When Leadership Loses Credibility and Values Meet Reality.

What happens when leadership, systems, or roles you trusted stop making sense—and you can't think or perform your way through it? In this episode, KiKi L'Italien speaks with Simon Mont about identity collapse, moral injury, and how to stay oriented and human when values collide with reality. Why this episode now: When trust in leadership and institutions feels fragile, many people are left questioning who to listen to and how to stay grounded. This episode offers a steady, human conversation about values, identity, and orientation—without rushing to answers or asking listeners to harden in response. Timestamps 00:00 — When values meet reality in leadership 02:05 — The breakdown you can't think your way out of 07:15 — When systems cause harm while trying to help 11:45 — Losing the savior identity 16:55 — Why new identities can become another trap 22:50 — Staying oriented without certainty 28:55 — Gratitude, beauty, and grounding beyond success 41:20 — What to hear when things are quietly unraveling Guest Resources Simon Mont — Website: https://www.harmonize.work/ Article: Power of Wholeness in the Workplace https://medium.com/harmonize/power-of-wholeness-in-the-workplace-561659b18d70 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mont-a8b442104/ Podcast Resources — Things Go Sideways Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/things-go-sideways/id1849510232 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0AToVdda4omlLpG9KpQ0Hj Libsyn Page: https://sites.libsyn.com/597715/site RSS Feed: https://feeds.libsyn.com/597715/rss YouTube Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRiPZ_HubKQpcbMaCYtlJN9D6qTv4tOrb Book Club: https://bookclubs.com/clubs/6100919/join/4db79195 Share Your Sideways Story: https://forms.gle/UcccE9eJBSfEc9UN9 Schedule an Interview: https://calendly.com/kiki-interview/podcast-interview