Leadership Journeys [255] - Bill Benjamin - "Managing emotions in tough moments defines your culture."

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.What happens when a math and computer science guy stumbles into leadership and realizes he’s completely unprepared? That’s exactly what happened to Bill Benjamin, now a partner at the Institute for Health and Human Potential, and his journey into emotional intelligence holds powerful lessons for today’s leaders. In this episode, Bill shares how vulnerability, courage, and connection can transform not just your leadership style, but the very culture of your team. From handling the “last 8%” tough conversations to building psychological safety in hybrid workplaces, he offers practical insights leaders can apply immediately. If you’ve ever struggled with feedback, avoided conflict, or wondered how to inspire true accountability, this conversation is one you can’t afford to miss.You can find Bill Benjamin at the links belowhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-benjamin-12b671/https://hbr.org/2025/09/the-secret-to-building-a-high-performing-teamhttps://ihhp.com/In the interview, Bill shares“Leadership isn’t about knowing all the answers—it’s about managing your emotions in the toughest moments.”“The feedback that hurts the most is often the feedback that helps us grow the most.”“Avoiding difficult conversations doesn’t protect your culture—it poisons it.”“True leadership starts when you embrace vulnerability instead of hiding behind perfection.”“Courage and connection are the twin pillars of a thriving workplace.”“If you don’t address underperformance, you’re quietly teaching your team that mediocrity is acceptable.”“Culture change begins at the top—leaders must model the behavior they want to see.”“Leadership is a choice you make every day, not a title you hold.”“Psychological safety fuels performance—without it, courage and innovation wither.”“The moments you least want to face—the ‘last 8%’—are the ones that define you as a leader.”