How Chris Barnes Thinks About Evolving Leadership from Problem-Solving to Development

On today’s episode of "How Leaders Think," Kenny Lange sits down with Chris Barnes, fractional integrator and executive coach at Wolf’s Edge Integrators, for a transformative conversation on leadership development. Together, they unpack why many leaders struggle to move beyond being high-performing individual contributors and how organizations can shift from a culture of training to true development. Chris shares practical insights on escaping the “reactive” mindset, building conscious leadership, and the importance of self-awareness and growth. With real-world stories, frameworks like The Leadership Circle, and actionable steps for both seasoned executives and emerging leaders, this episode is a must-listen for anyone ready to elevate their leadership and drive meaningful change in their organization.

Other places to find the “How Leaders Think” podcast:

* Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-leaders-think-with-kenny-lange/id1434737807

* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2wKtzb6KaF1vNlG9TsZkzh

* Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy50cmFuc2lzdG9yLmZtL2tlZXAtcmlzaW5nLXdpdGgta2VubnktbGFuZ2U=

* Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b13c5d64-50db-4626-9685-c356116ec54b * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KennyLange/podcasts

* Website: https://howleadersthink.kennylange.com/

Chris Barnes Resources:
Website: https://www.wolfsedgeintegrators.com
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbarnes-leadership/

Books Mentioned:
American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company: https://amzn.to/4iMTMPt
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't: https://amzn.to/3RQ6AJT

#leadershipdevelopment #ExecutiveCoaching #PersonalGrowth #ChangeManagement #HowLeadersThink

• (00:00) - How Leaders Think Podcast
• (05:29) - Reactive vs. Conscious Leadership
• (07:35) - "Self-Change Over Changing Others"
• (10:59) - "Comprehensive Leadership Assessment Overview"
• (13:35) - "Keys to Effective Change Leadership"
• (17:01) - Leadership: Aligning and Developing Teams
• (23:27) - Lack of Team Development
• (24:12) - Breaking the Leadership Discipleship Cycle
• (29:54) - Balancing Leadership Development vs. Training
• (31:39) - "Celebrating Exceptional Coaching"
• (35:42) - "Embrace Strengths for Growth"
• (39:57) - "Engage to Enhance Leadership Discussions"