How Chris Barnes Thinks About Evolving Leadership from Problem-Solving to Development

How Leaders Think with Kenny Lange

On today’s episode of "How Leaders Think," Kenny Lange sits down with Chris Barnes, fractional integrator and executive coach at Wolf’s Edge Integrators, for a transformative conversation on leadership development. Together, they unpack why many leaders struggle to move beyond being high-performing individual contributors and how organizations can shift from a culture of training to true development. Chris shares practical insights on escaping the “reactive” mindset, building conscious leadership, and the importance of self-awareness and growth. With real-world stories, frameworks like The Leadership Circle, and actionable steps for both seasoned executives and emerging leaders, this episode is a must-listen for anyone ready to elevate their leadership and drive meaningful change in their organization.

Other places to find the “How Leaders Think” podcast:

* Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-leaders-think-with-kenny-lange/id1434737807

* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2wKtzb6KaF1vNlG9TsZkzh

* Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy50cmFuc2lzdG9yLmZtL2tlZXAtcmlzaW5nLXdpdGgta2VubnktbGFuZ2U=

* Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b13c5d64-50db-4626-9685-c356116ec54b * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KennyLange/podcasts

* Website: https://howleadersthink.kennylange.com/

Chris Barnes Resources:
Website: https://www.wolfsedgeintegrators.com
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbarnes-leadership/

Books Mentioned:
American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company: https://amzn.to/4iMTMPt
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't: https://amzn.to/3RQ6AJT

#leadershipdevelopment #ExecutiveCoaching #PersonalGrowth #ChangeManagement #HowLeadersThink

• (00:00) - How Leaders Think Podcast
• (05:29) - Reactive vs. Conscious Leadership
• (07:35) - "Self-Change Over Changing Others"
• (10:59) - "Comprehensive Leadership Assessment Overview"
• (13:35) - "Keys to Effective Change Leadership"
• (17:01) - Leadership: Aligning and Developing Teams
• (23:27) - Lack of Team Development
• (24:12) - Breaking the Leadership Discipleship Cycle
• (29:54) - Balancing Leadership Development vs. Training
• (31:39) - "Celebrating Exceptional Coaching"
• (35:42) - "Embrace Strengths for Growth"
• (39:57) - "Engage to Enhance Leadership Discussions"