Things Leaders Do
Things Leaders Do is the go-to podcast for leaders who want real, actionable strategies—not just theory. Whether you're a new leader stepping into management or a seasoned executive refining your skills, host Colby Morris delivers practical tools and processes you can start using today to lead with confidence, clarity, and impact.
Each episode breaks down key leadership topics with humor, insight, and real-world application, covering:
✅ How to communicate effectively and build trust in your team
✅ The secrets to high-performance leadership and team culture
✅ Handling setbacks and leading under pressure
✅ How to be a people-first leader without losing accountability
✅ Mastering the balance between strategy, execution, and influence
No fluff. No vague concepts. Just tactical advice that helps you grow as a leader and drive real results in your business or organization.
Subscribe now and join thousands of leaders leveling up their skills. Because leadership isn’t about what you say—it’s about what you do.
🔑 Keywords: leadership, leadership development, new managers, executive coaching, team culture, business growth, personal development, management strategies, communication skills, success, accountability, productivity
Things Leaders Do
Humility in Leadership: How Adaptability Builds Trust and Innovation
Episode Title: " Humility in Leadership: How Adaptability Builds Trust and Innovation "
Episode Summary:
Welcome back to Things Leaders Do, hosted by Colby Morris. In today’s episode, we’re unpacking why embracing humility and adaptability are essential traits for effective leadership. Are you tired of feeling like you have to have all the answers? Do you want to create a team culture that thrives on trust and innovation? Tune in as Colby shares powerful insights and personal stories on how admitting mistakes and pivoting when needed can actually strengthen your leadership and your team’s performance.
Keywords: leadership, humility, adaptability, psychological safety, team trust, leadership strategies, innovation, vulnerability in leadership, Colby Morris podcast
Key Takeaways:
- Embrace the Pivot: Stop doubling down on strategies that aren’t working. By admitting when it’s time to change course, you build credibility and trust with your team. This shows that you’re focused on the organization’s success, not just protecting your ego.
- Model Vulnerability: Being a leader doesn’t mean you have to be perfect. When you’re open about your own mistakes, you create a safe space for your team to be honest and innovative. Vulnerability is a strength, not a weakness.
- Foster a Culture of Innovation: Teams that fear failure rarely innovate. Leaders who encourage risk-taking and celebrate effort—regardless of the outcome—unlock creativity and drive growth. Creating psychological safety is key to fostering innovation.
Memorable Quotes to Share:
- "Leadership isn’t about always being right. It’s about being real and earning your team’s trust."
- "Admitting you’re wrong isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of strength."
- "If you want to innovate, create a culture where mistakes are part of the journey, not the end of it."
Personal Stories from Colby:
- The time Colby doubled down on a tight project deadline, only to realize he needed to adjust expectations. Admitting his mistake shifted the team’s morale and built stronger trust.
- A story about implementing a new process that flopped—and how openly acknowledging the failure led to better solutions from the team.
Action Steps for Leaders:
- Reflection: This week, take a moment to reflect on a recent decision. Is it time to pivot? Be open about it with your team.
- Model Vulnerability: Start small. Admit when something isn’t working as expected, and watch how it transforms your team’s engagement.
- Encourage Risk-Taking: Celebrate effort, not just results. Foster a team culture where trying something new is valued over playing it safe.
Connect with Colby on LinkedIn:
Let’s keep the conversation going! Connect with Colby Morris on LinkedIn [link in show notes] to share your thoughts on humility and adaptability in leadership. Colby regularly shares insights, practical advice, and engages in meaningful discussions with fellow leaders.
Call to Action:
If you found value in today’s episode on leadership and humility, make sure to subscribe to Things Leaders Do on your favorite podcast platform. Share this episode with another leader who needs a reminder that vulnerability and adaptability are key to thriving in today’s fast-paced world.
Welcome to Things Leaders Do, the podcast that uncovers the secrets of becoming an extraordinary leader. If you're a leader who's constantly seeking growth, inspiration and tangible ways to level up your leadership, then you've come to the right place. Remember, the world needs exceptional leaders, and that leader is you Now. Here's your host, colby Morris. Is you Now? Here's your host, colby.
Speaker 2:Morris. Hello leaders and welcome to the TLD podcast. If you're new here, I'm your host, colby Morris. I've been in the trenches of leadership from new manager to executive. My goal is to give you actionable tools and strategies that you can use today to become a better leader, faster, or at least faster than I did, because, let's face it, I've made more than a few mistakes, so hopefully you don't have to. That's why we're here, right To avoid those awkward we don't want to talk about that moments in leadership.
Speaker 2:Look, today I want to dive into something that's been on my mind a lot lately Humility and adaptability. Because, let's be honest, somewhere along the way, someone convinced us that leaders are supposed to have, like, all the answers, like we're just supposed to magically know everything, like we've got this crystal ball hidden in our desk drawer or some kind of leadership hotline that we can call. But here's the thing admitting when you're wrong or when you need to pivot is actually one of the most powerful things you can do for your team, and that's what I want to dive into today. So there's this myth that great leaders are supposed to project strength, confidence, 24-7. That we're these untouchable, unflappable figures and we can solve any problem that's thrown our way. Yeah, I never spill coffee on myself during a Zoom or accidentally hit reply on email, that kind of thing but here's the reality. Your team isn't looking for a superhero. They're looking for someone they can trust, someone who's human, because trying to be perfect it's not only exhausting but it's impossible y'all. If you're trying to maintain that image, you're doing two things You're going to burn yourself out and you're going to create a culture where people are afraid to speak up or take risks. No one wants to be the person to point out that the emperor has no clothes, especially when it turns out you're the emperor.
Speaker 2:Let me share a story. Early on in my leadership journey, I was convinced that our team could pull off this huge project in half the time it realistically needed. I was confident, though Too confident actually so I pushed everyone hard. I was thinking we could make it work. Long story short, it turned into a fire drill. People were working late, tensions were high, morale was low, but instead of admitting that I'd made a mistake, I doubled down. I thought if I show any sign of weakness, they'll lose respect for me. But let me tell you something. They already knew it wasn't working. They were just waiting for me to acknowledge it. They were just waiting for me to acknowledge it. So I finally swallowed my pride and said you know what I miscalculated? We need to adjust. And you know what happened? The entire mood shifted. There was visible relief on their faces. Suddenly, everyone's back on board and they were ready to find a solution. That's when I learned that admitting you're wrong doesn't make you weak. It actually makes you stronger because it builds trust. So here's your first takeaway Embrace the pivot.
Speaker 2:If a strategy isn't working, don't double down just to save face. No one benefits when you're steering a ship straight into an iceberg just because you don't want to admit you took a wrong turn. Instead, just say it. Say this isn't working and we need to change direction. You'll be amazed at how quickly your team gets behind you when you see you're focused on what's best for them and the organization, and not just your ego.
Speaker 2:All right, let's talk about vulnerability. And no, I'm not suggesting you break down crying in the middle of a board meeting or start spilling your deepest secrets during Monday's kickoff meeting either. Vulnerability and leadership is not about oversharing. It's just about being real. It's being honest about where things stand, even if that means admitting you don't have all the answers. So imagine this scenario. Maybe you've been in it. You're in a meeting and the project isn't going as planned. Everyone knows it, but no one wants to say it out loud. Then the leader says you know what? I made a mistake with our approach. Here's what we're going to do to fix that. It's like the arrogance ladder People stop holding their breath. Okay, when you own up to mistakes, you're not just admitting a misstep, you're giving your team permission to be honest too.
Speaker 2:One other time I tried to roll out a new process In my mind it was going to revolutionize the way we did things, but instead it just added more work and, with that, more confusion. Really, I pushed it hard because I was convinced it would work and till it didn't, I could see the frustration growing. So finally, I just said okay, this isn't working, is it said, okay, this isn't working, is it? Let's pivot and find something better. And you know what happened. My team didn't revolt. They were relieved. They actually appreciated the honesty and they actually jumped in to help me fix it. So here's your second takeaway Vulnerability isn't a weakness.
Speaker 2:It's actually one of your greatest strengths, by showing that you're willing to admit your stupid mistakes and ask for help. You're going to create a culture where your team feels safe to do the exact same? Okay, it's about setting a tone where growth is prioritized over appearances. When your team sees that you're not above admitting where you went wrong, they'll be more willing to take risks and bring their best to the table. All right, I want to talk about how fear stifles innovation. If your team is afraid of making mistakes, they're going to just play it safe. Okay, they're just going to stick to what they know. They're going to avoid new ideas and literally steer clear of anything that could potentially rock the boat really rock the boat. And who would blame them? Right? No one wants to be the one who suggests something that didn't work and get called out for it, but imagine what your organization could achieve if your team felt safe to say I got a wild idea and it may not work.
Speaker 2:But what if we tried this? I'm telling you, that's where a breakthrough happens. Okay, when people feel safe enough to take risks, they're not afraid of failing because they know that even if it doesn't work, it's not the end of the world. Most great innovations don't come from playing it safe y'all. They come from being willing to try something new, to fall on your face and then get back up again. As a leader, it's your job to create that space where people feel comfortable, where they feel comfortable trying and failing, because, honestly, if you're not willing to look a little foolish once in a while, well, you're not pushing hard enough. So your third takeaway if you want to foster innovation, you have to create psychological safety. Okay, encourage your team to take calculated risks and then celebrate the effort, even if it doesn't succeed. At least they tried, okay. It's like when your kid draws a picture of you that looks more like a potato with arms. You know You're still hanging on the fridge because it was that effort that counted. That's the kind of culture you want, where trying is valued as much as succeeding.
Speaker 2:All right, everybody, I really hope you enjoyed this episode. I know it was shorter than most, but I hope you got some insight from it. Okay, if you liked it, please subscribe. Share it with another leader who could use a reminder that humility and adaptability are strengths. I'd love to connect with you on LinkedIn, again, having great conversations over there, and I'd love to hear your thoughts. If you do follow me, you connect with me. Just. Hey, colby, I've been following your podcast. I just thought I'd connect here on LinkedIn. Love knowing that. That's where you came from. Okay, and if you have topics that you'd like to share with me, hey, connect with me. Let me know if that's what you'd like to do. Okay, all right, everybody, until next time. Lead well, okay, really dive into the humility and adaptability as a strength. And you know why? Because those are the things that leaders do.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to Things Leaders Do. If you're looking for more tips on how to be a better leader, be sure to subscribe to the podcast and listen to next week's episode. Until next time, keep working on being a better leader by doing the things that leaders do.