Michael Stevens on Culture as a Leadership Tool

How do leaders unknowingly create cultures of compliance instead of commitment? In this episode of KPI Fireside, host Keith Norris sits down with Michael Stevens, Presidential Professor of Leadership Studies and a global expert on the people side of performance, to explore what truly separates management from leadership and why respect, not authority, is the real driver of execution.

🔻 Why leadership is less about directing work and more about influencing how people choose to show up

🔻 The critical difference between managing processes and leading people

🔻 Michael’s two-axis leadership model: assertive vs passive and respectful vs disrespectful

🔻 Why intent does not matter nearly as much as how leadership behavior lands with employees

🔻 The concept of “intelligent disobedience” and why leaders must create space for employees to challenge decisions

🔻 Why asking questions before giving answers dramatically increases ownership and execution

🔻 How emotional intelligence, self-regulation, and empathy enable better leadership conversations

🔻 The four barriers that prevent managers from becoming leaders: knowing, doing, feeling, and being

🔻 Why “clear is kind” even when feedback stings and how respectful candor builds trust

This conversation is a masterclass in why leadership development is not about learning more techniques, but about rethinking how power, respect, and influence actually work inside organizations.

🔗 Connect with Michael Stevens on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelstevensphd/

🔗 Learn more about KPI Fire: https://www.kpifire.com/

🎙 Hosted by Keith Norris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithnorris/