Every leader is dancing — whether they realize it or not.

In this episode of The Power of Influence: Leadership in Action, we explore the manager–subordinate dance — the daily interactions between leaders and team members that quietly determine whether people lean in with commitment or step back into self‑protection.

Through two contrasting workplace stories, host Paulette J. Sterling reveals how small leadership behaviours shape trust, engagement, and performance. You’ll hear how one manager creates psychological safety and ownership, while another creates fear, distance, and disengagement — all through everyday interactions.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. Why the quality of the manager–team relationship predicts performance, trust, and retention
2. How small behaviours — tone, clarity, listening, feedback — shape commitment
3. The difference between high‑quality and low‑quality leader–member relationships
4. Why people “do enough to stay out of trouble” when trust is low
5. How leaders can shift from surveillance to partnership
6. Practical steps to strengthen trust and influence this week

Whether you lead a team, a department, or an entire organization, this episode will help you:

• Build stronger, more respectful relationships
• Communicate with clarity and fairness
• Create psychological safety
• Reduce resistance and increase ownership
• Lead with intention in everyday moments

🎧 Listen now to understand how your daily leadership behaviours shape commitment — and how to adjust your “steps” in the dance.

👉 Subscribe for new episodes every month
👉 Join the Leadership Accelerator or Legacy Impact Circle for deeper tools
👉 Follow Paulette on LinkedIn and Facebook for weekly leadership insights

Commitment is still a competitive advantage — and in today’s workplace, “just doing the job” is no longer enough.

In this episode of The Power of Influence: Leadership in Action, host Paulette J. Sterling explores why commitment remains one of the strongest predictors of performance, trust, and long‑term success in organizations.

We break down the critical difference between commitment and compliance, and why leaders who understand this distinction are better equipped to build resilient, engaged, high‑performing teams.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

✨ Why commitment is more than showing up — it’s showing up with purpose
✨ How commitment drives performance, innovation, and trust
✨ Why compliance leads to burnout, disengagement, and quiet quitting
✨ What the changing world of work demands from leaders today
✨ Practical steps to strengthen commitment in your team

Whether you lead a team, a department, or an entire organization, this episode will help you:

• Identify the signs of true commitment
• Understand what erodes commitment
• Shift your leadership from pressure to influence
• Build a culture where people care about the work-not just complete it.

🎧 Listen now and begin strengthening the foundation of your leadership.

👉 Subscribe for new episodes every month
👉 Join the Leadership Accelerator or Legacy Impact Circle for deeper tools
👉 Follow Paulette on LinkedIn and Instagram for weekly leadership insights

Welcome to The Power of Influence: Leadership in Action — a podcast for leaders who want to inspire trust, strengthen commitment, and lead with intention in a changing world.

This Welcome Episode sets the foundation for Season 1: Foundations of Influence.
In this short introduction, host Paulette Sterling shares:

• Why influence -not authority- is the true currency of leadership
• Why organizational commitment still matters in 2026
• What leaders can expect from this podcast
• How each episode blends research, real stories and practical tools
• How to use this podcast as your monthly leadership reset

Whether you lead a team, a department, a business, or a community, this podcast will help you:

• Build stronger relationships
• Communicate with clarity
• Strengthen trust
• Lead with soul, strategy and legacy

Season 1 drops on January 5 with two full episodes:

• Why Commitment Still Matters
• The Manager - Subordinate Dance

Subscribe now and begin your 2026 leadership journey with intention.