If Your Team Isn’t Listening, It’s Not Them—It’s This One Leadership Mistake

We have more ways to communicate than ever… so why does it feel like nobody is actually hearing each other? In this live episode of The Disruption Lab, Kevin sits down with communication strategist and executive coach Eric Morgenstern to break down what’s really going wrong in leadership communication—and how to fix it fast. From workplace trust issues to pitch coaching for startup founders, Eric shares the frameworks he’s used with hundreds of leaders to help them get clearer, sound more confident, and move people to action. You’ll hear why great communication isn’t about what you want to say—it’s about what the other person needs to hear. Eric explains why listening is the skill most leaders are losing, how trust has shifted in the last 10–15 years, and what it takes to sound authentic when your online presence meets your in-person presence. Plus: practical tools you can use immediately—like the “What / So What / Now What” message structure, the three magic feedback questions, and the simple word swaps that remove “wimpy language” without coming off arrogant. If you’re a leader, founder, manager, or anyone who needs to communicate clearly in a noisy world—this episode will change how you show up. In this episode, we cover: Why listening (not talking) is the leadership superpower Recipient-oriented communication: how to say it so they can actually hear it How to build trust in a world where trust is low by default Why your written voice and spoken voice must match (or people don’t believe you) “What / So What / Now What”: the simplest way to explain any initiative The “wimpy words” that quietly destroy credibility—and what to say instead A clean feedback framework: what went great, what went poorly, what was missing Perfect for: leaders, entrepreneurs, startup founders, corporate teams, pitch competition contestants, and anyone trying to communicate with clarity and confidence.