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📝 Show Notes Summary

In this powerful episode, Elaine welcomes her first male guest to Captivate the Mic — master trainer, leadership consultant, and communicator Ron Reich. Together, they explore what leadership truly looks like in 2025 and how the best leaders today are creating space, safety, and culture from the inside out.

Ron shares wisdom on how to handle emotionally charged situations using his “PRD Model” (Pause, Reflect, Decide), and offers strategies for building psychological safety, even in blue-collar or high-turnover environments. From feedback stories to leadership blind spots, this conversation is rich with actionable insight and surprising depth.

💡 Key Takeaways

• PRD Model: Pause, Reflect, then Decide — a powerful tool for responding vs. reacting
• **Why “What’s NOT Changing” is vital during times of transition
• **The real difference between managing and leading
• **How feedback (even the tough kind) can sharpen your leadership if you listen deeply
• **Why top-down culture-building often fails — and what works instead
• **Creating psychological safety starts before the training even begins
• **How to invite quieter team members to contribute without forcing them

🔥 Pull Quotes

• “We don’t talk enough about what’s not changing — that’s where the anchor is.”
• “Leadership isn’t about talking more. It’s about creating the space so others feel safe enough to speak.”
• “You know you’re leading well when you can sit back and drink tea.”
• “Great cultures aren’t dictated. They’re co-created.”

Ron Reich – Leadership Expert | Executive Coach | Corporate Trainer

Ron Reich is a seasoned leadership consultant and executive coach with over 28 years of experience in training design, development, and facilitation. He specializes in cultivating high-performing leaders through impactful leadership and management development, executive coaching, supervision training, and dynamic team-building experiences.

With a deep understanding of organizational behavior and communication dynamics, Ron is known for creating safe, transformative learning environments where individuals and teams thrive. His engaging facilitation style and practical, real-world insights have made him a trusted partner for companies across a wide range of industries.

A lifelong learner and voracious reader, Ron stays at the forefront of leadership trends, research, and best practices through his daily habit of reading articles, newsletters, and books. He brings that curiosity and rigor to every training session and coaching conversation, helping clients evolve with purpose and precision.

Elaine and Ron have been colleagues and friends for years. They both LOVE personal development and the unlimited possibilities of human potential and all things leadership!

Connect with your Host, Elaine Williams:
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