Ep 95 - Why 60% of Employees Would Fire Their Boss (and What Great Leaders Do Instead) episode artwork

EPISODE · Feb 10, 2026 · 43 MIN

Ep 95 - Why 60% of Employees Would Fire Their Boss (and What Great Leaders Do Instead)

from Management Muse · host Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin

If your employees could fire you… would they? This week Cindi is joined by author and CEO Dr. Keith Levick to discuss research that reveals 60% of employees would fire their boss if they could—and even more disturbingly, many would sacrifice salary, vacation, or promotions to make it happen. Why? Because too many workplaces lack psychological safety, flexibility, and real ownership. The good news? Keith lays out how leaders can reverse this pattern by developing social and emotional intelligence. He breaks down the difference between the two, and offers a clear roadmap for reading the room, building trust, and leading with more awareness and empathy. This episode is a must-listen for any manager brave enough to ask: Would my team keep me if they had the choice? Episode Highlights: What employees wish their boss understood Why leadership failure is usually interpersonal, not technical Emotional intelligence vs. social intelligence (and why both matter) Easy steps to developing self awareness The importance of empathy and flexibility  About Dr. Keith Levick: Keith Levick, PhD, or “Dr. Keith,” as many of his clients refer to him, holds a Master of Social Work and a Doctorate in Counseling from Detroit’s Wayne State University and has worked with large, medium, and small companies and corporations. Dr. Keith is the CEO of Goren and Associates, a professional development, executive coaching, and consulting firm in Farmington Hills, Michigan. He has spent many years in clinical practice as a psychologist and has since transitioned his clinical expertise into organizational psychology and business. Keith is an adjunct professor at Wayne State University and Lawrence Technological University. * Purchase Keith’s book, The Insightful Leader: Discover Your Blind Spots Through the Eyes of Employees * Connect with Keith: Linkedin | Insightful Leaders | Goren & Associates Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6HvROyp9h6E *Purchase your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook here *Sign up for our newsletter and our FREE guide to the 6 science-backed habits you NEED to level up your management skills in 2026! Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading: Kahneman, Daniel. Thinking, Fast and Slow, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2013, https://a.co/d/0gsQLnWO  Goleman, Daniel. Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships, Bantam, 2007, https://a.co/d/05ArEUkA  Join Our Community & Follow Us:  - Youtube Channel  - LinkedIn - Instagram -Facebook -TikTok - Website

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Feb 10, 2026

If your employees could fire you… would they? This week Cindi is joined by author and CEO Dr. Keith Levick to discuss research that reveals 60% of employees would fire their boss if they could—and even more disturbingly, many would sacrifice salary, vacation, or promotions to make it happen. Why? Because too many workplaces lack psychological safety, flexibility, and real ownership. The good news? Keith lays out how leaders can reverse this pattern by developing social and emotional intelligence. He breaks down the difference between the two, and offers a clear roadmap for reading the room, building trust, and leading with more awareness and empathy. This episode is a must-listen for any manager brave enough to ask: Would my team keep me if they had the choice? Episode Highlights: What employees wish their boss understood Why leadership failure is usually interpersonal, not technical Emotional intelligence vs. social intelligence (and why both matter) Easy steps to developing self awareness The importance of empathy and flexibility  About Dr. Keith Levick: Keith Levick, PhD, or “Dr. Keith,” as many of his clients refer to him, holds a Master of Social Work and a Doctorate in Counseling from Detroit’s Wayne State University and has worked with large, medium, and small companies and corporations. Dr. Keith is the CEO of Goren and Associates, a professional development, executive coaching, and consulting firm in Farmington Hills, Michigan. He has spent many years in clinical practice as a psychologist and has since transitioned his clinical expertise into organizational psychology and business. Keith is an adjunct professor at Wayne State University and Lawrence Technological University. * Purchase Keith’s book, The Insightful Leader: Discover Your Blind Spots Through the Eyes of Employees * Connect with Keith: Linkedin | Insightful Leaders | Goren & Associates Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6HvROyp9h6E *Purchase your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook here *Sign up for our newsletter and our FREE guide to the 6 science-backed habits you NEED to level up your management skills in 2026! Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading: Kahneman, Daniel. Thinking, Fast and Slow, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2013, https://a.co/d/0gsQLnWO  Goleman, Daniel. Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships, Bantam, 2007, https://a.co/d/05ArEUkA  Join Our Community & Follow Us:  - Youtube Channel  - LinkedIn - Instagram -Facebook -TikTok - Website

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Ep 95 - Why 60% of Employees Would Fire Their Boss (and What Great Leaders Do Instead)

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This episode was published on February 10, 2026.

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If your employees could fire you… would they? This week Cindi is joined by author and CEO Dr. Keith Levick to discuss research that reveals 60% of employees would fire their boss if they could—and even more disturbingly, many would sacrifice salary,...

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