#466: Tony Miltenberger on Culture Is an Inside Job — Why Great Leaders Don't Let Feelings Drive the Car
What if your greatest leadership challenge isn't your strategy, your team, or your circumstances—but the story you're telling yourself?
In this special episode of the Follow 2 Lead Podcast, we're sharing Tony Miltenberger's guest appearance on the Culture Is an Inside Job podcast. In this thought-provoking conversation, Tony joins the hosts to explore why emotional maturity is one of the greatest leadership advantages you can develop—and how doing the inner work changes the way you lead others.
Drawing from his book Wisdom in the Wound, his executive coaching experience, and his own personal journey, Tony explains why feelings are meant to inform us, not lead us. He shares practical tools for recognizing emotional triggers, responding with intention instead of reaction, and building healthier relationships at work and at home.
If you're leading a business, nonprofit, church, school, or executive team, this conversation will help you grow in self-awareness, strengthen your leadership, and create a culture where people feel seen, valued, and empowered to thrive.
In this episode, you'll discover:
Why great leaders don't let feelings drive the car.
How unresolved wounds quietly shape your leadership and influence your decisions.
Why feelings are decision points—not decision makers.
How curiosity and empathy create healthier teams and stronger workplace cultures.
Why emotional awareness is one of the greatest leadership advantages you can develop.
A practical coaching question to help you lead with greater clarity, wisdom, and purpose.
Coaching Question
Where was the last time your emotional intensity spiked above a six—and what might that reaction reveal about you instead of the other person?
Connect with Tony Miltenberger
Tony Miltenberger is an executive coach, speaker, and founder of Follow 2 Lead Coaching. He helps Christian executives, business owners, and organizational leaders build healthier cultures, strengthen trust, and lead with greater clarity and purpose.
Website: https://www.twmilt.com
Executive Coaching: https://www.follow2leadbenchmark.com
Instagram: @twmilt
Substack: https://twmilt.substack.com/
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