Sessions with System & Soul
Sessions is the podcast for growth-stage founders, COOs, and leadership teams ready to stop spinning and start building with clarity.
Each episode is a “Session,” an intentional break from the daily chaos to work on the business, not just in it. Hosted by Benj and McKenzie from System & Soul, this show blends practical frameworks with human insight, offering conversations that are honest, strategic, and soul-centred.
In every Session, you’ll find the space to:
• Simplify the next step in your business
• Build systems that support -not strangle- your growth
• Lead with clarity, culture, and confidence
• Reconnect with your purpose while building momentum
Because the best businesses aren’t just built on strategy, they’re built on soul.
Join us every Friday at 9 AM ET on LinkedIn and YouTube
Sessions with System & Soul
Reflection: When People-First Becomes a Leadership Trap
You say you’re a people-first leader… but what happens when it gets hard?
Budget cuts. Underperformance. Tough calls that impact real people.
In this week’s Reflection Session, Benj Miller and McKenzie Reeves Decker pull back the curtain on what it really means to lead with a people-first mindset, especially when the pressure’s on.
Forget the clichés. This is about more than being “nice.” It’s about having the courage to lead with clarity, honesty, and dignity.
🎧 Inside this episode:
✅ When Loyalty Backfires
Keeping someone “because they’ve been here forever” might be costing your team more than you think.
✅ Kind ≠ Weak
Avoiding hard conversations doesn’t make you compassionate—it makes things worse. Real leadership means facing the tough stuff.
✅ Dignity Over Drama
It’s not what you do, it’s how you do it. Layoffs, feedback, and even promotions—every moment is a chance to lead with dignity.
✅ Lead Out Loud
Bringing your team into tough decisions builds trust. Going silent? That breeds doubt, fast.
✅ Ask Before You Assume
Benj shares the two powerful questions every leader should ask their team (and themselves) before claiming the “people-first” title.
This episode is a gut-check for every leader who wants to build a business with heart without losing their edge.
If you’re navigating hard decisions and want to lead with both strategy and soul, this one’s for you.
Sessions is hosted by Benj Miller and McKenzie Decker
The best businesses aren’t just built on strategy, they’re built on soul.
📅 Join us LIVE every Friday on LinkedIn & YouTube
Your weekly leadership reminder.
Visit https://www.systemandsoul.com/261
Follow Sessions With System & Soul on LinkedIn & YouTube
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