087: SERIES: Switch Hats, Not Values - Leading with Clarity and Sanity | PART 1: You Can’t Lead What You’re Avoiding with Guest Kendall Peterson
Release Date: 06/19/2025
114: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Sandbox
Leadership Sandbox: Strategies to Uplevel Workplace Communication, Team Collaboration, and Your Corporate Culture
Merry Christmas 2025! In this special holiday episode, Tammy J. Bond shares a powerful message on the "gift of who you are." As we sprint toward the end of the year, it’s easy to focus on quotas and wrap-ups, but the most impactful gifts you can give your team cost nothing. Tammy breaks down four essential "gifts" every leader should offer this season to restore hope, spark courage, and set a transformational tone for 2026. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: The Power of Being Truly Seen: Tammy shares a personal reflection on why seeing the person behind the production is a leader’s...
info_outline
113: The 2025 Leadership Paradox - Control vs. Empowerment
Leadership Sandbox: Strategies to Uplevel Workplace Communication, Team Collaboration, and Your Corporate Culture
As we round out 2025, leaders are facing a series of "this-or-that" choices: Control vs. Empowerment, Stability vs. Agility, Automation vs. Humanity. Tammy J. Bond argues that the real superpower for 2026 isn't choosing one—it’s holding the space for "Both-And." This episode explores why managers are "drowning" in complexity and how the "Yes, And" framework—Tammy's personal philosophy—can transform paralyzing tensions into opportunities for growth. Learn how to stop "reloading the dishwasher" for your team and start building a culture of trusted productivity. The Leadership Tensions of...
info_outline
112: December Is Here: Use Year-End Pressure to Fire Up Q1
Leadership Sandbox: Strategies to Uplevel Workplace Communication, Team Collaboration, and Your Corporate Culture
December isn't just about holidays; it's the most emotionally loaded month for your team—full of stress, burnout, and falling engagement. Tammy J. Bond challenges leaders who treat this month as a "survive and hope January is better" exercise. That approach already sets up Q1 for failure. This episode reveals the high cost of manager burnout and provides the necessary shift in mindset and three essential conversations leaders must have before December 31st to clear the "Workplace Sandbox" and transition into a high-performance 2026. The December Reality Check The Engagement Crisis: The...
info_outline
111: AI Is Here - But So Are Human Emotions
Leadership Sandbox: Strategies to Uplevel Workplace Communication, Team Collaboration, and Your Corporate Culture
AI is here, but so are human emotions. Tammy J. Bond highlights that implementing AI is not just a technical deployment; it's a massive disruption to your team's identity, sense of security, and self-worth. The core challenge for 2026 is leading the emotional side of automation, as your team is both hopeful and terrified. This episode exposes how leaders are currently dropping the ball with silence and lack of guidance, offering a playbook to intentionally build trust and human sustainability around AI usage. The Human Cost of AI Silence Leaders are often failing to implement AI well because...
info_outline
110: Grateful Leadership
Leadership Sandbox: Strategies to Uplevel Workplace Communication, Team Collaboration, and Your Corporate Culture
In this quick Thanksgiving episode, Tammy J. Bond challenges the notion that gratitude is just a holiday tradition—it's a leadership strategy. She shares that leaders often get stuck in a "scarcity loop," focusing only on what is not working yet. This episode provides four quick points to help leaders shift their perspective from lack to presence, turning gratitude into a proactive force that expands positive outcomes and boosts team performance. Key Leadership Insights: The Scarcity Loop: Leaders commonly focus on the "yet's" (what they don't have yet, who's not performing yet), leading...
info_outline
109: How to Handle the Passive-Aggressive Co-Worker Without Losing Your Mind (or Your Cool)
Leadership Sandbox: Strategies to Uplevel Workplace Communication, Team Collaboration, and Your Corporate Culture
Passive aggression is the emotional sabotage dressed as politeness that is silently draining your team's energy and trust. Tammy J. Bond pulls back the curtain on this pervasive workplace toxicity, revealing that leaders who ignore it aren't keeping the peace—they're preserving the problem. With over 50% of employees reporting being targeted by passive aggression, this episode provides direct, no-fluff strategies for leaders and middle managers to confront this "camouflaged conflict" and restore health to their teams. Key Leadership Insights: The High Cost of Avoidance: Passive aggression...
info_outline
108: Hey Ladies! Stop Apologizing. Seriously.
Leadership Sandbox: Strategies to Uplevel Workplace Communication, Team Collaboration, and Your Corporate Culture
Tammy J. Bond fires up the microphone for women leaders, challenging the pervasive habit of over-apologizing in professional settings. She argues that frequently defaulting to phrases like "I'm sorry, but..." or "This might not be the right time, but..." causes your apologies to show up louder than your actual leadership, draining your credibility and inviting doubt. This episode confronts the conditioning that leads women to wait to be invited instead of owning the room and provides a power move to replace apologies with confident, conscious confrontation. Key Leadership Insights: The...
info_outline
107: Are You in the Right Seat?
Leadership Sandbox: Strategies to Uplevel Workplace Communication, Team Collaboration, and Your Corporate Culture
In this quick, yet critical episode, Tammy J. Bond tackles a fundamental leadership challenge: ensuring you have the right people in the right seats on your organizational "bus”. Prompted by a leader struggling with under-delivery (not under-performance), Tammy challenges the common impulse to start with people. Instead, she provides a strategic framework to audit your organization, starting with the needs of the business before assessing the talent you have. This episode is imperative for leaders planning their success for the upcoming year and looking to replace disfunction with...
info_outline
106: The Hybrid Trap: Why Your "Flexibility" May Be Working Against You
Leadership Sandbox: Strategies to Uplevel Workplace Communication, Team Collaboration, and Your Corporate Culture
Leaders, you might call it flexibility, but your team calls it chaos. Tammy J. Bond cuts through the "hybrid fantasy" that believes simple Slack chats can replace connection, clarity, and collaboration. She exposes the silent culture split created by hybrid models, arguing that failure is rooted not in location, but in disconnection and unstable leadership. This episode provides the strategic framework for leaders to start intentionally engineering trust to make hybrid work successful. Key Leadership Insights & Hard Truths: The Hybrid Fantasy: The belief that a few Zoom calls and Slack...
info_outline
105: Middle Manager Meltdown - Caused by Leadership
Leadership Sandbox: Strategies to Uplevel Workplace Communication, Team Collaboration, and Your Corporate Culture
Tammy J. Bond shares her frustration after hearing a story from a middle manager dealing with a chaotic environment. The core issue: senior leaders are prioritizing being liked and showing misplaced "compassion" over actual leadership, accountability, and clear expectations. This episode is a fierce examination of how this dynamic demoralizes middle managers, promotes a culture of mediocrity, and actively destroys team trust and performance. Tammy challenges both senior leaders to put on the "boss hat" and middle managers to lead down and courageously speak up. Key Takeaways for Leaders (At...
info_outlineWelcome to Part 1 of our illuminating series, "Switch Hats, Not Values - Leading with Clarity and Sanity!" In this episode of the Leadership Sandbox, Tammy J. Bond sits down with Kendall Peterson, Early Learning Manager for the Quinault Nation. Kendall shares her transformative leadership journey through the powerful metaphor of 'switching hats,' revealing how adopting different leadership roles has revolutionized her communication and enhanced team dynamics.
This conversation dives deep into why clarity in leadership is non-negotiable and the inherent challenges of setting crucial boundaries. You'll explore how deeply personal values intertwine with professional relationships and discover the significant impact of leading with intention. Kendall's experiences highlight that avoiding difficult conversations ultimately leads to negative team outcomes. Tune in to learn how transparency about your leadership style can foster a healthier work environment and propel your personal growth as a leader.
Key Takeaways for Leaders:
-
The "Hats" Concept for Clarity: Learn how intentionally "switching hats" (adopting different roles) provides clarity in communication and sets clear expectations for your team.
-
Boundaries are Non-Negotiable: Effective leadership demands setting firm boundaries to maintain professionalism and reduce stress for both you and your team.
-
Values as Your Compass: Understand why aligning with your personal values is fundamental for authentic and effective leadership.
-
Confronting Avoidance: Discover how avoiding difficult conversations and issues directly leads to negative team dynamics and hinders personal growth.
-
Intentional Leadership: Embrace the importance of leading with intention to foster a healthier and more productive work environment.
-
Onboarding for Success: Learn how clear expectations set during onboarding new staff lay the groundwork for a positive team dynamic.
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
-
How Kendall Peterson transformed her leadership style using the 'hats' metaphor.
-
The profound impact of clarity in leadership on reducing stress and improving team morale.
-
Why understanding and integrating personal values is crucial for effective management.
-
The benefits of transparency in your leadership style for building stronger relationships.
-
How team support is essential for a leader's growth and success.
-
Strategies for avoiding difficult conversations and their impact on team dynamics.
Meet Kendall:
Kendall Peterson has more than 20 years of service in programs supporting children and families, and 9 years as the Early Learning Manager for the Quinault Indian Nation. She oversees Head Start, Early Head Start, and licensed childcare programming for the Nation, building strong, culturally responsive early learning environments grounded in community values.
Kendall is passionate about meeting families where they are and offering programming that helps them grow. She brings a reflective, practical approach to her own leadership journey, and is committed to mentoring her team to help them discover and realize their passions and potential. She has successfully navigated the complexities of Tribal governance, federal and state early learning regulations, and diverse stakeholder expectations, while keeping the needs of children, families, and staff at the center of her work. She brings a practical, reflective approach to leadership and is eager to share real-world strategies for staying grounded while managing competing roles.
Chapters:
-
00:00 Introduction to Leadership and the Concept of Hats: Setting the stage for understanding various leadership roles.
-
01:39 Kendall's Journey and Leadership Challenges: Hear about Kendall's real-world experiences and the obstacles she navigated.
-
04:56 The Importance of Clarity in Leadership: Why clear communication is vital for effective management.
-
08:49 Transforming Conversations and Leadership Style: Practical insights into changing your approach to team dynamics.
-
12:25 The Impact of Values on Leadership: Exploring how personal values shape your professional approach.
-
16:19 Setting Boundaries and Leading with Clarity: Essential strategies for establishing and maintaining professional boundaries.
-
19:42 Onboarding New Staff and Establishing Expectations: Best practices for setting a positive tone with new team members.
-
23:32 The Role of Team Support in Leadership Growth: How strong team dynamics contribute to a leader's success.
-
27:12 Conclusion and Future Conversations on Leadership: Wrapping up Part 1 and looking ahead in the series.
Ready to lead with intention and master the art of 'switching hats' without losing your core values? Tune into Part 1 of this empowering series on the Leadership Sandbox!
Learn More Here: bondgroupenterprises.com/podcast