Connect with Tessa Kampen on LinkedIn

Buy The Book 6 Types of Working Genius

Take the Working Genius Assessment

Unlock better team communication and self-awareness with the Working Genius framework. In this episode, we break down the 6 types and how understanding your genius can change the way you lead and collaborate.

What if understanding how you work best could completely transform how your team works together?

If you're a new manager trying to lead with confidence, delegate effectively, and reduce frustration on your team, the Working Genius model by Patrick Lencioni might be the missing link. Tessa Kampen joins me for a breakdown of all six types—Wonder, Invention, Discernment, Galvanizing, Enablement, and Tenacity—and why knowing your genius (and your team’s) can instantly improve communication, morale, and productivity.

We also dive into how this framework helps eliminate guilt, reduces judgment on your team, and gives you the language to advocate for what lights you up at work.

By the time you finish listening, you’ll discover:

• How to identify your Genius, Competency, and Frustration—and why it matters
• Why teams struggle to execute great ideas—and what to do about it
• What to say when someone’s working style drives you just a little nuts

new manager tips, leadership podcast, leadership development, team leadership
first-time manager, leadership mindset, how to delegate tasks
,how to stop micromanaging and build trust, developing executive presence for career growth, managing workplace conflict effectively
Pain-point keywords: imposter syndrome in leadership, how to avoid burnout as a leader, practical leadership tips, how to be a leader people actually follow, building trust with your team

Hear Scott speak live at the Intentional Leader Summit on August 6th, 2025

Connect with Scott Tillema on Linkedin
Watch Scott's TED Talk: The Secrets of Hostage Negotiators
Recommended Book: Hostage at the Table by George Kohlrieser

Can you lead through conflict—even without trust? Scott Tillema shares hostage negotiation skills that every leader can use to navigate difficult conversations and rebuild trust at work.

What does a hostage negotiator know that can help you manage workplace conflict?

A lot, actually.

In this episode, I’m joined by keynote speaker and former SWAT negotiator Scott Tillema, who brings decades of real-world experience to the conversations leaders dread the most—those awkward, uncomfortable, or downright tense interactions we tend to avoid.

We talk about how to build connection fast (even when trust is gone), what it really means to lead with influence, and why courage—not confidence—is the skill you need to move forward.

And while most of us aren’t trying to talk someone down from a ledge, we are leading people—often without the clarity, tools, or language to move things in the right direction.

If you’ve ever felt stuck between avoiding conflict and wanting a better work culture, this one’s for you.

Key Takeaways

• Why connection—not trust—is the real starting point for influence
• How to coach team members through conflict without being the villain
• What to say to shift someone from combative to collaborative

difficult conversations at work, workplace communication, leadership podcast
new manager tips, managing workplace conflict effectively, how to lead with influence
how to have hard conversations as a manager, conflict resolution strategies for leaders, how to build trust at work after it’s broken

• Book List (Leadership, Personal Development, Parenting)
• List of Assessments (Take DISC or Working Genius and get a free coaching debrief!)
• Read the Book: Taking Intentional Action

These 9 life lessons aren’t in a textbook, but they should be. Whether you're a new grad, a new manager, or someone guiding the next generation, this episode helps you grow with purpose, confidence, and self-awareness.

Most of us don’t learn life’s biggest lessons in high school, college, or even from a mentor.
We learn them through awkward conversations, missed opportunities, and figuring it out one hard moment at a time.

This episode is for anyone who’s ever typed “life advice for new graduates,” “how to be more confident,” or “personal development tips” into a search bar. I’m walking you through 9 things I wish someone had told me at 18 (and again at 28).

These are hard-earned lessons about identity, emotional intelligence, self-leadership, confidence, and growing into the kind of person others want to follow. Whether you're stepping into your first leadership role or mentoring someone who is, this episode gives you practical tools to become more self-aware, make better decisions, and build resilience before life forces you to.

It’s everything I wish had been taught in the common sense class we never got.

By the time you finish listening, you’ll learn:

• How to build confidence through action instead of waiting for it to appear
• What it means to frontload your life so you’re ready when things get hard
• Why self-awareness is the most underrated leadership skill
• How to mentor young adults without judgment or frustration
• The mindset shift that changed everything for me: you’re responsible to people, not for them
•