in Leadership Podcast, host Andrew Cohn speaks with Greg Stebbins, a pioneer in the intersection of spirituality, wisdom, and leadership. With decades of experience as a coach, consultant, and educator, Greg shares the importance of self-inquiry, values alignment, and transcendent leadership—an approach rooted in reflection, presence, and authentic connection.Greg reflects on his upbringing in a military family, his spiritual journey (inspired by his mother, “Swami Mommy”), and his path from sales and consulting to founding his leadership development practice. He emphasizes that true leadership requires ongoing wisdom development, aligning beliefs and values, and uncovering the authentic self beneath ego-driven facades.Together, Andrew and Greg explore how prayer, meditation, and contemplation foster clarity, how leaders can embody presence rather than simply perform it, and why younger generations are demanding congruence between words and actions in business. Their conversation weaves personal stories, practical tools, and deep reflections on what it means to lead from the inside out.Key TakeawaysSpirituality and wisdom are deeply connected, and leadership growth comes from developing inner wisdom.Transcendent leadership goes beyond charisma and relies on authentic presence and self-awareness.Gen Z leaders and employees expect alignment between words and actions, with little tolerance for hypocrisy.Practices like prayer, meditation, and contemplation bring clarity to decision-making, emotions, and vision.A leader’s values shape their organization’s purpose, making values alignment critical for trust and direction.Genuine presence cannot be faked; it emerges naturally from compassion, empathy, and love.In This Episode:[00:01] Historical connection between spirituality and wisdom[01:00] Introducing the podcast and guest[03:39] Greg’s background: military family and spiritual beginnings[07:20] Professional path: sales, consulting, and leadership[10:01] Shifts in business receptivity to spirituality[11:42] Practices for integrating spirituality in leadership[15:49] Wisdom through experience and self-inquiry[19:06] Never-ending wisdom and interpersonal skills[20:34] Defining meditation, contemplation, and prayer[22:30] Values hierarchies and organizational alignment[24:17] Ego vs. authentic self in leadership[25:39] Charisma, presence, and holding space[27:12] Generational learning and leadership evolution[28:43] Ego’s role and command-and-control cultures[29:08] Reconciling military upbringing with spiritual path[33:27] Self-inquiry, self-reflection, and wisdom moments[35:56] Challenges with 360-degree feedback[39:36] Self-awareness and organizational alignment[41:07] Respecting values and purpose in teams[42:48] Closing and contact informationResources and LinksSpirituality in Leadership Podcasthttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spirituality-in-leadership/id1713365406Gregg StebbinsPhone contact: (310) 433-5020Website: https://peoplesavvy.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregstebbinsAndrew CohnWebsite: https://www.spiritualityinleadership.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcohnusa/Music: Kodiak: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/artist/4rURKtnJr3jeHvZ0IVRQCe