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Podcast: The Leadership Project Podcast
Episode: 288. Approachable Leadership: Shrinking Power Distance with Phillip B. Wilson
Description: Have you ever noticed your team hesitating before sharing bad news? That pause often reveals the power distance leaders unintentionally create. In this conversation with Phillip B. Wilson, author of The Approachability Playbook and The Leadershift Playbook, we explore how unapproachable leadership sabotages effectiveness and silences truth.Phil explains how our brains default to the “villain assumption”—attributing negative intent to others while excusing our own actions with context. When paired with confirmation bias, this creates cultures where honesty is stifled. His antidote is the “hero assumption”: believing people fundamentally want to do great work and succee...