Leading Teams in Divisive Times

Leadership in this moment of divisiveness means making space for complexity—without getting lost in it.In this episode, Emily is joined by Vince Marigna, CEO of Breakthrough Collaborative, to explore how leaders can navigate uncertainty, hold space for difference, and guide teams through today’s increasingly divisive environment.Together, they dig into what it really means to lead during destabilizing times—when institutional change is constant, political opinions are charged, and team members are carrying vastly different lived experiences into work. Vince shares practical tools like guiding principles, practicing responsible transparency, and the art of listening without assuming.If you’ve ever felt caught between protecting your people and supporting your organization’s decisions—or struggled to stay grounded while holding space for others—this is an honest, deeply human conversation you won’t want to miss.Timestamps:[00:05:08] – When Problem-Solving Isn’t the Answer: Vince shares a formative lesson from his sister that reshaped his leadership approach—sometimes the most powerful move is to ask, not solve.[00:13:07] – Leading with Influence Over Control: As CEO of a federated organization, Vince breaks down how to lead with influence, not authority—and why listening to local context while providing the structure for collective succeed is essential.[00:22:30] – Principles for Navigating Divisiveness: From political tension to personal values, Vince outlines how Breakthrough uses guiding principles and shared values to unify teams during charged times.[00:33:30] – Responsible Transparency: Vince and Emily explore how leaders can acknowledge hard truths without destabilizing their teams and how to determine what’s the right level of transparency for the moment. [00:43:30] – From Competence to Genius: In his closing reflection, Vince names the pattern he’s working to break as a leader — spending too much time in the zone of competence, and not enough in his zone of genius.Access the episode transcript.Join the Conversation: This year we’re taking audience questions! Send in your toughest people management and leadership challenges, and we’ll anonymize them and tackle them in an upcoming episode. Email Abigail on our Let’s Talk, People team with your situation as a written note or voice memo to [email protected] with Emily Frieze-Kemeny on LinkedIn and Instagram or explore her work through AROSE Group’s website.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Let’s Talk, People in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts. It helps others discover the show.Thanks for listening to Let’s Talk, People!