Leading with Clarity and Heart with David Reyes

David Reyes is a senior sales and business development executive with 18+ years of experience leading teams and scaling business units globally. In this candid conversation with Claire Hayek, David opens up about surviving cancer, coming back to rebuild his career from scratch, and the human moments that defined his leadership philosophy. Claire unpacks the neuroscience of decision-making under pressure, offering practical breathing tools to stay anchored. Together, they explore what it really means to lead with clarity and heart—even when everything feels chaotic.Topics Covered:David’s leadership transformation post-cancerHow a 5-minute conversation changed the course of his careerClaire’s neuroscience tips: physiological sigh + 4-7-8 breathingMaking deposits before asking for withdrawalsHuman-first leadership: beyond metrics and into meaningMirror neurons, empathy, and psychological safetyWhy leaders need to talk less about numbers—and more about peopleTimestamps (HH:MM):00:00 – David’s story: cancer, clarity, and comeback05:00 – Brain tip: physiological sigh and prefrontal reboot08:00 – The vagus nerve and the 4-7-8 breath10:30 – Claire on self-sabotage, inner critics, and anchoring14:00 – David’s pivotal moment: a leader sees his potential19:00 – Human conversations vs. metrics in one-on-ones22:00 – “Make deposits before withdrawals”: what that looks like27:00 – Bold Truth Round: myths, books, and clarity checks28:30 – Listener challenge: test your team’s alignment this weekMentioned Resources:📚 Predictable Revenue by Aaron Ross📚 The Sales Acceleration Formula by Mark RobergeConnect with Claire →⁠ https://linktr.ee/clairehayek⁠ | IG: ⁠@claire.hayek ⁠. Have a question? ⁠[email protected]⁠ The NeuroLeadership Edge Podcast is produced by Claire Hayek. All opinions are those of the host and guests. For more leadership resources, visit clairehayek.com