#331 Kevin Eikenberry: How Great Leaders Flex Without Losing Themselves — Part One

Kevin Eikenberry didn’t start in a leadership lab—he started on a farm where animals had to be fed no matter what else was happening. In Part 1, he shares how early lessons in discipline and systems thinking carried into his leadership work decades later. From his unexpected pivot from fertilizer sales to corporate training, to founding the Kevin Eikenberry Group, Kevin talks about the mistakes, pivots, and realities that shaped his approach to helping others lead better. Key Highlights of Our Interview: Feeding Hogs, Learning Discipline “No matter what else was happening, you had to feed the animals. Non-negotiable.” From Agriculture to Human Systems “I studied mechanical and biological systems. Now I work with human ones.” An Accidental Pivot into Training “I volunteered once at Chevron—and ended up reshaping my whole career.” The Easy Exit, the Harder Lesson “Leaving with projects lined up made it easier—but delayed learning how to market myself.” Keeping the Business Alive “You can’t just be good at the work. You have to keep finding the next work.” ____________________________ Connect with us: Host: Vince Chan | Guest: Kevin Eikenberry   --Chief Change Officer-- Change Ambitiously. Outgrow Yourself. Open a World of Expansive Human Intelligence for Transformation Gurus, Black Sheep, Unsung Visionaries & Bold Hearts. EdTech Leadership Awards 2025 Finalist. 20 Million+ All-Time Downloads. 80+ Countries Reached Daily. Global Top 1% Podcast. Top 5 US Business. Top 1 US Careers. >>>180,000+ are outgrowing. Act Today.<<< See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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What’s Stopping You from Outgrowing Yourself? Change Ambitiously. Outgrow Yourself. Chief Change Officer isn’t just another podcast. It ranks in the Top 3% globally, hit #1 in Careers (US), and cracked the Top 10 in Business (US)—because it offers what others don’t: expansive human intelligence, shared by the world’s most extraordinary thinkers and doers. This is the space for transformation gurus, bold hearts, black sheep, and unsung visionaries. We go beyond digitized tips and AI-smooth talk. Here, you get real, time-tested, experience-driven wisdom—the kind that blends logic and love, art and science, hindsight and foresight. For me, this show marks career transition #18. Across 17 transitions, I’ve been mentored by global changemakers who helped me emerge stronger and freer. Now, I’m passing that power forward—through raw, unfiltered conversations with extraordinary people across cultures, industries, and identities. If you’re a growth progressive, a black horse, a visionary underdog, or someone boldly rewriting the rules—you’re already one of us. Because you are the Chief Change Officer. Our mission? To help you become wiser in action, clearer in thought, and more ambitious in motion—so you can outgrow yourself and unlock outcomes beyond imagination or calculation. A better you is already unfolding. 130,000+ followers are outgrowing. Join them on LinkedIn, Apple, Spotify, and YouTube @chiefchangeofficer.