#473: Joni Fedders — If You’re Too Busy to Think, You’re Too Busy to Lead

Sep 17

What if one of the biggest things holding you back as a leader is believing you’re supposed to have the answer?

In this episode of the Follow 2 Lead Podcast, Tony Miltenberger sits down with Joni Fedders, President and CEO of Aileron, for a conversation about vision, self-leadership, creating space to think, and what it really takes to help people and organizations grow.

After more than two decades leading Aileron, Joni has seen the power of a clear vision play out across hundreds of privately held businesses—and in her own life. She shares why a vision should be more than words on a wall, how it changes the way you show up today, and why leaders need to intentionally get out of the urgent and immediate if they want to think differently about the future.

Tony and Joni also explore the influence of her longtime mentor and Aileron founder Clay Mathile, the unexpected career path she believes was guided by the Holy Spirit, and the coaching lesson that transformed the way she leads: the person sitting across from you doesn’t need you to have the perfect answer. They need you to help them discover theirs.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

Why a vision is a “dream with a plan”—and why you have to keep working it.
How shifting from “I want” to “I am” can change the way you show up.
Why your vision doesn’t have to be perfect before you start moving toward it.
How creating physical and mental space helps leaders escape the urgent and think bigger.
Why Joni came to see leadership and business as a vocation.
What one mentor taught her about humility, self-awareness, and leading through deeply held values.
Why great coaching starts with empowering questions instead of advice.
How busyness can keep leaders from becoming aware of what’s really happening inside them.
Why growth in your organization and growth in yourself can’t be separated.

Coaching Question

Where are you trying to provide the answer when your leadership would be more powerful if you asked a better question?

Joni Fedders + Aileron Summit

Joni Fedders is President and CEO of Aileron, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping privately held businesses build healthier organizations through professional management, leadership development, coaching, and community. She has led Aileron since 2003 and has spent decades helping business owners and leaders grow themselves as they grow their organizations.

Aileron Summit brings business owners, CEOs, presidents, and their teams together to step away from the day-to-day, connect with other leaders who understand the weight of leadership, and create space for meaningful conversations about building healthier businesses.

There’s still time to register and join Tony at Summit.

Learn more: aileron.org

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