Episode 36: Leading With Calm Through Chaos, Discrimination, and Financial Hardship with Craig Nishizaki

How do you stay grounded as a leader when everything around you is falling apart? Craig Nishizaki has answered that question more than once. Early in his career, a manager told him he'd only keep him on to avoid a discrimination lawsuit. Later, he went seven months without a paycheck while his wife was pregnant. He was passed over for promotions. And at every single turning point, he made the same choice: face it, don't run from it. Today, Craig is the co-owner of UpTop, a UX design agency that has partnered with Amazon, Microsoft, and SAP. 98% of their clients take him with them when they get promoted. And he leads with one of the rarest qualities in today's workplace: calm, intentional, trust-first leadership. In this episode, Craig shares the experiences that shaped how he leads, why he believes we are in a trust recession, and how he has built a culture that people genuinely want to be part of. Resources Mentioned: Lead with Influence Playbook: https://uptop.docsend.com/view/25tc8687ymbwdkta 360 Degree Leader by John Maxwell: https://www.amazon.com/360-Degree-Leader-Developing-Organization/dp/0785260927?&linkCode=sl2&tag=worthytolea0c-20&linkId=8418b78636e8bc864d24a330790ed7e4&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl The Win Without Pitching Manifesto by Blair Enns: https://www.amazon.com/Win-Without-Pitching-Manifesto/dp/1605440043 Where to find Craig:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craignishizaki/Website: https://uptopcorp.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@uptopcorp/videos Connect with Kristiana: Website: https://www.worthytolead.co/LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/kristianacoronaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/worthytolead/Substack: https://worthytolead.substack.com/