What does it take to pivot when things are going well—but the world (and your work) is changing fast? In this episode of How Leaders Think, Kenny Lange talks with Dr. Sharon Spano, founder of Spano & Company, about strategic planning that actually gets implemented, leading through uncertainty, and building the ability to adapt without drifting. They unpack why long-range planning still matters, how leaders can cut through the noise, and what accountability looks like when execution is the real challenge. Sharon also shares how she’s used AI as a thought partner to gain clarity and make better decisions without outsourcing her discernment.

Listen on Other Platforms

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/

Sharon Spano Resources

Website: https://sharonspano.com

Podcast Appearances: https://sharonspano.com/podcast-appearances/

Books Mentioned

The Pursuit of Time and Money (Dr. Sharon Spano): https://amzn.to/4tQXYnT

Chapters

00:00 - Cold open: AI as thought partner

00:55 - Welcome & Sharon Spano intro

01:30 - What’s on Sharon’s mind now

01:40 - Rebranding and pivoting a podcast

02:45 - When to pivot even if it’s working

03:10 - Big pivots: travel, market shifts, COVID

04:25 - Strategic planning changed after COVID

05:35 - Planning horizons: 3 years vs 10 years

08:10 - Vision, values, and getting to metrics

09:10 - Why most strategic plans fail

10:35 - Busy work vs real impact

12:20 - Too many meetings: redesigning cadence

13:05 - Accountability that drives execution

16:25 - Using AI for analysis and clarity

18:20 - Sharon’s new podcast and calling

21:05 - A first step to handle change better

44:25 - Where to find Sharon & closing

Hashtags

#HowLeadersThink #LeadershipDevelopment #StrategicPlanning #ChangeManagement

Are you a high achiever drifting toward burnout?

In this Looking Back episode of How Leaders Think, Kenny Lange and Julie K. Rhodes explore how Sabbath, humility, and God’s unconditional love create sustainable leadership. If you’re driven, responsible, and carrying significant pressure, this conversation may completely change how you think about success.

Chronic Grace: Prayers, Saints, and Thorns That Stay by Julie K. Rhodes

https://amzn.to/4azudiK

Julie shares how grief and chronic illness reshaped her definition of achievement—and why overachievers often drift into exhaustion when identity is tied to outcomes. This episode is about becoming the right person, not just getting the right results.

Listen on Other Platforms

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/

Julie K. Rhodes Resources

Website: https://www.juliekrhodes.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juliekrhodes/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-rhodes-ba4aab300/

Instagram: @juliekrhodes

Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/juliekrhodes

Other Resources Mentioned

Chronic Grace: Prayers, Saints, and Thorns That Stay (Julie K. Rhodes): https://amzn.to/4azudiK

Practicing the Way (John Mark Comer): https://amzn.to/4djmoOC

So Much More Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/3EV8RsLUlSeyfZvONYoRFc

Chapters

00:00 - Why this episode matters (Looking Back)

01:05 - A sacred pause after loss

04:02 - What “success” really looks like

06:52 - Legacy vs metrics and milestones

10:45 - The hidden motive behind striving

12:49 - Why high achievers burn out

14:29 - Unconditional love as a practice

20:42 - Finding a spiritual rhythm that fits

22:36 - Anxiety, control, and humility

27:35 - Pressure, responsibility, and payroll reality

30:40 - Trusting providence when plans shift

34:12 - Sabbath: a hard break from striving

37:13 - The drift back to

What happens when leadership becomes performance instead of presence?

In this episode of How Leaders Think, Kenny Lange sits down with leadership strategist and author Kristina Holle to explore how survival patterns, identity, and burnout quietly shape the way leaders show up.

Kristina unpacks the shift from performative leadership to embodied authenticity—and why wholeness, self-regulation, and alignment are becoming essential in today’s fast-moving world.

This conversation is for leaders ready to stop surviving and start leading from who they truly are.

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 Podcasts: https://www.youtube.com/@KennyLange/podcasts

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

Website: https://www.holleconsulting.com

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/kristinaholle

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinahollereal

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kristinamholle

Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6tnlbYvYQrz86e2vX4VHJt

The Authentic You: Unleash Your Leadership Potential

https://www.amazon.ca/Authentic-You-Unleash-Leadership-Potential-ebook/dp/B091FX4W1C

#HowLeadersThink #AuthenticLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #EmotionalIntelligence